Day 33 The Law of the Road

Day 33

The Law of the Road

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

(Matthew 7:13-14)

The Law of the Road is the 25^th pillar

 The Law of the Road is the 25^th pillar that holds the temple of Truth!

My dear beloved, salvation is free; however, it costs you your life. Unlike the popular belief, the Lord Jesus Christ was not so loved during His ministry on earth as we like to make it appear these days.  My dear beloved, His teachings demand a conversion of the heart, not merely words. And this, my dear beloved, is against the old man (the flesh). The old man (the flesh) lusts after evil, comforts, luxuries, and the pleasures of this life. Christ, however, did not hide from anyone the fact that the true cost of eternal life is death, His death on the cross for us, which leads to our death to self for His sake so that we should no longer live, but Christ should live through us!

And this is the unpopular truth which the old man (the flesh) does not want to hear. It is a truth from which the church is tending to drift away in these days, because those who still want to live in the flesh refuse this message and because these are often men of influence who teach others to refuse this truth as well.  The devil is so pleased with this that he came to their aid and gave them another ‘’gospel,’’ a gospel that does not require self-sacrifice, but a gospel of celebration and entertainment, all to please the flesh.

My dear beloved, please turn away from this “gospel”. Many men and women have shed their blood for us so that we can have the scriptures available in our own languages and that we may understand what the will of God is for our lives. Because of their sacrifice, each of us can read God’s will for ourselves in order that we may not be deceived by evil and corrupt men who distort and corrupt the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and who are of corrupt minds.

Now whether you should believe God or men, you decide.  But hear what the Lord Jesus says about the way of salvation:

“He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”  (John 12:25)

Why?

“Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”  (Matthew 7:14)

And what are the costs of following Christ?

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”  (Matthew 10:34-39)

My dear beloved, Christianity is a self-sacrificing way of life; it’s not a walk in the park.  It costs you your life!  You must be prepared to lose your life in the hands of God for Christ’s sake.  You must be prepared to entangle yourself no longer with the affairs of this world.  You must be prepared to focus 100% on Jesus Christ our Lord!

Do not give heed to the crowd pleasers, for their god is their belly and money is what they are after.  So they will tell you what your flesh wants to hear, and when your flesh is excited and entertained you will give them your money.  And the richer they are, the more powerful they are, because the devil can back up these evil doctrines with his servants’ riches. He uses it to lure even more people into this trap called ‘’the prosperity gospel,’’ and millions are flocking to it to believe it.  Why?  

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;  and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”  (2 Timothy 4:3-4) 

                                                                                                               

Beloved, our time is “the time”, and the consequences are certainly grievous.

“And with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”  (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12)

The Lord Jesus demands total dependence on Him from His disciples:

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.  This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.’

 
These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

Therefore  many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?’  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, ‘Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, ‘Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.’

From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you also want to go away?’
But Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’”  (John 6:53-69)

We, however, are not of those who go back, for we, like Peter and the disciples, believe with all our hearts that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and that it is in Him that we have eternal life.  It is certainly true that true Christianity is not an easy road, but it is the worthiest of roads.  When you turn to Christ with all your heart, mind, and soul, you will be hated, you will be persecuted, you will be stoned, not just by the world, but also by all the lukewarm Christians, because they have the love of the world and its pleasures in their hearts. Therefore, they hate anyone who worships God in spirit and truth.

But hear the advice of the Lord Jesus to those who desire to enter Heaven:

“Then one said to Him, ‘Lord, are there few who are saved?’ And He said to them, ‘Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’  But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’”  (Luke 13:23-27)

My dear beloved, for far too long we have allowed corrupt men to distort the Word of God to their own benefit.  It is time for godly men and women to arise and shine.  It is time to stand by the Truth.  It is time to take Christ’s side. 

How long will we dwell with two opinions?  If JEHOVAH is God, worship Him; if mammon is god, worship it.

“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”  (Luke 16:13)

But we, my dear beloved, are not of those who go back into perdition, for we believe in Christ Jesus our Lord as the Savior of our souls.  Amen!

It is true that to pick up one’s cross is not easy, but it is essential to follow Christ, for no one can follow Christ without picking up his own cross:

                                                                                                              

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.’”  (Matthew 16:24-27)

Let us, therefore, my dear beloved, pick up our own cross with joy in our hearts and follow Christ Jesus our Lord.  And since we are going to be rewarded according to our works, let us, therefore, turn away from any form and appearance of evil and all worldly pleasures and turn to God with all our hearts, minds, and souls and do that which is good in the eyes of God:

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”  (2 Timothy 2:15)

Finally, my dear beloved, when you decide to give your back to the world, and pick up your cross and follow Christ with all your heart, mind, and soul and by God’s grace to live a godly life, you will face persecution.  The world will hate you, your friends will leave you, and family members will despise you.  Do not despair, my dear beloved, for the LORD our God is with us.  Endure afflictions as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, for He promised us that He will never leave nor forsake us:

“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”  (2 Timothy 3:12)

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.”  (John 15:18-21)

“Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And

you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.”  (Matthew 10:21-22)

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you.   Amen.

Meditation:  Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

Prayer points:  LORD, please show me the way in which I should walk.  Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men who work iniquity.  And do not let me eat of their delicacies.  Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God, Your Spirit is good.  Lead me in the land of uprightness.  Revive me, O LORD, for Your name’s sake!  For Your righteousness’ sake, bring my soul out of trouble.  I pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Commitment: I commit myself to enter through the narrow gate; to follow Christ wherever He leads me; and to lose my life on this earth for my faith in Christ that I may gain eternal life. I commit my life into Your hands, oh Lord Jesus Christ. Keep me safe in Your hands, Oh LORD, until You come in Your Glory. In Jesus’ name.  Amen!