I read a brief article from a trusted biblical commentator who spoke about Omaha’s own Warren Buffet. In the commentary he said “the world’s second-richest man, announced in June 2006 that he would donate 85 percent of his $44 billion fortune to five charitable foundations. Commenting on this extreme level of generosity, Buffet said: ‘There is more than one way to get to heaven, but this is a great way.’” Now, that seemed a bit far-fetched to me that Mr. Buffet would actually say he thought he would be buying his way to heaven. So I logged on to the CBS News website and did a search “Warren Buffet and heaven.” The article came up and sure enough. He was quoted as saying just that. (Here’s the web address if you’d like to see it for yourself. I had to!)

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/06/27/business/main1753895.shtml

Most of the people I know, common people, people without the wealth, status or power that Warren Buffet has, know the Bible clearly teaches that the sole condition for receiving eternal salvation from hell is faith (trust) in the Lord Jesus Christ, Who died a substitutionary death on the cross for man’s sin and rose from the dead (John 3:16–18; John 6:47; Acts 16:31). No act of obedience in resisting temptation or no act of philanthropy or good works preceding or following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ may be added to, or considered as a part of, faith as a condition for receiving eternal salvation (Rom. 4:5; Gal. 2:16). This saving transaction between God and the sinner is simply the giving and receiving of a free gift (Eph. 2:8, 9; John 4:10; Rev. 22:17). Titus 3:4-7 explains it clearly. It says, “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

M. R. DeHann, told about an instant cake mix that was a big flop. The instructions said all you had to do was add water and bake. The company couldn’t understand why it didn’t sell—until their research discovered that the buying public felt uneasy about a mix that required only water. Apparently people thought it was too easy. So the company altered the formula and changed the directions to call for adding an egg to the mix in addition to the water. The idea worked and sales jumped dramatically. DeHann went on to explain how this story reminded him of how some people react to God’s plan of salvation. To them it sounds too easy and simple to be true. They feel that there is something more they must do, something they must add to God’s “recipe” for salvation. They think they must perform good works to gain God’s favor and earn eternal life. But the Bible is clear—we are saved by grace through faith. Paul wrote to Titus, “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy.” Unlike the cake-mix manufacturer, God has not changed His “formula” to make salvation more marketable.