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.
I’ve driven some long distances in my life because a lot of my old jobs took me all the way across the country. Maybe some of you can relate to leaning over the steering wheel, and keeping your eyes focused on the narrow road in front of you. You might stop momentarily for gas, and then it’s back on the road again. From dawn until dusk, through the rain and through snow, you cannot stop thinking about taking your shoes off, laying down on your own bed, and relaxing at home. Home is where the heart is, but the fact is, you are not there yet. You still have a long way to go if you are ever going to reach that final destination. But someday, with a diligent heart, you will be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor, obtaining that which you were hoping for. Walking through your front door, kicking your feet up on the haschak, and thanking God for getting you all the way home.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
We are given a promise of eternal life, but we are not home yet. Heaven awaits us in the distance, but to get there, we must keep on the narrow road in front of us. We must strive everyday to walk in the perfect will of God. By keeping our hands on the wheel and our eyes on the road, we can eventually make it, all the way home.
Luke 13 ²³ Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, ²⁴ Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
Strive means to expend great effort in order to obtain something, or try very hard in a specific task or undertaking. It is to spare no effort to achieve the thing that you desire. The Apostle Paul talked about the Christian life as a race, one that we must run to win, but we haven’t crossed the finish line yet. Like a candle with the wicks burning on both ends, our hearts must be a flame of fire in obedience to Christ.
“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” 1 Corinthians 9:24
We have a promise that is given to us, but in order to finally obtain that promise, you must walk in the perfect will of God.
“Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” Hebrews 4:1
As I’ve said many times before, a dad might promise to buy their teenager a car, as long as they graduate from high school. But if they quit school, or flunked all of their classes, they didn’t do what was required on their part to obtain the reward. Maybe your mother said that she would take you out for supper if you got your room clean. If you didn’t abide by what she said, you didn’t keep up your end of the bargain. Rewards are given to the faithful, not to the disobedient. We must make straight paths for our feet. God wants to bless us with eternal life, but in order to reap that reward, we must first walk in His will.
“But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:25
For hundreds of years many false forms of Christianity have taught a lackadaisical, do nothing type of religion. One that requires no effort to change, no effort to repent, and no effort to submit to the teachings of Christ. They claim Lord Lord with their lips, but all it is is false Christianity, led by false prophets, shameless women, and rebellious frauds. They really believe that somehow they are going to obtain eternal life without doing anything, without submission, without obedience and without compliance. The devil is at the helm of their wicked ships, a serpent that will be tread upon by the saints of God.
“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14
1 John 4:9 teaches us,….God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we (might) live through Him…..
The word “might” means that there is a possibility of something happening. For example, your dad might take you to the park later, or he might not. Your friends might take you out for supper later, or they might not. Some people might enter heaven, but some might not. To obtain eternal life depends on someone’s response to the teachings of the Gospel. Assurance of our salvation is based upon our action of obedience towards the will of God. Not everybody who begins the Christian Life is actually going to make it all the way to heaven. It’s because they never believed in the Lord enough to repent and turn from their sins.
Luke 8 ¹³ They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. ¹⁴ And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
Jesus taught that unless people repent, they will perish, and it doesn’t matter if they profess to be a Christian or not. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He died to deliver us from our sinful condition. This was so we can be transformed from sinners into Saints. But when people choose to continue living in sin, with no desire to renounce the darkness of what they are doing, all they are doing is pounding another nail further into Jesus Christ.
Philippians 3 ¹⁸ (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: ¹⁹ Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
God’s forgiveness is the greatest treasure that I’ve ever known. For a true Christian, it will cause you to turn away from everything you once were, to everything he wants you to become. Repentance is the road that we must travel down each and every day, a straight gate, and a narrow path. We are given the precious promise that God will save us, but the rest is up to you. Will you serve and obey Him from your heart? Will you submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit? Will you keep your hands on the wheel and watch the road? Are you striving to make it….
….. All the Way Home.
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, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 