Today I awoke to startling news on the TV: Steve Irwin, that hyper blonde croc-hunting Aussie, was dead at age 44. I googled this news to learn the bizzare details of his death. He was filming for a series, "Ocean's Deadliest" when he came too close to a stingray, which released it's barb. It went through Steve's ribcage, right into his heart. It is unusual to be stung by these creatures, and rare to die from a sting, but in this case, there was no avoiding it, as it was his heart. He left behind a wife, an 8-year-old daughter, and a nearly 3-year-old son. So sad.

I realized that none of us knows when "our number is up." The Bible says,

"...it is appointed to men once to die, and after this the judgement." (Hebrews 9:27)

The question is, are you ready? Was Steve ready? What will he say when God asks him, "Why should I let you into heaven?" Will Steve mention various good works? Donations to charity? Did he know before he died that nothing he could do could earn his way into heaven? Hear what the Bible says about our good deeds:

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." (Isaiah 64:6) 

So, how does one get into heaven? Simply by belief in what Jesus did. We are all sinners, every one of us. God, who is holy, cannot accept any sin in His presence. Someone had to take care of this problem. That "Someone" was Jesus, the sinless God-man. He died in our stead, as the substitute for our sins, past, present, and future. He was perfect, but He took our sin on Him, as God could only accept a perfect sacrifice for our sin. It's simple, yet so many people can't wrap their heads around it. They feel they must earn their way into heaven. There's no way we could, as just one sin would make us offensive to a holy God. (And how many times a day do we all sin? It adds up!) So what about good deeds? They are the "thank you" to God that we can offer after we are his children. After we accept Jesus as our Saviour.

I can only hope that at some point, Steve accepted Jesus as his Saviour. Because if he didn't, he'll burn for all eternity, having knowingly rejected the beautiful act of love in Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross.

What you say is sad, but true. We only live once and then the judgement. At that time we'll have to answer for what we did with His Son! Praise God that He provides us a way of escaping Hell and judgement.

It's sad that this man died, but I was reading on the Answers In Genesis website that many people tried to reach him with the Gospel!

Nice site here!

It is so good to see someone giving a good witness in their journal! What you said is true - Salvation is only through the blood of Jesus. I too wondered about where he now is. It is a sad thing and a very definate reminder that no one knows how much time they have.

Salvation is a free gift, but it's not a one-time deal. With a soul in true grace, good works will flow. A person without good works is not a Christian because, as James says, "Faith without works is dead."