Once upon a time, an old man, a moral man, died. He walked along a path looking for a way to enter heaven. 
The first gate he came to had the inscription “The Gate of Good Deeds” posted high up on the iron bars. He clanged the iron door knocker and waited for he gatekeeper. Surely, the good deeds he had done; giving a hitchhiker a ride, praying for a sick neighbor, giving to the poor, would count in his favor. He was sure of it. The gatekeeper did not smile as he said, “God desires that everyone do good deeds and to be kind. However, good deeds alone will not gain entrance for you. I am sorry.” After hearing that he was denied entrance, the old man turned and walked away.
He continued his walk until he came to the next gate: “Gate of Regular Church Attendance.” He rubbed his hands together in anticipation of being admitted to glory. Again, he clanged the iron knocker. He looked longingly toward the gatekeeper as he made his way to the gate. The gatekeeper said, “You have come to my gate, but I do not have a key to open it. You see, going to church, even if you attended regularly, is not enough,” And with those words said, the old man sadly turned and walked away.
The old man, with shoulders slumped and head down, continued his walk. It was not long before 
he came to the gate with this inscription: “Gate of the Ten Commandments.” It was here he began to weep. He remembered the words he had heard in church, “No one can keep the Ten Commandments perfectly, and they are not meant to save you. They are only a guide to lead you to the One who can save you; the One who died to pay for sins.” The old man began to understand that he was not judged for the good things he had done in his life, but rather for his sins. He did not even raise his hand to the door knocker as the heaviness of guilt and shame of his many unconfessed sins brought him to despair. As the old man turned to walk away, he noticed that this gtae, like all the other gates had never been opened.
Then he spied another gate – a much narrower gate and was amazed to see a man being welcomed into heaven. He ran to the “Gate of Faith.” The gatekeeper had very kind eyes and the old man looked hopefully into them. “Have you trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior?” the gatekeeper asked with a tender voice. “No,” the old man admitted quietly. “I knew about Him, but I never…” He bowed his head as he heard the sentence pronounced to eternity of darkness and anguish, forever separated from his Creator and God, but not before understanding that if he had had faith, saving faith, he would gladly have done good deeds; he would have been delighted to go to church; and he would have been eager to abide by the ten commandments. If only he would have believed. If only.
Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, but through Me.”