Easter, Part 2: Skeleton Key to Heaven

Lot's Wife rock formation on the Dead Sea

(Please read Easter Part 1 first and Part 3 later today)
As a teenager, I went through all the normal struggles...I tried this and did that...things I am not proud of but will not deny or explain/expound upon - to deny any one of the things I have done or been through would be denying myself for who I am today...and although far from perfect, I am a work in progress...some of the finest art in the world was painted over simpler, more crude first works of art - called over painting -why should it be any different for us?  I have repented for and been forgiven for these mistakes by Him, so any other judgments are unimportant although my human brain still torments me with the memories from time to time.  Where possible, apologies have been made an accepted, and forgiveness granted - on both sides of the instances in question.  This is an important concept:  While the judgments of others and their comments might sting and hurt our feelings, God is the one who matters.  If we have truly repented - which includes attempting to make restitution where possible, no one else is entitled to an opinion - unless we LET them be.  This goes along with another important concept - One that we learn from the story of Sarah and Lot (Genesis 19).  When God instructs them to leave Sodom and Gomorrah, he tells them not to look back.  Of course, Sarah looks back and turns into a pillar of salt.  We take this literally, as the biblical portrayal illustrates, but this is a good allegory for us today.  When you leave sin, DO NOT LOOK BACK.  Look forward - move beyond the sin.  We must leave it behind to complete the repentence process. 

In Genesis 3, God makes Adam and Eve leave the Garden of Eden - because they have sinned, they can no longer dwell in his presence.  This is one of the sources of our doubt that the atonement works - if God banned them from His presence, knowing that they had to break one rule to keep the other - then how can he forgive me for___________?

As much as I love peeps and chocolate peanut butter eggs, Easter is about the Atonement.  If we look up the word in the free dictionary we get this:
a·tone·ment  (-tnmnt)

n.

1. Amends or reparation made for an injury or wrong; expiation.

2.

a. Reconciliation or an instance of reconciliation between God and humans.

b. Atonement Christianity The reconciliation of God and humans brought about by the redemptive life and death of Jesus.

3. Obsolete Reconciliation; concord.

 

If we break it down another way, the purpose becomes clearer:  At One Ment.  The ability to become one in purpose with Christ. The ability to put aside our human form - to allow the sacrifice the Lord made for us - dying on the cross to pay for our sins - to work in our lives.  The price has already been paid.  Not allowing or accepting His gift is foolish, yet we all struggle with it. The rather intangible nature of the gift makes it harder to accept.  If we were at the McDonald's drive-thru and someone in front of us paid for our food, we would accept this; we might think it odd, but we would accept it.  Why then can we not accept the most precious present of all - eternal life?  The biggest obstacle is forgiving ourselves...I struggle with this every single day...if only I had done this....if only I hadn't....these are the things that keep me awake at night.  The following comes to mind:

Luke 18:25-27 (King James Version)

 ²⁵For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
 ²⁶And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?
 ²⁷And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

We cannot buy or barter our way in to Heaven.  The world tries to sell us on a lot of different keys:   wealth, fame, long life, beauty, physical attributes, etc.  However, there is only one key that truly fits.  Humility is the skeleton key to Heaven, and accepting His sacrifice gives us a turn of the key.
If you want to know HOW I KNOW, read Easter Part 3, later this evening.