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.
Normally after having a little snack before bed, I like to lay down and do a little reading before going to sleep. Sometimes I like to read about natural weather events, and just the other night I was studying about the formation of hurricanes. I never knew this before, but I had read from a few different sources that a certain threshold must be be met in order for a hurricane to form. The water must first warm up to a temperature of around 79° to a depth of around 50 meters. Apparently the warm water will act as a fuel that creates rising condensing air that will power the storm’s energy. A threshold is a certain boundary, that when it is reached and surpassed it results in a dramatically different condition.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
There is a certain threshold that each of us are going to have to meet in order to eventually enter into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus taught that in order to be saved eternally we must repent of our sins, which will require turning away from everything that is displeasing unto God, and walking in His perfect will.
Luke 13:1-5 (KJB) There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Our own salvation depends on certain conditions being met, something that is taught numerous times throughout the New Testament. The criteria is repentance from dead works and becoming righteous through obedience and faith towards Christ. Sometimes people only have an outward appearance of religion, but the threshold to obtain eternal life goes far beyond that. It will require righteousness from the heart, which is quite different from what the Pharisees possessed.
Matthew 5:20 (KJB) For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
In order to be saved eternally, people will have to repent, and repentance is defined as having a change of heart which results in you turning away from sinful living in order to walk according to God’s will. People can feel sorry about something wrong that they did in their past, but repentance is about feeling sorry enough that it causes a complete transformation in one’s life. Saying I’m sorry, and feeling sorry are two completely different things, because one is produced only with the lips while the other is produced from the heart. The Apostle Paul speaks about the latter as “Godly sorrow”, which is an overwhelming sorrow in the pit of your soul that results in a changed attitude and manner of living.
2 Corinthians 7:8-10 (KJB) For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
Sometimes people can feel sorry, but it is only because they have to go sit in jail for something evil that they did. At Judgment Day there will be many people weeping and gnashing their teeth, not because they were actually sorry for the wicked things that they did to others, but because they are going to be punished eternally for their impenitence. When you possess Godly sorrow, you are going to feel badly for the other people that you have wronged, and the wicked things that you have put them through. This type of heartfelt grief will ultimately result in repentance and reconciliation towards them, along with humble submission to God’s will. Pride can destroy relationships with God and others, simply because of the heartless refusal to own up to one’s own faults. The Apostle James taught the church that they needed to repent, and it needed to be done from deep inside of their hearts.
James 4:6-10 (KJB) But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
In order to receive forgiveness from God or others, one must possess enough humility that it causes you to approach those whom you have wronged, and seek reconciliation with them. To be reconciled unto God we must confess our sins unto Him, but the same thing also must be done towards those whom you have sinned against in the church. People can be filled up with all types of religious works, but then lack any types of feelings of compunction towards those whom they have wronged. Not only is that religious hypocrisy, but it leads to an eternal lake of fire. Jesus told a little story that illustrated the difference between religious pride, and sincere repentance from the heart.
Luke 18:9-14 (KJB) And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
In order to pull a truck out of the ditch, it’s going to require applying a certain amount of power. In order for a loon to be able to take off on a lake, it’s going to require achieving the appropriate amount of speed. In order for any of us to get to Heaven is going to require repentance from dead works, because that is the criteria for one’s own salvation, and the steps that are needed to eventually cross over,…..
……..The Threshold
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.♥️
https://tlkjbc.com/written-sermons/
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2055335/episodes
https://www.facebook.com/share/14RHGVBBHbG/
tlkjbc.com
Note: Any copies may be printed and freely distributed among those who have no internet service. There is no AI creative involvement in my writings, and must be left intact because they are very personal to me. These are not to be sold, and are made public only for the free benefit of Spiritual knowledge to those who are genuinely seeking the will of God.
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 