Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
In between the North and South islands of New Zealand, there is a stretch of water that is considered to be one of the most dangerous and unpredictable in the world. It connects the Tasman sea with the South Pacific Ocean. The strait was named after James Cook, who is considered to be the very first European commander to sail through it back in 1770. This strait is situated in a very strong area of wind, in latitudes that have become commonly known as the roaring forties. As these strong winds are enclosed between the natural mountains of the islands, it results in a wind tunnel effect, which can create very large waves. At certain times, big swells can be produced very quickly, developing into what has become known as the Karori Rip, where the high winds, the sea, and the tide all meet together in a tempest union. Two of New Zealand’s worst catastrophes at sea happened when in 1909 the inter-island ferry, the Penguin, was wrecked south of Wellington, and in 1968 the Wahine did the same thing at the entrance of Wellington harbor.
This reminds me of the Christian life.
The path to eternal life is very narrow, and just like the Cook Strait, there are many things that can completely surround us when we begin to navigate the narrow passage way of Christ. At times we can be surrounded by sin, just like waves crashing over the deck. We can be hounded by evil speech that whistles through the main sheet like a ferocious wind. But we must patiently endure whatever storms may come our way if we are eventually going to reach the other side.
Hebrews 12:1-4 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
To be ” compassed by witnesses ” means that you are surrounded, encircled or enclosed on all sides by them. You might say that the chairs compass the kitchen table. When sin besets us, it too means that we are surrounded, attacked from all sides or harassed and besieged. Everywhere we look, sin is present in this evil world. Temptations lurk around every corner. As we seek to perfect our faith, numerous people will attempt to try to get you to fall down, or cause you to suffer in some manner. They persecute and harass, and speak evil about you. They make the attempt to trip you up, so that you will not complete the course that God has placed you on. When this happens, we must get back on our feet and continue to patiently run the race that is set before us.
1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
The Christian life is about striving to win the prize of eternal life. To strive after something means to make great efforts to achieve and to obtain your goal; to struggle and fight victoriously, or to make every effort towards achieving what you desire. It means to devote serious energy towards fighting off any difficulties that may come against you.
Luke 13:23-24 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
To strive means we must contend for the faith.
Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Remember that the Lord Jesus died on the cross to give us the opportunity to enter the Christian race. It’s very similar to somebody paying your entrance fee that you couldn’t pay on your own. Because of what He did, we can now participate in the greatest marathon of all time, but we must run to win. As our precious benefactor, we don’t want to let Him down. There are many people who profess Christianity who live their lives as though they have already obtained eternal salvation, but we haven’t completed the race yet. We haven’t even crossed the finish line on judgment day. Even the Apostle Paul taught that he didn’t live his life as though he had already attained.
Philippians 3:11-14 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
We are saved by hope, but many people have a misconception of what hope really is. Hope is waiting for something that you have not received yet. If you’ve already received it, it would negate the responsibility of a Christian to run the Christian race, to strive after perfection, and to eventually cross the finish line through our faithful and obedient lives of love towards God. Many Jews felt like they were going to heaven because they had been circumcised, but some of them were not bringing forth the fruit of repentance such as a changed life and a changed heart. Many people who are baptized are the same way today. Remember that baptism is simply the first step of thousands in the Christian walk. It is only the beginning, not the end.
Romans 8:24-25 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
There are great struggles that competitors have to face when they race in a competition. Swimmers might occasionally get stung by a jellyfish. A sled dog musher might fall through the ice. But no matter what sufferings we might face, we must persevere to win.
We are not to faint, becoming utterly exhausted, and weary because of the sins that other people commit against us. Rather, we are to rise up as a good soldier of Christ, and fight the battle of faith. No matter what happens, we must diligently and obediently serve God if we truly want to obtain the promise of eternal life.
Hebrews 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Remember that Jesus didn’t do anything wrong to anybody, but was bombarded on all sides by people who did evil to him. People hated Him for speaking the truth, but He suffered and endured, even the death of the cross which was the most unjust thing that has ever been perpetrated upon this Earth. Just like a ship traversing the ocean, occasionally those who choose to walk the Christian life will experience rough seas, but when those times come, you will need to stand fast, and consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself. You are going to have to ride out the storm. You will need to batten down the hatches. You must begin to furl the sails in full preperation for any sin that the world might throw your way.
If you want to make an attempt at the narrow passageway of faith, remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and peace after every storm. We must patiently endure sufferings if we are ever going to reach the other side of…..
……The Cook Strait
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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