For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:21 (NIV)
Along the dusty paths of the wide road we find many religious markings. It is evident that the sojourners are no stranger to worship. They have made many gods that they find suitable for worship. Like the Israelites at the base of Mount Sinai they used their best efforts to forge a deity that they could identify with in worship. The golden calf was a familiar image from their past. They had knelt at his altar many times. The tragedy of the golden calf is that it was built in the shadow of the Most High. The people could see the smoke rising from the mountain, they had heard the voice of the Lord, they watched as Moses climbed into God’s presence but still they fashioned a familiar god.
Paul tells us in our verse this week that “they glorified Him not as God”. This is the thread that runs through the pilgrims on the wide road. Every man doing what is right in his own eyes and heart, feeling justified by his own works, refusing to receive what God has plainly revealed. In the ageless past Lucifer refused to glorify God instead desiring to become as God. This is the danger of self centeredness. He sought equality with God and felt slighted by the glory of God. It made him mad. He grew bitter every time God spoke. He rejected God’s warnings. He believed that He was capable of being the master of his own destiny. Pride consumed him until there was no pretending anymore and open rebellion broke out in heaven. Lucifer was so special in heaven that one third of the angels were deceived by his lies. That means they had trusted him before his fall. God had been good to Lucifer giving him much but in the end it was ingratitude and selfishness that drew Satan to the Wide Road. It is that way with everyone on that road.
If only the Israelites had looked up at the mountain of God. If they had trusted in God’s love and grace. Sometimes it is that grace that is the very thing that makes us falter. Why would God love us? Why would He care about us? The darkened heart cannot imagine a love that loves unconditionally, that reaches out to the unlovable, but that is exactly what God has done. He has seen the images built along the road and called us to look upon Him. Turn from our false gods and false security and receive Truth in our inner parts. It seems that the history of Israel is replete with false gods and rebellion. It is also covered with the unfailing love of the One True God who relentlessly pursues His love and even purchases her from slavery.
The gods of our making are easy to accept but they do not love us. We may pursue them but they will never pursue us. The One True God loved us when we did not love Him. He pursued us when we resisted Him and His mercies endure forever. His way is straight and His path is narrow but He promises to never leave us and His love endures forever.
Showing posts with label wide road. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wide road. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
The Wide Road
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:21 (NIV)
Over the years I have met many people that surprised me with their stories. You have probably known people just like them. Those hate filled, foul mouthed, people that you were sure never attended church or heard the gospel message in their life and then when you sit down with them and get to know them you find out they use to be deacons or even pastors some had been raised in church or had very godly parents. Perhaps they weren’t completely ungodly but they just never spoke of God, church, or the Bible. In this passage to the Romans, Paul gives us some insight into these lives.
These Scriptures are often quoted to show the depravity of those that don’t know Jesus, rebels who deny God and are lost in sin. But this verse surprises us with the declaration that “..They knew God”. These godless men who have been given over to their sinful desires, that deny the truth and even burn with ungodly desires, at one time knew God! This is sobering!
Did they just wake up one morning and decide to walk away from the greatest love in the universe? How could anyone taste of God’s goodness, be humble before His throne, be filled with His Spirit and then walk away. Is that even possible? First let me remind you that Satan was once an angel. Not just any angel but an archangel that was intimate with God. Somewhere in the course of eternity past Lucifer began a journey that led him to the pits of hell. How is that possible? He has stood before the throne of God. He has seen the glory of the Father. He has heard the voice of many waters. Created by the hand of God He has stood in the presence of God himself and even carried out His commands as a faithful servant. What happened?
This week we will be examining the road that leads to depravity and death. It is a road filled with blind people that although they have eyes they cannot see. It is a place filled with self and pride that although it is thronging with people is lonely and empty. It is a road easily found by those that wander in the dark and never walked by those that live in the light. It is the wide road where men struggle against unbearable burdens and refuse to look outside of themselves. It is a place of misery and death parading as self dependence and life where empty people with hollow eyes and souls are deaf to the voice of God.
It is the harvest field.
Over the years I have met many people that surprised me with their stories. You have probably known people just like them. Those hate filled, foul mouthed, people that you were sure never attended church or heard the gospel message in their life and then when you sit down with them and get to know them you find out they use to be deacons or even pastors some had been raised in church or had very godly parents. Perhaps they weren’t completely ungodly but they just never spoke of God, church, or the Bible. In this passage to the Romans, Paul gives us some insight into these lives.
These Scriptures are often quoted to show the depravity of those that don’t know Jesus, rebels who deny God and are lost in sin. But this verse surprises us with the declaration that “..They knew God”. These godless men who have been given over to their sinful desires, that deny the truth and even burn with ungodly desires, at one time knew God! This is sobering!
Did they just wake up one morning and decide to walk away from the greatest love in the universe? How could anyone taste of God’s goodness, be humble before His throne, be filled with His Spirit and then walk away. Is that even possible? First let me remind you that Satan was once an angel. Not just any angel but an archangel that was intimate with God. Somewhere in the course of eternity past Lucifer began a journey that led him to the pits of hell. How is that possible? He has stood before the throne of God. He has seen the glory of the Father. He has heard the voice of many waters. Created by the hand of God He has stood in the presence of God himself and even carried out His commands as a faithful servant. What happened?
