The Invalid Ticket

Two years ago our daughter Emmie, her boyfriend Sheldon, and his parents, spent December in England with his family.  Before their return to the states, Emmie and Sheldon traveled to Italy to spend some time with his sister who lives there.

One day they took a train to a nearby city and after their sightseeing was over, boarded their train back.  But they had missed one slight detail. Apparently the steward of the train knew they had missed this detail because he put them off the train.

 Apparently in Italy train tickets must be validated by a small machine located inside the station. Neither Emmie nor Sheldon had seen this machine before boarding the train and as a result had to wait until the next train arrived.

Once their ticket was appropriately validated, they could ride back without difficulty.

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but by me," (John 14:6.)

Our train to heaven requires a validated ticket. 

We don't have to purchase that ticket, the Lord Jesus Christ did so by His death on Calvary and His resurrection three days later.  Our ticket, however, is validated by our faith in His purchase.  If we do not believe that He is the One and only true way to heaven -- if we are deluded into thinking there are other ways -- then our ticket will not be validated. 

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead;  thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the Scripture saith, 'Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.' "  Romans  10:9-11

There is a ticket waiting at the ticket booth for each of us.  By faith, as we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, our ticket is validated.  The train is coming...are you ready?