READ: ROMANS 3:19-28; 5:6-11

With pounding heart, Riley leapt off the platform for the umpteenth time. Dodging fireballs, she jumped from foothold to foothold, as heat rose from the lava below.

She was almost there! Ahead was that final jump—that final expanse of lava. She could see the cool, grassy paradise at the end of the course.

Her companion, Julius, watched her dart across the expanse, fielding each obstacle with precision. One jump, two hops, a dash…and then a final jump— the most perfect leap Julius had ever seen.

Oh, no! Julius watched as Riley reached out in vain toward the paradise, falling down into the pit of lava. She was still fifty yards short.

FLASH.

Julius and Riley returned to the start of the level. Riley’s eyes brimmed with tears of frustration and anger. “It’s no good, Julius! We can’t do it.”

“We have to—the Game Maker wouldn’t have made it impossible.

“Julius, you saw it. My last jump was perfect. And it wasn’t even close!”

With no other route through the fiery abyss, the pair decided to rest. They lay down, exhausted. As she fell asleep, Riley whispered a desperate prayer: “Game Maker, where are you? We can’t do this!”

When they awoke, a man stood on the platform. “I’ve come,” He said softly. “I’m the Game Maker you called last night.”

They stared. “How…?”

“I wrote myself into the game.” He smiled. “Come.”

He started across the course. Uncertain and confused, Riley and Julius followed.

He motioned them to the final jump. “You’ll make it,” he said. “Trust in me.”

Then, he grasped their hands, and before Riley and Julius could jump, they found themselves flying through the air, the abyss stretching out beneath them. The man’s grip on their hands never loosened, and, finally, they tumbled onto the soft grass of paradise! The pair was in shock.

“Here you are, friends,” the Game Maker said. “The land is yours.”

“That’s it?” Riley asked. “That’s the only way?”

The Game Maker smiled. “Indeed, friend. I am the only way.” • Christiana Albrecht

• Like in today’s allegorical story, sometimes it’s hard to believe that we can be saved without having to work for it—that’s why God gives us so many reminders throughout His Word (such as in Mark 10:15, Galatians 2:21, and Ephesians 2:8-9). Who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you notice when you’re starting to believe that you have to earn God’s love and favor, and who can point you back to the true good news of Jesus? (If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.)

• According to Romans 3:23-26, it’s impossible for us to overcome the power of sin and death on our own. Why can we only be saved from sin and death through Jesus?

• For more about how Jesus saves us, see our "Know Jesus" page.

Jesus told him [Thomas], “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (NLT)