This week we will be examining the road that leads to depravity and death. It is a road filled with blind people that although they have eyes they cannot see. It is a place filled with self and pride that although it is thronging with people is lonely and empty. It is a road easily found by those that wander in the dark and never walked by those that live in the light. It is the wide road where men struggle against unbearable burdens and refuse to look outside of themselves. It is a place of misery and death parading as self dependence and life where empty people with hollow eyes and souls are deaf to the voice of God.
It is the harvest field.
Friday, October 4, 2013
The Road Less Travelled
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:10 (KJV)
It was about one hundred years after Jesus had taught the Sermon on the Mount and a Christian businessman was struggling with following Christ’s way and being successful in his business. There were certain things that he needed to do in order to make money that conflicted with being a Christian. He approached one of the great church father’s named Tertullian and explained this conflict of interest. At the end of his explanation he asked,
“What am I to do? I must live.”
Tertullian replied, “Must you?”
When it came to choosing this life or Christ there was no choice to this great man of God. You must choose Christ!
Unfortunately today as the church becomes more and more like the world we have lost the voices of greatness such as His. Compromise seems to be the order of the day as long as it makes our lives easier. We avoid conflict and persecution at all costs.
Avoiding conflict is easy. All we must do is accept the world’s morals and values so as not to offend anyone. We live like the world lives, laugh at its humor, immerse ourselves in its entertainment, duck our heads when God is mocked, act like all religions are equal and converge in the same place, don’t make any moral judgments, never ever mention hell, and hardly ever mention heaven, take no stand on moral/political issues, don’t speak of the resurrection or coming of Christ, and most importantly, never share the gospel of Jesus Christ. This allows the Christian to blend into the fabric of society and avoid the road less travelled.
Choosing the wide road seems appealing with the promise of riches, acceptance, popularity, and ease. There is no reason to stir up those around us by making the righteous choice after all aren’t Christians suppose to love everyone. Doesn’t that mean being friends with everyone and not causing trouble?
A little later in this same discourse Jesus spoke these words,
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in there at: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit.” (Matthew 7:13-17)
Following Jesus will lead us to the narrow way. There will be many who teach that the narrow way is out dated and no longer necessary. False teachers will present a new revelation, an easy way, broad and appealing to the masses. They preach a feel good way that attracts multitudes who never repent of their sins, never turn from the ways of this world, and never lay down their life for the Master. Be assured that this way is not a new way but it is a very, very old way. It was first presented in a beautiful place called the Garden of Eden by the father of those that teach it today. He convinced a man and woman that they didn’t need to listen to God, there was another way, a broad way, an easy way, to gain what only God can give. They died for their choice that day. Sin took its toll and it is still taking its toll on those that choose the comfort and ease of this life over the persecution of the narrow way.
Grapes don’t grow on thorns and figs on thistles. Christian living doesn’t spring from compromise or worldliness. We are called to “come out from among them and be separate.” When the choice is yours and you must answer the question posed nearly two thousand years ago, “What am I to do? I must live.”
Choose Christ!
It was about one hundred years after Jesus had taught the Sermon on the Mount and a Christian businessman was struggling with following Christ’s way and being successful in his business. There were certain things that he needed to do in order to make money that conflicted with being a Christian. He approached one of the great church father’s named Tertullian and explained this conflict of interest. At the end of his explanation he asked,
“What am I to do? I must live.”
Tertullian replied, “Must you?”
When it came to choosing this life or Christ there was no choice to this great man of God. You must choose Christ!
Unfortunately today as the church becomes more and more like the world we have lost the voices of greatness such as His. Compromise seems to be the order of the day as long as it makes our lives easier. We avoid conflict and persecution at all costs.
Avoiding conflict is easy. All we must do is accept the world’s morals and values so as not to offend anyone. We live like the world lives, laugh at its humor, immerse ourselves in its entertainment, duck our heads when God is mocked, act like all religions are equal and converge in the same place, don’t make any moral judgments, never ever mention hell, and hardly ever mention heaven, take no stand on moral/political issues, don’t speak of the resurrection or coming of Christ, and most importantly, never share the gospel of Jesus Christ. This allows the Christian to blend into the fabric of society and avoid the road less travelled.
Choosing the wide road seems appealing with the promise of riches, acceptance, popularity, and ease. There is no reason to stir up those around us by making the righteous choice after all aren’t Christians suppose to love everyone. Doesn’t that mean being friends with everyone and not causing trouble?
A little later in this same discourse Jesus spoke these words,
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in there at: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit.” (Matthew 7:13-17)
Following Jesus will lead us to the narrow way. There will be many who teach that the narrow way is out dated and no longer necessary. False teachers will present a new revelation, an easy way, broad and appealing to the masses. They preach a feel good way that attracts multitudes who never repent of their sins, never turn from the ways of this world, and never lay down their life for the Master. Be assured that this way is not a new way but it is a very, very old way. It was first presented in a beautiful place called the Garden of Eden by the father of those that teach it today. He convinced a man and woman that they didn’t need to listen to God, there was another way, a broad way, an easy way, to gain what only God can give. They died for their choice that day. Sin took its toll and it is still taking its toll on those that choose the comfort and ease of this life over the persecution of the narrow way.
Grapes don’t grow on thorns and figs on thistles. Christian living doesn’t spring from compromise or worldliness. We are called to “come out from among them and be separate.” When the choice is yours and you must answer the question posed nearly two thousand years ago, “What am I to do? I must live.”
Choose Christ!
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