The color gray is an interesting tone…subtly sliding in somewhere between black and white. But when it comes to being a believer in Jesus Christ, gray isn’t good enough! It isn’t possible to follow Jesus and the crowd—we must sincerely choose one or the other. The Lord appeals to the multitudes to take His way of life seriously and to build honestly and wisely upon Him and His teachings.
Truth is narrow…righteousness is restricting…and if a man wants real life, he must earnestly seek truth and righteousness. Contrast the Bible and your racing data book. Which will steer you on the right course to heaven?
No man in his right mind would choose to go to the gallows, because it’s a great wooden architecture with a pretty rope dangling from it.
Nor why would a man refuse the offer of a palace and a throne, because the road was bumpy…yet multitudes go their own way every day. Why? It boils down to lane choice.
Instruction can make the difference between success and failure. God gives us something to build with, and build on; therefore, we must “select the proper lane.” The appropriate lane in the early rounds may be the Golden Rule, the middle rounds your church, your pastor, a mentor, the Holy Bible, your prayer life, but in the final round…it’s only Jesus Christ.
Be glad today for life, liberty and the pursuit to love God and others, because we should serve the Lord with all of our heart, and we should let God’s grace flow in all we do. We must display God’s autograph for all to see; we’re God’s workmanship created for all eternity.
When we understand the heart of God, our faith will actively shine through. Christ’s teaching was startling, dramatic, and refreshing. In Matthew, He spoke about multiple issues, but held to one theme—His way is the best way, and the only way—while exhorting us to “enter,” “bear,” “beware,” and “therefore,” apply the Word of God to our lives, and in doing so we’re sensibly and solidly saved.
The gate is straight…the way is narrow…and godliness is up-hill…but one hour in heaven will make amends for all!
Contrast a full air bottle and an empty air bottle. What the world can be is limited only by the Christian’s imagination. What the world will be is limited only by the Christian’s inclination. Therefore, our freewill offering is “choosing the correct lane” which in reality is worshipping God!
The Bible dwells on two prominent themes: Your way to God and your walk with God. Only the Bible tells us that a sinful heart is the core of many of our problems, and that we can be changed from within by trusting in Jesus. Yes the Bible is still relevant. So then, are you growing in your love for this ancient book?
The Bible is our mirror that lets us see ourselves as God sees us. “Your heart and conscience cannot guide, for they’re deceived by sin inside; but if you want to see what’s true, the Word of God will mirror you.” (Clair Hess)
It’s hard to think of Jesus as ever needing improvement or growth of any kind, but the Bible tells us [He] “Kept increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52). As God, He was complete, but as a human being, He had to grow in wisdom and favor. Therefore, so must we.
“Favor” is different from God’s love. It can be bestowed or withdrawn. It is up to us to choose the paths that lead to His favor. The Bible does outline specific paths. Wisdom calls in the streets and invites us to simply come to her. “He who finds me finds life” (Proverbs 8:35). Obtaining wisdom and favor is not a one-time event. It’s a growing process that includes some very specific steps.
Listen and keep her (wisdom’s) ways. We’re advised to heed instruction and do not neglect her (wisdom). We’re exhorted to watch daily and wait at her (wisdom’s) door. Listening, heeding, keeping, watching, and waiting are steps to growing favorably with God.
As we pass from the Old Testament to the New Testament we find the warning to “slow down” is needed. Signposts in the NT point us away from different religions, cults, and human philosophies. They direct us away from ways that may “seem right” and point us instead to the only Way.
We should build on the foundation of trusting God’s Word and His character. Why are you a Christian? Only you can answer that question. But, if you can, your Christian identity will grow and develop integrity.
Why am I a Christian? In Christianity, we have the distinct privilege of knowing intimately and personally, a God that “Is not far from each of us: for in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:27-28). Knowing why and who you are will clothe your identity with godly character.
We must make righteousness our rule of life. Just like the Golden Rule; we can’t expect good things if we ourselves are not fair in all things. Christ came to teach us not only what we know and believe…but what we are to do.
It all depends on the path we take, the signs we follow, the travel guide we use. The only reliable guide is God’s Word. The Bible places signs along the road to direct us on our way—some are warning signs of danger ahead, others will lead to points of interest and rest.
Scripture also points us on the right path, guiding us to a certain bridge we must cross before we begin our trek toward eternal life. The narrow bridge is none other than Jesus Christ. “No one comes to the Father,” Jesus stressed, “but through me” (John 14:6b).
People searching for any type of hope, outside of Christ, worship in ignorance. Worshipping the signs of the constellations is an illustration of misguided human understanding; because those who practice this have a distant “starlight” misunderstanding of God.
Those who worship in monotheistic traditions other than Christianity but believe in one God (such as Islam and Judaism) have a “moonlight” misunderstanding of God; stranded in the dark and not recognizing the Greater Light displayed within the holy trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Christianity provides its adherents with radiant “Son-light.” We can know and understand God most completely when we meet Him through His Son…Jesus Christ.
Evangelistic zeal should find its impetus in the conviction that we have something to tell those who know something about God…but not enough. In all of the other religions of the world, the emphasis is always on man and what man must do sacrificially in order to appease and please the gods.
The one exception is in Christianity, where the emphasis is always upon God and what He sacrificed on behalf of the human family. Jesus Christ is God’s sacrificial gift on behalf of the human being family. That’s one of the most significant reasons why we should become a Christian. Ethical implications of Christianity is when faith modeled after its Founder, can establish the kind of world in which we all want to live in.
There is something intriguing about people who are adventurers. They explore exotic lands and encounter hidden cultures. Where do they go? What do they see? What keeps them roaming? Henry David Thoreau may have pinpointed the reason, why we are so intrigued by them. “A traveler is…the best symbol of our life. Going from—toward; it is the history of every one of us.”
We’re all journeyers on this road called life. We don’t know what lies around the next bend, or what awaits us over the crest of the next hill. Jesus’ teaching contradicts human logic, and as a result, most people choose the wide way. Divine wisdom, though, doesn’t brake for human logic. God constantly emphasizes the truth of the narrow bridge.
Peter spoke in Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Bridges exist because some kind of drop-off separates two planes. The narrow bridge exists because we are separated from God by our sin.
1 Corinthians 5:21 states “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so in Him we might become righteous.” With His own life, Jesus paid the toll for us (to cross the bridge).
There is something intriguing about adventurers…those great travelers before us. We all have stories of our own to tell. But in the end, it won’t matter as much where you’ve been as where you’re going! Are you walking with God? Have you crossed the narrow bridge? Are you traveling apart from God? Your direction determines your destination, so choose your path wisely.
Life’s goal should begin with the end in mind, a clear understanding of your destination, taking each step deliberately, knowing your path and how to get there. It’s pretty cut-and-dried…are you headed to the in ramp, or the out ramp?
Make haste! No one is promised one more day or one more second on this earth. If you’re not crossing the narrow bridge, please do it now while you still have the chance.