Lately I've been hearing a lot about how Jesus' life on earth was all about love and acceptance. I would never want to mislead anyone into thinking that just because they try to be a good person, they will be accepted into heaven, because that is simply not true.
Jesus did NOT accept everyone - he didn't accept the Pharisees, and in fact said some pretty harsh things to them. He did not accept Peter when he blasphemed, yet loved him when he repented. He welcomed tax collectors, prostitutes and sinners with open arms, just as they were. Then he showed them love and compassion, he healed their infirmities, and then he told them to stop sinning and sent them away changed. Love is not the same as acceptance.
Any mom who has a toddler knows that love and acceptance do not always co-exist. When your toddler wants to play with something dangerous, you lovingly make them stop. You are not tolerant of the dangerous behavior, and you do something about it. Love, tolerance and acceptance are totally different. Love trumps all. I will not tolerate sin in my child's heart because I love him. I will not accept lying from my kids because I love them. I will be compassionate and gently show my children that the sinful condition of their hearts needs to be fixed by Jesus.
The only way that God will accept you into heaven is if you have declared that Jesus is the Master of your life and you have submitted your will to him. He will not accept you if you have only been a "good person." Make no mistake, God loves you; he loves us all. However, he will not accept us all. Our sin has made it impossible for God to be accepting of us. The only way God will accept you is if you have accepted his son as the redeemer of your sin.
I don't want my children to grow up thinking that in order to love someone, they have to be accepting of that person's sin; differences, yes - sin, no. And I want my children to show love to everybody, even when they disagree with them. It is possible to disagree in love.
So on this Good Friday, the day we remember how Jesus suffered and died to cleanse us from our sins, I am praying that you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, so that he can accept you into heaven.
