Blue Water Healthy Living Archives
Faith

The Bible According to Gump: Heaven – Keeping it Simple

By Michael L. Ritchie D.C.

Part 7- Salvation is simple

The scene opens with Forrest spending Christmas with Lt. Dan in his NY Apartment. The tv shows the Christmas parade, while Lt. Dan frantically searches for a wine bottle that he has not already emptied.

Lieutenant Dan: Have you found Jesus yet, Gump?

Advertisements - Click the Speaker Icon for Audio

Forrest: I didn’t know I was supposed to be looking for him, sir.

Lt. Dan begins a tirade complaining, “if Jesus was who people said he was, I would not be a crippled mess.” (my paraphrase)  

Lt. Dan: They said at the V.A. that God was listening and if I found Jesus, I’d get to walk beside him in the kingdom of heaven. Did you hear what I said? WALK beside him in the Kingdom of Heaven! What a crock. (my paraphrase)

Forrest: I’m going to heaven.

Many times, as humans we try to make life so difficult, our minds never get a chance to enjoy the beauty of it all. Lt. Dan was a bright man, but not a happy one. Forrest was not a smart man, but was content. Some say, “ignorance is bliss,” but Forrest knew he was going to heaven.

Jesus told his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” The simple faith of a child, oh, it is an amazing thing. Until convinced differently, children will believe what their parents say because they love them and would never lie.

Later in the movie when Forrest had become a “Shrimping Boat Captain”, Lt. Dan became his first mate. They were not catching any shrimp and were about to lose their investment. Forrest had been going to church and praying that God would help them catch some shrimp.

Lt. Dan: Where the “H” is this God of yours?

Narrator: It was funny that Lt. Dan said that because just then, God showed up!

The book of Genesis tells us that God created man in His image and saw that his work was very good. But because Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they passed down this sin nature to their children even to the present time. Since then, all of us have sinned and ruined our relationship with God. Our sin separated us from Him through all eternity.

Just when man thought there was no hope “God showed up” in the form of human flesh, to a poor couple in Bethlehem. His name is Jesus meaning, God is our salvation!

2 Corinthians 5:21

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

God made a way for us to heaven by sending Jesus to the cross for our sin.

After the big storm in the movie Forrest and Lt. Dan hit the shrimping jack pot!

Just like Lt. Dan, through Jesus we can find peace with God! We must trust him enough to:


  1. Admit to God we have sinned and Ask His forgiveness

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. – Romans 3:23NKJV

For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. – James 2:10 NKJV

As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; – Romans 3:10 NKJV

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:23 NKJV

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9 NKJV


2. Believe that Jesus died for our sins on the cross

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”- John 3:16-17 NKJV 

…The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel. – Mark 1:15 NKJV

So, they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” – Acts 16:31 NKJV

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV


3. Confess Christ publicly

…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. – Romans 10:9-10 NKJV

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and for the Greek. – Romans 1:16 NKJV

Admit, Believe and Confess. It is simple. Even Forrest Gump knows he is going to heaven, “And that is not just something you can get around the corner!”


Matt McPherson and his wife Sherry wrote a poem called the “Salvation Poem”. It was intended to be a prayer to God so that in simple faith a person could know they were going to heaven. It goes like this:

Jesus you died upon the cross
And rose again to save the lost
Forgive me now for all my sin
Come be my Savior, Lord and friend
Change my life and make it knew
And help me Lord to live for You

If you just prayed this poem with all your heart to God, go out and tell someone. Learn more about Jesus and find out what his plan is for your life. You can do this by reading the Bible, hanging around mature Christians (Church) and talking to God through prayer.

http://thesalvationpoem.com/

Next The Bible according to Gump

Part 8- Becoming a Go zillionaire


Related posts

Westminster Church Homily: Sunday Service 1/17/21

Westminster Church Port Huron

“Today’s Key to Confident Living” – Dr. Bill Hossler – Rejection

Bill Hossler

Learned Habits

Old Paths Journal