Jesus - Believing in Him With Strings Attached

Probably the most recognized and popular scriptures in America is John 3:16.  And it's a wonderful verse, so it's great that people do recognize it!  The problem is that America, for the most part, probably doesn't know the rest of the scriptures around it that put it in context with the thought.

“God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world. Those who believe in him won’t be condemned. But those who don’t believe are already condemned because they don’t believe in God’s only Son. This is why people are condemned: The light came into the world. Yet, people loved the dark rather than the light because their actions were evil. People who do what is wrong hate the light and don’t come to the light. They don’t want their actions to be exposed. But people who do what is true come to the light so that the things they do for God may be clearly seen.” John 3:16-21

And the end of the chapter goes along with it:

The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. John 3:35-36

You see, it's really easy to believe in God.  I can say I believe in Him and mean I believe He is in Heaven, even believe He created the world and believe Jesus is His Son.  The Greek word is πιστεύω pisteúō, pist-yoo'-o....which means to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit; by implication, to entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ):—believe(-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with.  (From blueletterbible.com).   It is more than just believe He is there.  There's faith, trust, and commitment involved.

Many want Jesus and His salvation, but they don't want the whole package.  The whole package includes Jesus' promises with strings attached.  "Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me," Luke 9:23.  And Matthew 7: 21: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

See how believing includes obeying?  You can't have true faith in Him without having both.  It isn't possible.

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:14-17

Reading the very first passage above, it says, "Yet, people loved the dark rather than the light because their actions were evil....they don't want their actions to be exposed."  When I want my way and do things my way, without regard to God's Will or His Word, then I'm "loving" the dark.  When you and I act in ways that aren't in accordance with the fruits of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control - Gal. 5:22-23), I am "loving" the dark.  When you or I lie, gossip, slander, steal, cheat....any of those things you and I are "loving" the dark.  And dark separates us from the light.  JESUS is the light.  Sin separates us from Him.  We still BELIEVE in Him, but our actions say otherwise.  Thankfully, God is full of grace and love and He will forgive us when we ask Him.  There's a difference in messing up sometimes and deliberately choosing to walk in darkness.  Our lights may dim, but they are still shining.  We can get back on track and shine brightly like Jesus!

So believe in Him - YES! Absolutely!  But believe in Him enough to not only accept Him for who He is, but for what He has done for YOU.  And be willing to believe enough to allow the Spirit to change you and mold you into who He knows you can be.  Believe in Him with the strings attached. It's worth it.

Why the Straight Paths?

We've been reading Proverbs and memorizing passages from it. This morning I asked the boys why there are so many references to walking the straight path - why God put that in His Word so many times in Proverbs?  We talked about how going down the wrong path can lead to destruction.  Bad choices.  Bad friends.  Bad examples.  Bad habits.  All can get us on the wrong choice that Solomon warns of in his wisdom from God.

One verse that strikes me funny is this one: Proverbs 4:7, "The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding."  The BEGINNING of wisdom is simply in trying to GET IT!  That is funny to me because it's so simple, yet for many, just coming to that conclusion isn't that simple.  And maybe even for me, at times, it isn't so simple.  It's actually pretty profound!

Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,

    from men whose words are perverse,

who have left the straight paths

    to walk in dark ways,

who delight in doing wrong

    and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, Proverbs 2:12-14

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes;

    fear the Lord and shun evil. Proverbs 3:5-7

Listen, my son, accept what I say,

    and the years of your life will be many.

I instruct you in the way of wisdom

    and lead you along straight paths.

When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;

    when you run, you will not stumble. Proverbs 4:10-12

The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight,

    but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness. Proverbs 11:5

Straight paths, for some, may seem boring.  There may not be as many "thrill rides" on the straight path, but that depends on what thrills you.  Does pain and sorrow thrill you? Do trials and heartaches thrill you?  When you are on the straight path, you will have pain and sorrow and trials, but nothing compared to the ones you will have on the dark path.  Ask anyone who has gone down that dark path and hit bottom. They will tell you it wasn't a thrill when they hit.  There may have been a few thrills on the way, but most all of them will tell you it was in no way thrilling when they got to the bottom.  It's actually more like a roller coaster spiraling out of control and then crashing at the bottom of the track.

So, why does God warn to stay on the straight path?  Here is why, plain and simple: 

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14

No thrill ride is worth missing out on the eternal home of Heaven.  No thrill ride is worth getting off of that narrow road and keeping us from that small gate.  Does God WANT people to choose destruction? Of course not!  But He won't make anyone choose the narrow way. He allows us the choice and allows us to have our own free will - whether we choose to love Him or not.

When it's put that way, it's a pretty easy choice, isn't it?  And if you were once on the wide, destructive road, there's good news!  You can get back on the narrow path.  It's not too late!  Praise God for His plan of salvation.  Praise God for His Gospel - the death, burial and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ - and the opportunity to obey that Gospel.  

Straight paths.  The narrow way.  Life.

Which Way Are You Going?

Some may say there are many roads that lead to heaven, but the Word of God teaches that there is only one way...the narrow way. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14 

I John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world.” That's the broad way. It is called broad because so many, many people travel this way and adopt this lifestyle. It is the predominate lifestyle of the entire human race.

The narrow way is called narrow because so few people take this way and adopt the godly lifestyle. Jesus said few there be that find it. Why ? Because they prefer the broad way to the narrow way. Jesus didn't make one road broad and the other narrow. No, the human race made these determinations and Jesus just expressed the fact. In the scope of the human population, few people in every generation choose the narrow way that leads to life.

It's always good to examine our own lives, and see which path we are taking - the broad way or the narrow way?  Which way am I going? Which way are you going?  The narrow way isn't always easy, but it's always worth it.  The reward of eternal life in Heaven is worth it.  To be with God and Jesus forever is worth it.  

What a wonderful plan He made for His children! Thank you, God!