Buffet's works

When starting up the internet yesterday, my eye was caught by a story on msn.com about Warren Buffet giving the bulk of his life earnings to Bill and Melinda Gate's charity. Reading the article, I found that he was donating 37 billion dollars and 1.6 a year to the charity with the catch that it had to be spent within the year of receiving it, ensuring the money would be distributed quickly, instead of reinvested for future distribution. It sounded great. I was feeling good until I read a quote, and then was saddened and confused. I tried to find the article today for the exact quote, but couldn't so I'll give you the gist of it. Warren Buffet said of giving his money to charities: "There are many ways to make it into heaven, but this way is the greatest of them all."

Now...I don't know what Warren Buffet's spiritual and religious beliefs are. I don't know the context of the quote, and I don't know if the quote was some sort of typo, but...this line of thinking and the idea this quote portrays is dangerous.

No amount of works done to help the needy and poor will ever solidify a person's place in heaven. No amount of money donated to charity will ever buy a person's way into heaven. God has all He needs, He does not accept our time and money in exchange for what He gives. The only currency to trade with God is Jesus. Jesus said: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

Entrance into heaven is sealed through God's grace, not by our works. Jesus was once asked what are the works that God requires? He responded: "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent" (John 6:28). Belief that Jesus Christ died for our sins and an acceptance of God's grace is the only way to enter heaven. Paul writes: "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:22-24).

He later writes: "Just as the result of one trespass (Adam's sin; see Genesis 3) was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness (Christ's sacrificial death; see Matthew 27 or John 19) was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man (Adam) the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man (Christ) the many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:18-19). This passage shows that the work is not ours to do, it is Christ's. Not only that, the work has already been done! All we now have to do is believe and accept that grace.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

"He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy" (Titus 3:5).

So, we are not saved by works or by good deeds or generosity, but through the grace of God. What then becomes of our works, good deeds, and generosity? Are they unnecessary? By no means! These things we now choose to do not because we believe they can save us, but because of the outpouring of love we feel after accepting the gift of grace God has freely provided us. Our good deeds become the outward expression of the faith we have in Jesus Christ. James writes: "I will show you my faith by what I do" (James 2:18).

God has already done all the work necessary for us to enter heaven, but it is still up to us to accept the gift He has generously placed before us. His grace is enough for us and it is the only thing you'll really ever need to make it through this world. I'm not sure what Warren Buffet was attempting to say in the quote I opened this post with, but I know it is wrong. Multiple ways into heaven do not exist and one's works and generosity do not ensure them a place in heaven. Only through Jesus Christ can we know the Father and enter heaven and that only by the grace of God.