"Keys to the Kingdom"

"But as for me, my prayer is unto Thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of Thy mercy hear me, in the truth of Thy salvation." (Psalms 69:13) If you are looking for there to be another way, you're looking in the wrong direction. There is no other way than Jesus Christ! We apparently do not have all the answers to every situation in life; but that's okay, because God does. So what answer we need to be concerned with most, is the One that points upward; everything else is not really important. You get that One answer right, and you are in and there is nothing more that really needs to be done to secure your place in Heaven. Is that what you believe? Because if not, then you need to truthfully consider your options; because Jesus is the only way, and it is only by believing that He paid the 'full' price for your sins that you are getting in! He did not pay 99.9% of the price; He paid 100% of the price for all of our sins. Not a single person that has ever lived has not been paid for. So what seems to be the problem, and why are so many people lost in their sins? Believe it or not, there are a lot of people that just do not want to be saved; at least not without doing something, anything, as long as they don't have to feel 100% committed. You see, there is something to God's plan of salvation that involves you, but it's not your efforts or your righteousness. It is about you knowing that He has paid your dealt in full; a dealt that you could have never paid on your own, has been paid for you, and now you are obligated to serve your New Master, all the way to the very end. That is really not such a bad deal, if you really stop to think about it. You have no more worries about where you will end up, because that has been already determined by the Master. You have no need to gain favor with God, because you have been given the keys to the kingdom; you are already in... "Then He asked them, "But who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God." Jesus replied, "You are blessed, Simon son of John, because My Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means 'rock'), and upon this rock I will build My church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatsoever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven." (Matthew 16:15-19) NLT