Driven By Faith

There is nothing we can do to work our way into heaven; the misnomer that we get into heaven because our good outweighs our bad is a dangerous, errant concept. We are called to follow Christ through salvation - once we're in, He calls us to obedience. 1st Corinthians 3 says:

12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.
14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

We have to guard against developing a mindset of works-based righteousness.  Our relationship with Christ is made possible because of the free gift of His grace; there is nothing we can do to earn it. But, once we're in, Jesus does call us to, as He says, take up our cross daily and follow Him - we are to die to self in order that we might live for Him.  And, the life of Christ flowing through us produces fruit for His glory, fruit that is described in Scripture as "fruit that will last."

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We have been placed on this earth for a season, but if our lives are truly hidden with Christ, we know that we have eternal life and will live with Him forever. 2nd Corinthians 4 provides these reminders:
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

It was baked in to the life of this car-loving family.  Dad was a tire salesman, his son an aspiring race-car driver who competed in his first race at age 5.  He was a quarter-midget champion at age 12.  But, every Sunday, even if it involved a long drive through the night, the family was in church on Sunday.

That's according to a CBN.com story about one of NASCAR's emerging stars, who says, "I never got into racing because of fame or because of money or because of the perks that might come with it. For me it was all about going to the racetrack, competing, competing at a high level, and using the gifts that, you know, I had been given."

He continued to compete, but it became obvious that there was a steep financial cost involved. In fact, his parents came to a point where there was no more money to invest in his racing dreams.  But, Justin Allgaier was a young man of faith, so naturally, he called out to the Lord.  As the story relates:

Justin says he asked God for help and got an immediate answer. Before his next race, he was introduced to the director of competition at Penske racing, one of the largest teams in the sport of NASCAR.

"We went out, I raced and of all days, I ended up winning that day," says Justin. "It was a fantastic race for us. A racetrack that we shouldn't have won at, but I ended up winning that day. And 24 hours later, literally, 24 hours later I was sitting in Detroit, Michigan with Roger Penske, going over on a legal pad writing down different things that, you know, would ultimately end up being my contract and an opportunity to race full-time in NASCAR."

Allgaier is a driver in the Xfinity series, which is one step below the Cup Series of NASCAR. He now drives for Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s team. He won a race in Atlanta this spring. And, he is obviously driven by his faith in Christ, saying, "I think what I want people to know is just that I'm a believer in Christ."  

So, Justin has won trophies, but he recognizes that they're just pieces of metal - the real trophies, as believers recognize come in the forms of crowns in heaven, given for faithful service to Christ. Allgaier says, "I have no reservations about where my talent comes from and the opportunities that I'm given, where they come from. You know, it's definitely a gift of God...when it's all said and done you have to be thankful for the opportunities and the people that you meet and the opportunities that you're given."

Allgaier definitely appears to be on the right road - the road to eternity.  We can view our life on this earth in light of what is to come.  We can recognize that the things of this world are temporary, but what is done for Christ is eternal.  This world will pass away, but God is infinite, and we will live with Him forever, if we have accepted His Son as our Savior.

Yes, the Bible teaches that we are to be faithful with the life and resources that God has given to us. He expects us to use the gifts that He has bestowed upon us for His glory. There are rewards in heaven stored up for believers for obedience, and it's been said that we lose rewards for disobedience. But, ultimately, our entrance to heaven is determined by one thing: whether or not Jesus is our Lord and Savior, whether or not we have trusted Him with our lives.  We can be confident of our place in His eternal kingdom because of that faithful choice we have made.