A True No-Hitter

Sports may seem like, ok, may very well be a waste of time! But for some of us, we are drawn to the original reality television that is sports! There is no script, the ending is not known, and sometimes you can see amazing things happen in the world of sports. In baseball, one of the biggest dramas is when a pitcher is the process of throwing a no-hitter, a game in which none of the opposing players get a hit for the whole game. Last night, I turned on the TV to see Johan Santana of the New York Mets was starting the 9th inning and was throwing a no-hitter. As he struck out the last batter, his teammates mobbed him on the field to celebrate his accomplishment. While they were jumping, hugging, etc., with each other, I noticed two security guards pull one of the players away from the group and tackle him to the ground. It was then that I realized, this was just a fan in a Mets jersey, not one of the players. Looking at the replay, it becomes more obvious: his jersey did not match the players, he was wearing shorts, and he did not have a hat. It is funny to see some of the players' expressions as they hugged this man only to realize he did not belong there and to see his eyes looking to see when security would find him. As I laughed about this, it got me thinking about what God tells us about genuine faith in Him. There will be many on the last day who assume they are going to heaven. Their jersey and other externals look strikingly close to what they are supposed to look like, but they don't have what it takes on the inside. They may go to church, read their Bible, help others in need, and even walked an aisle at church. But if they are not genuine followers of Christ inside, it will not matter if they have the right jersey on; they will not be permitted to the celebration. We may fool some people, but God looks at the heart. Is our heart right with God? While we should not ignore the externals of church attendance, bible study, prayer, etc., it won't be worth anything if we are not genuinely part of His family. The fan that ran on the field was smart enough to wear the right team's jersey and knew where to run and even where to hide (in the middle of the pack). But, in the end, he was found to be a fan and not a true Mets player. Is your heart right with God or are you just wearing the jersey of externals?