Most of us are familiar with the children’s story about the three little pigs and the big bad wolf. The first little pig’s house was built with straw. After huffing and puffing, the big bad wolf blew it down. He then moved on to the second little pig’s house which was built out of wood. As before, the wolf huffed and puffed and blew this house down also.

By this time, the big bad wolf was feeling pretty confident. Filled with pride, he approached the next house—the one made of bricks. Once again, he huffed and he puffed but nothing happened. So he huffed and he puffed and he huffed and he puffed and … he failed to blow down this house. He had been deceived by his previous experiences.

In the same way, man often acts like the big, bad wolf. He deceives himself into thinking he can tear down the walls that keep him from approaching God. But Scripture declares that man has no power to approach God.

“But doesn’t my life count for something?” you might ask. “I go to church; I’m a good person; I do good things for people. Isn’t that the basis for approaching God?” No! Man-made approaches are totally inadequate. The only way to approach God is through Jesus Christ.

Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. – Colossians 2:20-23

*Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.