SALVATION MEANS DISCIPLESHIP, NOT FORMULAS
In the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," as King Arthur
and his knights seek the Holy Grail, they come to a bridge
that spans an abyss of eternal peril. A bridge keeper allows
people to cross this bridge only if they can answer three
questions. Get one wrong, and you're tossed into the pit.

Lancelot is the first tested. The keeper asks him, "What is
your name?" Lancelot answers.

"What is your quest?"

Lancelot answers, "To seek the Holy Grail."

"What is your favorite color?"

"Blue."

"Right," says the bridge keeper, "off you go." Lancelot
crosses the bridge, amazed this was so easy.

The second knight similarly states his name and quest. But the
third question is now, "What is the capital of Assyria?"

"I don't know that."

The knight is hurled, screaming, into the abyss.

The third knight, Sir Galahad, is nervous as he's asked his
name and quest, but he answers correctly.

"What is your favorite color?"

Sir Galahad panics. "Blue...no, yellow--Aaaaahhhh," he
screams as he is hurled into the pit.

Finally, the king steps up. "What is your name?"

"Arthur, King of the Britains."

"What is your quest?"

"To seek the Holy Grail."

"What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?"

"What do you mean," asks Arthur, "an African or European
swallow?"

"What? I don't know that," answers the bridge keeper, who
immediately is launched into the abyss. Arthur and his
followers thereafter cross the bridge unhindered.

Many people's idea of the gospel is that some day we'll get to
the bridge to paradise and be asked, "Why should you be
allowed to cross?" As long as we answer correctly, we make it
across. Answer wrongly, and we're cast into the abyss. The
gospel is redefined to be the announcement of the minimal
entrance requirements for getting into heaven....

Jesus never said, "Now I'm going to tell you what you need to
say to get into heaven when you die." Jesus' good news is we
no longer have to live in the guilt, failure, and impotence of
our own strength. The transforming presence and power of God
is available through Christ right here, right now. To live in
that power, you must become his disciple.