Monday, February 23, 2009

The Gospel According to Allen Iverson


During a recent interview connected with the NBA All-Starr game, Allen Iverson was asked about charity giving. He said he gives generously but doesn't really care to talk a lot about his giving. Romans 12:8 says when "contributing to the needs of others let him give generously." Allen should certainly be commended for his giving.Iverson revealed in the press conference that he has been contemplating heaven and hell. “I’ve done a lot of good things in my life and done a lot of bad things in my life so I don’t know. I hope the good things outweigh the bad things. . . . I don’t want to go to hell.” He should also be commended for giving serious thought as to where he will spend eternity.Unfortunately, he seems to perceive that our entrance into heaven will be determined by a scales that measures our good deeds against our bad ones. Scripture certainly encourages us to good works, in fact, it clearly states that good works will result when converting to Christ. But no where does scripture teach us that our own efforts at goodness will unlock the gate of heaven. Eph. 2:8-9 declares our salvation to be a "gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Thinking seriously about his eternal destiny and declaring "I don't want to go to hell" is surely a move in the right direction. I pray that Allen Iverson will come to a full realization that “The free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

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