Wednesday I came across an old article from The Atlantic titled Michael Bloomberg: “I have Earned My Place in Heaven”.  The article subtitle reads, “The former New York City mayor is confident that his latest $50 million gun-control initiative has secured him a happy afterlife.” 

The article is dated April 2014 but has obviously resurfaced via social media due to Bloomberg’s desire to sit in the Oval Office. I have no intention of making any political statements, but I would like to make a few statements from the Bible and argue for the exclusivity of Jesus in regard to salvation.

Bloomberg is quoted in the article to say “I am telling you, if there is a God, when I get to heaven I’m not stopping to be interviewed. I am heading straight in.”  He goes on to say, “I have earned my place in heaven. It’s not even close.”

The Beatles sang, “Can’t buy me love.”  Well, you can’t buy or earn Heaven either.

We are told in Ephesians 2:8, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”    A gun-control initiate – no matter how large – is a work of man and not the gift of God.

I’m fond of reading the words of Jesus from John 14:6 at funerals:  “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  If you get interviewed at the gates of Heaven, you better mention the name of Jesus.  It’s your only hope.

We are broken people and we live in a broken world.  Take a look at today’s headlines and you’ll find stories of mass shootings on college campuses and Texas churches, stories of political division and political outrage, stories of sex trafficking and homosexuality, drug wars, corruption, and all sorts of evil.

Yet, you don’t have to look at headlines.  If you’re brave enough, you can examine your own heart.  You will find it filled with a wide variety of addiction, lust, pride, anger, jealousy, and idols.  You will see your propensity to leave God’s will for your own. The Bible merely calls this sin.

We are sinful people and sin has consequences.  Sin has earthly consequences.  We see how sin destroys our bodies, our marriages, our relationships, our mind, our hearts, and more.

Sin also has eternal consequences.  Sin destroys our relationship with God which leads to rebellion, isolation, and eventually separation from God.  Sin leads to hell on earth and to simply hell.

Yet, the midst of brokenness, Jesus offers good news.  He offers victory over sin and death.  Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world – that includes your sin.  On the third day in the tomb, Jesus rose from the dead offering you abundant life now and eternal life to come.

Sorry, Mr. Bloomberg, political policy holds no power over sin and death.  Jesus does.