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Good Intentions
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Chapter: 10.04
(Section 10: Understanding Salvation)
Copyright © Michael Bronson 1997, 1999, and 2000
BibleHelp.org

Summary
Good intentions will not get a person into Heaven. Good intentions, applied incorrectly can still create undesirable results.

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"We have another alarm," the copilot said to the pilot. "What’s going on here? It looks like we’re running out of fuel. Oh no! We’ve just lost an engine." Within a short period of time this "ultra new" 757 loses all of its engines. Desperately, the pilots try to control the crippled plane. The confusion of what has happened to their engines is overshadowed by the fear of what to do next. The plane slowly loses altitude and speed. It is just a matter of time before it crashes.

The pilots are now looking at the maps to see if there is a place to crash the plane without killing people on the ground. Fortunately, somebody remembers there is an old abandoned drag-racing strip nearby and hope is renewed. Despite the fact that people are having a picnic on the old strip, the plane is able to land without any casualties.

An investigation of this incident revealed a simple, but near fatal mistake. Before the plane took off on its voyage, it was discovered that the jet's fuel gauge was not working. Although you would think it would be standard practice to always try to keep the fuel tanks full, most airlines don’t because of the added cost. It depends on the aircraft, but each additional pound of weight will burn around $5,000 to $10,000 worth of fuel a year. As a result, it would be very costly for each plane to carry a couple thousand pounds of unneeded fuel. Therefore, only the fuel that is needed (plus a reasonable margin of error) is pumped into the plane.

Since the gas gauge was not working, the gas crew used the "drip method" (dip stick) to determine how much fuel was already in the plane. After taking the measurements, the gas crew calculated how much more fuel was needed.

Unfortunately, the gas crew assumed that the measurements on the dipstick were like most other planes, showing gallons and not liters. However, this jet was one of ten planes the Canadians were using to test the upcoming metric system (mid 1980’s). As a result, their calculations were wrong and not enough fuel was put in the jet.

Good intentions applied incorrectly can still create undesirable results. Likewise, good intentions will not get a person into Heaven. Most of us have heard something similar to, "I may not be perfect, but I’m sure God will let me into Heaven because I have good intentions." Will God let someone into Heaven because of good intentions? Will God’s requirement for perfection be satisfied simply because a person tries hard? No, good intentions will not get a person into Heaven. Only the atonement offered by Jesus will get a person into Heaven. For more information, look at my chapter What about the Seeking and Sincere. This chapter shows why sincerity will not get a person into Heaven.

 

Other Chapters in this Section

Home
A Case for Christianity
"Got Milk?" -An interesting way of presenting the gospel
A Walk on the Wild Side
Delusions of Grandeur
Good Intentions
Making up for Past Wrongs
Misguided Commitment
Grace:  Unmerited Favor (an emotional example)
Is Jesus God?
Reference 1:  Verses Showing the Trinity
Reference 2:  Verses Showing Jesus is God
If Jesus is God, Why did He have so many Limitations?
Is Hell for Eternity?


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