God's Grace - Use It Or Lose It.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8.

D. L. Moody tells the story of a teacher in the 1800's who attempted to teach his students about God’s Grace. The teacher took from his pocket a silver watch and offered it to the oldest boy in the class. “It’s yours if you will take it,” he said.

The boy, believing it a joke, and thinking that he would be laughed at if he held out his hand, smiled and sat still. In the same way, the teacher offered it to the next child, and to the next and the next until he came to the youngest child in the class. When the watch was offered to the young lad, he took it and put it into his pocket. All the class laughed at him.

“I am thankful, my boy,” said the teacher, “that you believe my word. The watch is yours.”

The rest of the class looked on in amazement and one of the them said, “Teacher, you don’t mean that the watch is his, do you?”

“Indeed it is,” replied the teacher.

“Oh, no!” groaned the boy. “If I had only known that, I would have taken it!”

So many people blame God for not allowing everyone go to heaven. Like this story however, God cannot give the gift of salvation to those who will not receive it.