How much have you earned during your life so far? It may be that you’re still a student or unemployed and are glad of every penny that comes your way, or maybe you’ve been working for many years and are still waiting for the ‘big money’ to start rolling in. In contrast, it was revealed recently that the BBC TV and radio presenter Chris Evans earns over £2 million a year. But there are some things that even that amount of money can’t buy, such as a place in Heaven.

Yet in 2013 Israel Today reported that Ari Mendel, a young Jewish American, tried to do just that, by putting his place in Heaven up for sale on eBay! He thought that his many good deeds, done while studying at a Jewish seminary, had earned him credit with God, even though he had subsequently fallen away from the “right path.”

“Surely my place in Heaven is worth something,” he declared, as he encouraged bidders to offer a reasonable price. Bids reached $100,000 USD on eBay, until the company put a stop to the sale, saying that “the afterlife is not a tangible thing, and therefore cannot be sold.”

Ari Mendel had made two rather basic mistakes. Not only is it impossible to sell a place in Heaven, it’s also impossible to earn one. Although our Creator calls us to a selfless life, all of Ari’s good deeds, whatever they were, could never have ‘earned’ God’s favour. God’s love, His forgiveness and a place in Heaven are all a free gift given to anyone who recognises that they are completely undeserving. And that is good news to the spiritually hungry amongst us.

… God’s free gift is eternal life in Messiah Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

So when we talk to our Creator, we can know that we are coming to Someone who offers His love and understanding free of charge and without condemnation. He knows the struggles inside of us; He knows what we’ve been through, and He calls us to turn from our own ways, receive His forgiveness and to follow Him.

He loves you. Let Him lead you into a future that is beyond price.