The 2021 Summer Olympics are looming and nations around the world are deciding who qualifies to participate in this elite event.

I got to thinking … if I were to compete in the Olympics, what sport would I pursue? I did a little gymnastics in junior high, ran some track in high school, and participated in football when college dorm halls competed. (Okay, it was flag football.) Let’s face it, I could never qualify for the Olympics.

So, if this earthly quest is attained by only a few, how does one ever qualify for living in heaven for eternity? How can we be a part of the kingdom of God?

We know we are all sinners, but Jesus received the ‘perfect score.’ He lived and died without ever sinning. The best part is, when we choose to believe in Him, God sees us with Jesus’s perfect score. God actually sees us as righteous! “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” (Romans 3:22-23).

All are welcome and encouraged to join God’s team. All qualify as righteous just by believing in Jesus. The Apostle Paul continues, “That if you confess with our mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).

We do not ‘qualify’ by anything we do. And we are not disqualified by anything we have done. Jesus qualified and paid the debt for us all by His death on the cross. So, I pray you are already on God’s team. If not, I pray you will choose to join the winning team. Your ‘entry’ has already been paid. All you need to do to ‘qualify’ is believe. Then, I’ll meet you on the streets of gold!