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Feb 11, 2025 06:00am

The Invitation

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A teacher told her young students that she was starting a new club and they should watch for an invitation.

The buzz began.

Who would get invited? What would this club be about? Who was it for? What were the requirements to get in?

At recess, the playground was empty because the students were huddled together.

“Of course, this club is for the smartest kids. I’m sure our teacher will say it’s only for the A+ students.”

Lots of students agreed.

“I don’t know. I think it’s for those who can raise the most money for a project our teacher wants to do. Those are probably the ones that will be in the club.”

Several more nods came throughout the group.

“No way. This club is going to be for those that have done extra – like volunteered for stuff and been a part of outside-of-the-school things.”

The possibilities felt endless as the students debated who would be invited to this special club.

But one little boy knew for sure it wouldn’t be him. He wasn’t the smartest kid. He just got a C on his last math test. He didn’t have any money, and neither did his mom. And extra stuff outside of school? He didn’t have time for that. He had to go home straight after school every day to help watch his little sister while his mom worked her second job. No matter how he looked at it, the answer was always the same: he could do nothing to earn that spot in this special club.

As the kids piled back in the door after recess and opened up their reading books, they found little white envelopes with their names on them stuck inside.

A few gleamed with pride, thinking they had figured it out and knew exactly why they had received this invitation. But some were astonished. They had no idea why their name was on one.

The class took notice of who had an envelope. And several became angry.

“Why did YOU get an invitation? You haven’t done anything special!”

The fact was, every student had received an invitation. And the teacher was about to reveal why.

“I see you’ve found your invitations. I’m so excited for you to be a part of this club! As you’ve probably figured out by now, there are no requirements. You don’t have to earn your way in. It’s open to all. The only thing you have to do is accept my invitation. And then you are a member of the club.”

As the teacher spoke, there were mixed emotions across little faces in the room. Some were elated and beamed with delight. While others were confused and still unsure. Some were just downright mad and creased their brows and narrowed their eyes.

“This isn’t fair. There should be some type of requirements. I mean, you can’t just let everyone in. There has to be a way to earn a spot.”

The teacher turned to the student. “But I created the club and can invite anyone I want. And I want to invite all of you. Because I love each of you. Not because of anything you’ve done or will do, or any money you can give, or any extra things you can do. Simply because I love you.”

A humph escaped his mouth as he crossed his arms over his chest and muttered under his breath. “No way. I don’t want to be in. It’s not special if everybody gets invited.”

But, the young man, the one who knew he had nothing to offer anyway, ran to the front of the room and threw his arms around his teacher.

“I accept! I want to be in this club!”

Romans 3:27-31 NLT
“Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.

28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.

29 After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is.

30 There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.

31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.”

Faith alone is how we are saved. That’s how we enter heaven. There are no requirements except to accept the invitation offered by Jesus. That’s it. There’s no amount of money we could give, no amount of good deeds or tests to take, nothing like that. He says it is only by faith in Jesus. For everyone. Jews and Gentiles.

You can imagine how that must have sounded to the Jews. They believed they were the chosen people of God and that Gentiles were dirty and beneath them. The only way to be made righteous in their eyes was to follow the law given by God to Moses. But God had made a way for ALL people to come to Him and be forgiven, not just the Jews.

The law was given so they could see that even their best was still not good enough. Every Jew had broken the law at least once, and that’s one too many times to be considered righteous before God. The law pointed out their sinfulness.

But God loved them, the Jews and Gentiles, and offered all of them an invitation to be with Him in Heaven. And all they had to do was accept this invitation from Jesus.

Like those kids in the classroom, some were elated at this news, while others were angry and refused to believe you couldn’t earn this reward.

But God is the Creator, and He can invite anyone He wants.

And He has invited you.

And all you have to do is accept the invitation.

There are no other requirements; just accept this beautiful gift from Jesus.

And once you decide to follow Him, nothing will be the same. He will change you from the inside out. He molds and shapes you to look and be more like Him throughout life.

Are you ready?

The invitation is in your hands. Will you accept it?

Want to know more? Go to follow.lifeword.org and learn what it truly means to be a follower of Christ.