Trinity Chapel
Not many people take exception to the concept of “eternity.” What always was and what always will be is seldom disputed. Our world, however, has been searching for the perfect “exit plan.” This Bible Study looks at whether it is advisable to have a formal exit plan or strategy that takes you from this world into the eternal world that has always existed and will always exist.
Humanity has used a lot of different strategies over time. During the Egyptian Era, careful planning left us the Great Pyramids and earthly tombs filled with the remnants of wealth. All this was meant to secure comfort in eternity. People also focused on their legacy, creating institutions and endowments to live on after they pass from this world. For Christians today, we can look to a roadmap leading from sin and spiritual death to eternal life. God tells us that all humanity is sinful and subject to His judgment. Through God’s Grace, we can find eternal life through Jesus Christ. While faith in Jesus is the source of salvation, we are called to redemption. Redemption means that after accepting Jesus as our Savior, we strive to lead a life that avoids sin.
Isaiah 1:16-171NIV New International Version Translations captures two sides to repentance: “Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice and encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” Repentance is not merely remorse or regret; it’s a transformative act that leads to reconciliation with God. Biblical repentance is a heartfelt change—a turning from sin and self toward God’s grace and forgiveness. What is missing in all of this is “good works.” In 2008, I accompanied approximately 3 dozen high school children and a dozen adults on a mission trip to Pittsburg, PA. It would be there that an amazing story of a man’s exit plan emerged.
Richard Beatty Mellon was part of the Mellon family. He and his brother, Andrew Mellon, were frequent business partners. Both were sons of Judge Thomas Mellon. Richard served under Andrew at Mellon Bank and later became president in 1921 when Andrew was appointed Treasury Secretary. Richard Mellon played a significant role in the Pittsburgh Reduction Company, which later became the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa). He was heavily invested in the Pittsburgh Coal Company. Richard Mellon then helped form the Mellbank Corporation, a holding company that supported affiliated banks during the Great Depression.
2009 Mission Trip Team working with East Liberty members
Our youth and adults would do many acts of service while on our mission trip. One particularly memorable activity was assisting the “Meals on Wheels.”
Our work was conducted at the East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S Highland Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206. The congregation of the East Liberty Presbyterian Church was founded in 1819. The cathedral structure, dedicated in 1935, covered the entire city block. The Mellon coat-of-arms is mounted on the south wall of the east transept. A brief history of the East Liberty Presbyterian Church is also inscribed there, documenting the congregation’s gratitude to the Mellons for their gift of the building. Five Christian virtues are carved as symbols on the west wall of the east transept on shields: Charity (a sheep), Wisdom (a serpent), Faith (a chalice and cross), Chastity (a phoenix), and Patience (a yoked ox). The shield of the Presbyterian Church is carved on the east wall of the nave. The Mellon Family provided funding for construction and the endowment that still supports this church. The present-day endowment is approximately 25 million dollars and provides about two-thirds of the church’s annual budget.
East Liberty had converted a section of their lower level into a large kitchen and filled it with food-handling automation. There were specific menu items prepared for Meals on Wheels participants that were based on both their likes and their needs. Our service work was to assist the regular volunteers with cooking, placing food in serving trays, sealing the food trays with a protective covering, and staging them for drivers who would deliver the meals. During a break, one of the church’s staff members offered to give me and our pastor a tour. As we walked through the sanctuary, the beauty and presence of God were overwhelming. Moving down one of the aisles, we came to the east side of the nave, called the Trinity Chapel, which serves as a crypt for the remains of Richard Beatty Mellon and Jennie King Mellon. The stained glass windows in this chapel are a visual representation of the Apostles’ Creed. My guide commented, “This was part of Mellon’s exit plan.” I will always remember his remarks. I thought for a moment, could all that generosity and wealth influence one’s eternal life?
Good works are an expression of gratitude in the believer’s heart. They demonstrate our appreciation for the gift of God’s Son. Scripture emphasizes that our obedience to God’s Word is evidence of our love for Christ (John 14:15; Colossians 2:6) Good works can bolster our assurance of faith. When we actively live out our faith through acts of love and obedience, it affirms our relationship with Christ (1 John 2:1-6). Good works serve as a means of encouraging fellow Christians by demonstrating Christ-centered love. This inspires others toward greater acts of kindness and service (Hebrews 10:24).
(Matthew 5:16) – “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew highlights the importance of living a life that exemplifies love, compassion, and selflessness, ultimately pointing others toward a heavenly perspective. Jesus Himself set the ultimate example of leadership through His actions, teachings, and sacrifices. This verse highlights the importance of living a life that exemplifies love, compassion, and selflessness, ultimately pointing others toward a heavenly perspective. Your good works are a witness pointing to Jesus.
While good works are not the basis of anyone’s salvation, generosity, combined with good works, is a necessary component of a Christian life. God’s grace saves us through faith in Jesus Christ, but our faith is never alone. Faith must also be accompanied by a desire to honor God through our actions. The best exit strategy is recorded in the pages of the Bible. God’s exit plan delivers us from sin and spiritual death by our repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. The foundation of our salvation is faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8–9) clearly states that we are saved by grace through faith, not by our works. However, Christians are God’s workmanship, created to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). These works are not for salvation but are a response to God’s generosity. Good works don’t save us, but they do matter. They reflect our faith, obedience, and love for God. We are called to honor Him through our actions while trusting His grace for salvation.
(John 3:16 ) – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Through their generosity, the Mellon family created a place for a community of believers to gather and serve their neighborhoods. All are welcome at East Liberty Presbyterian Cathedral, including a group of tired high school kids on a mission trip from Florida. Each child was embarking on their faith walk, learning to serve God. The staff at East Liberty Presbyterian open their doors to yearning spirits and questioning minds, helping the spiritual development of people of all ages who seek God’s presence. What is your plan?
Contemplations
- We do not know and should not speculate on the faith of the Mellon family. Their walk with God is something between themselves and God. Their legacy is, however, subject to our viewing.
- Ideas to Explore: Can you see the good that has been spread throughout the area surrounding East Liberty Cathedral? The people who may have found their way to Jesus. The help those in need have received. All that is visible.
- Where do you see good works and Jesus’ forgiveness working to serve those in need?
- Ideas to Explore: Local food banks, churches with service programs, and local missions supporting those with special needs. Maybe a local Meals on Wheels?
- Will your legacy include things that last here in our world?
- Ideas to Explore: Assisting churches to grow. Making a lasting gift to society. Serving those in need well after you are gone.
- Knowing your gifts, those given to you by the Holy Spirit can be an excellent guide to building an exit plan. Do you know yours?
- Ideas to Explore: Have you taken the time to assess your spiritual gifts? Do you know how to find them?
- 1NIV New International Version Translations