Few Find It

If you happen to be reading this and have not yet put your faith in Christ, I implore you to make a decision for him today. You may be wondering if Jesus is the right choice for you. You may be exploring other options, thinking that there are several ways to heaven, as if the path to a heavenly afterlife is a smorgasbord where you can just choose the one that is right for you. But I’m here to tell you that there is only one way to heaven, only one truth, and the bible tells us that only a few find it. Jesus says in Matthew 7:13-14:

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

You see, there are several types of religions in the world. Billions of people follow a number of different paths. Some paths may even encourage good behavior. They may help others think of the less fortunate. Some may help people to think more holistically and to focus on how their actions affect the world and others around them. But even still, these beliefs without Jesus, still lead to destruction. Some people don’t even consider Jesus or an afterlife as an important pursuit, and may consider family and friends the end all to life’s master plan. But Jesus tells us that there is only one way to eternal life in heaven and it is only through him. Ultimately, only a few find it. In one instance the bible compares the kingdom of heaven to a pearl in the field. A man sold all he had to buy the field just so that he could get the pearl. True believers know that finding that narrow gate is like finding that rare pearl. Not everyone is willing to take that plunge; to make that commitment. But those few who do, will be on the one and only path that leads to heaven.

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Jesus makes a serious statement in Matthew 7. He tells us plainly that we have to enter through the narrow gate. To enter heaven, we will be making a choice that only a few make. The bible also tells us that it is the Holy Spirit who draws people to God. These words that I’m speaking, by themselves, can’t change a mind or open a heart. But coupled with the Holy Spirit, they just might. So, I pray that if you haven’t found the narrow path that leads to heaven that you do today. It is the most important decision that anyone can make this side of eternity.

Prayer Motives

One morning when getting ready to go to church for our prayer meeting, I joked with my wife that during the meeting I should pray for selfish, silly things just to see how the others would react. I thought about praying for the Lions to win their football game, for the movie, “Thor”, to do well in the box office and other really silly prayers. We had a good laugh because, of course, I know better than to pray for such things. The bible teaches us that we are to pray with the right motives, and selfish prayers are certainly done with selfish motives. James 4:3-4 says:

"When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your own pleasures. You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."

The bible teaches us that we should pray with faith. It says that if we pray with doubt, we shouldn’t believe that we’ll receive anything we ask for. But here, it also tells us that we need to pray with the right motives. It just makes sense. Why would we pray to a holy God for something that is clearly not within his will? I’m not saying that we shouldn’t pray for personal needs like a good job, good health, wisdom on how to handle a situation, or things like that. These are things that are very likely what God wants for you. But praying to win the lotto, that you’ll get your favorite video game for your birthday, or that your favorite team will win the Super Bowl is certainly done with the wrong motives. Knowing God’s will, is as simple as getting to know his word. The more we know his word, the more we understand his character and where his heart is. He wants what’s best for us, but he wants our hearts to be right when we ask. And since God is love, I believe that some of the best prayers are prayed with the motive of Godly love.

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God wants us to pray to him. He really does. The bible tells us that he wants us to bring all types of prayers and petitions to him. But God judges the heart. We need to pray in faith, believing that he will answer our prayers, and praying in humility with the right motives. Love is always the best, safest bet. But God is also our father, and wants what is best for us. He wants us to be healthy, to not be in need, and to not worry. But that does not mean that he wants us to pray for riches, selfish gain or extravagant blessings. No, I’m not God, and I don’t presume to speak for him out of my own knowledge. We have the bible for that. And in James, we’re reminded that motives matter when it comes to our prayers.

Dueling Swords

You may be aware that the bible often describes itself as a sword. It tells us that it cuts like a two-edged sword. And in Ephesians, when talking about the armor of God, the bible is described as the sword of the Spirit. But do we look at the bible as a weapon? Do we think that the words of God can be used to do spiritual battle? I think it can, and it is beautifully illustrated in Matthew when Jesus is fasting in the desert for 40 days and is tempted by the devil. It is almost as if they are dueling with the words of God. All that is missing is the sound of metal striking metal as they speak to one another. It says in Matthew 4:5-7:

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “’He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Jesus tells us that as long as the world is as we know it, the words of the Bible will not change. That means they will be in full effect at least until his return. The words of the bible are powerful. And God stands behind every word written. Jesus knows this and even the devil knows it. When Jesus was tempted, he used his best weapon, the sword of the Spirit, when doing battle. This leads me to believe that the more familiar we are with the word of God, the better equipped we will be to wield one of the most powerful weapons on the face of the earth; the bible.

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The bible has many functions. It is to teach and reproof, to guide and to correct, and it is a weapon that if used, can get the attention of the Holy Spirit or set the evil one to flight. It is indeed, sharper than any two-edged sword. I encourage you to get familiar with it. Use it when you pray. And use it to remind God of what he has said or promised.

Law Breaker

Our human tendencies never cease to amaze me. Or I suppose I should say that God’s holiness never ceases to amaze me. When we consider our sin, often times we rank it in the order of how bad, or how grievous, the sin is. Certainly, murdering someone is worse than bearing false witness (or lying) right? And I’m sure you’d agree that committing adultery is far worse than coveting what someone else has. The thing is, God doesn’t really see things that way. In fact, to God, breaking any of his commandments as sin. And even if we break one of what we may consider a lesser sin, he finds us just as guilty as if we broke one of the greater sins. James 2:10-11 puts it this way.

"For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, 'Do not commit adultery,' also said, 'Do not murder.' If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker."

It is our human tendency to rank the grievousness of our sin. But the bible teaches us that if we are struggling with any sin, it is as if we are guilty of breaking all of it. We are labeled a “lawbreaker”. In God’s eyes, all sin is disobedience to his commands. So, I encourage you, if you are sinning in an area that you justify by saying that it isn’t as bad as another sin, God still looks at your actions as breaking the law. You are just as guilty as if you committed murder or adultery. With a perspective like that, it should help us to remember that any sin, is disobedience in God’s eyes.

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Remember that God doesn’t rank our sin in order of bad to worse. To him, sin is sin. That may sound unreasonable, or extreme, but God is holy. No sin can enter his presence; not murder and not lying. All sin is separation from God. There is a silver lining to this principle though. If we consider sin the way God considers sin, it should lessen our tendency to want to judge others. If someone in the church has an exposed sin like getting pregnant out of wedlock, or adultery that has come to light and the whole world seems to know about it, remember that sin is sin. You yourself may have sinned by harboring anger in your heart against your brother, for example. Or maybe you’ve pirated music off of the internet. We may think these actions aren’t as grievous as what we learn about our brother or sister in the church, but God would beg to differ. God doesn’t rank order sin, and neither should we.

God's Faithfulness

Sometimes, I think that when we are in the midst of pain or trouble, we forget how much God loves us. We may even begin to wonder if God cares at all. We forget that even though we are unfaithful, God is always faithful. In Isaiah 43:1-3, God speaks through Isaiah to the Israelites, his chosen people. I realize that this was specifically addressed to the Israelites, but remember that God never changes. And I believe that these words spoken to his chosen people apply to us as well, now that we have been grafted in to the heavenly promise. It says:

"But now, this is what the Lord says - he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;'"

I look at this as God’s love poem for those who love him. In verse 4 it goes on to say the he will do all of these things because, "you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you,". God does indeed love us. We may not always see him in the darkness. We may think when things are hardest that we are walking alone. But remember these words and the many others that are spoken throughout the bible of God's love for us. If you have been redeemed by the Lord, that is - if you have believed and placed your trust in Christ, the bible says that you are his. And God loves you with a jealous love, like a husband who loves his wife. He is always there watching over you, ready to hear you call out to him, even when you don't see or feel him.

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Never forget, that God loves us. In Isaiah, I read from only one such example. There are many more in that one book alone, not to even mention throughout the old and new testament. So, don't let the devil fool you when you begin to think that God doesn't love you, that he isn't listening, or that he is far away. It is just the contrary. Though sometimes we have to wait on him, make no mistake, God is aware of what you're dealing with and he cares as much as a loving husband cares about the well-being of his treasured wife.