If we examine the choices we make each day then a pattern will become apparent in where our time, energy, devotion, attention, and loyalty is directed and where it is not.
The purpose behind this discussion points to the foundation in which our lives are built and supported, and where we invest our resources mentioned above directly impacts and shapes who we are and where we are heading. Unfortunately, for far too many Christians, these choices lead them along roads and directions we were never intended to travel, and leading them further away from the destination they hoped to find. This is the hallmark of sin that keeps our eyes off Jesus and our lives walking outside of his footsteps and plan.
This is not a “you” issue, it is a “sin” issue that we all face, and it is necessary for us to recognize sin for what it is and address it head on rather than ignore it and be enslaved to and misguided by it. Because this is what our life in Jesus Christ requires, we must undergo transformation from who we were before and into the new creation we are to become. For this to occur, we must “not lean on our own understanding, but trust the LORD with all our heart” (Proverbs 3:5), and “to put off the old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24).
Scripture is far too comprehensive to extract every instruction it offers for this discussion here, but it is imperative that we invest our time digging into reading scripture to uncover everything that God desires for us to learn. With that said, we will look at a few verses here that provide teaching and direction for those that desire to walk with Jesus Christ, and avoid being misled by those who serve Satan, for the two cannot coexist.
First, Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, ESV, 2001, Crossway).
Here, Jesus is instructing everyone that there is no way to heaven or to his Father except through himself. This requires submission to him as the Divine Authority over our lives. Through him we receive confidence that he will provide guidance along the path we are to travel, the truth we are to live by, and the life God intended us to have regardless of the ups, downs, bumps, hurdles, trials, and tribulations that grow us and those we come in contact with along the life journey we will experience.
Second, he says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).
In this verse we are provided not only instruction but also confidence and direction. When we call Jesus Christ our Good Shepherd we are placing our lives in his hands, for sustenance, guidance, and protection. Because he is our Shepherd, we listen and pay attention to him instead of looking away through the distractions of this world or the schemes that the enemy, Satan, places before us to pull us away. And through our dependence on Jesus, he knows us by name as one of his flock.
Third, he says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them,” and “Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of theses commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17, 19).
This may be one of the greatest concerns the present day church is currently facing: not recognizing the difference between forgiveness of sins committed prior to accepting Christ, from those that persist out of willful disobedience. While Jesus Christ does satisfy the Mosaic Law through his crucifixion, that does not give us freedom to go on sinning, while leaning on God’s grace and mercy to excuse our unchanging sinful conduct that outrightly contradicts God’s instruction throughout scripture. With that said, I believe the essence is to keep all the commandments and the instructions for godly living, which also aligns with the consistency that Jesus Christ teaches. We must understand that the Law is fulfilled through Jesus Christ who has already paid the price with his death for our sins, which negates the legalistic sacrifices that were expected for each of the numerous Levitical laws that were broken.
Fourth, he says, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:12-14).
This is the Golden Rule that we are instructed to follow, which is later reinforced with the following verse we will soon discuss. Here we are instructed to treat others as we desire to be treated. It does not say to treat some better than others, or your enemies worse, but rather to treat ‘others’ in the same ‘way’ you wish to be treated, and in so doing you will satisfy “the Law” and “the Prophets,” which we will discuss in the next verse below. But before we do, we must also recognize that there are two primary paths, or directions, we will encounter in our life–the Wide and Easy road that leads to destruction, and the Narrow and Hard road that leads to life. These two roads are distinctly different from one another, and we should observe the language describing each of them. This is another area that I believe the present day church is not observant enough in recognizing, not because the sheep want to be misled onto the wide and easy road per se, but because the narrow road of walking in step with Jesus is difficult to find in our life, and the path is hard to walk out in the world in which we live.
Fifth, he says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).
As we discussed earlier, Jesus came to fulfill the Law but did not abolish it or the Prophets. The Mosaic Law of the Ten Commandments is satisfied with obeying the great and first commandment, as well as the second. The rest of the Ten Commandments, though distinct in description, fall under the first and second, as long as we obey both of them.
Sixth, he says, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15-20).
If we return to our understanding of who Jesus is and what he taught, then we ought to be informed with the truth needed and able to discern what is a lie. However, we cannot exhibit spiritual discernment without an awareness of what truth is, and this requires us learning by reading God’s word. As we invest time with the LORD we begin to hear him speak to us through the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and subsequently we gain an awareness of the spiritual battle playing out around us. The “fruits” are the hallmark sign we are to look for in our own lives as much as in the lives of those around us. Many will call themselves “Christians” but their “fruit” is contrary to the image that Jesus brought with his earthly ministry for us to bear. It is our responsibility to become spiritually discerning to see and hear the “wolf” in our presence.
Seventh, he says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’ (Matthew 7:21-23).
Because the road is narrow and hard, and only a few will find it, many will believe that they are walking with Jesus Christ, but in fact they were walking with a counterfeit “christ”. These false Christians have been too focused on themselves and the cares of this world that filled their hearts and minds with distractions and concerns, and fleshly desires that prevented them from surrendering to the will of our LORD. And in so doing, they failed to be transformed as Jesus taught, failed to engage in becoming a living sacrifice for the LORD, and failed to use their spiritual gifting for the LORD, despite being instructed otherwise.
Eighth, John writes, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life–is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1John 2:15-17).
We are instructed to come out of the world even though we are living in it. This implies that our cares should not be focused on the world, through the many schemes Satan will orchestrate to distract us from living and following our Shepherd as we are instructed. When we fail to observe this instruction we are engaging in disobedience to his commandment, to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” We need to remember that the biblical timeline is still counting and that Jesus Christ’ return is getting closer with every hour of our existence, just as was the case for the early apostles.
Ninth, John writes, “And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him” (1John 2:28-29).
This is our encouragement, for those who follow Jesus and remain loyal to him through their life, not being distracted by the world or remaining persistent in sin. This adoption into God’s family should cause us to surrender our former life and receive a new “life” bearing spiritual fruit, which gives us confidence in our position in Christ.
Tenth, John writes of Jesus, “To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for the murders, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:6-8).
This is our encouragement when walking with Jesus–he will provide life to those who crave and seek him, and they will receive eternal salvation into God’s kingdom, after they have remained loyal and faithful to him throughout their life’s journey in this world. But, this is also a warning to refrain from all lawlessness, or suffer the consequences.
Eleventh, Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16).
This is his instruction to us, to be seasoned with salt so that we are well received and able to convey truth to a lost and dark world, which is desperate for God’s word to set them free. And we are to be a light in the darkness, to expose sin, and also provide God’s truth.
Twelfth , Paul writes, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16-25).
Once again we are being encouraged to obey God’s word by ‘walking in the Spirit,’ which will keep us from ‘gratifying the desires of the flesh.’ Why?, so that we remain faithful to Jesus as our Shepherd, and receive sustenance, guidance, and protection in the dark and wicked world we are living through. And this can only occur if we know Jesus, and hear his voice, and remain faithful to follow him on the narrow and hard path that leads to his kingdom.
So, what are we to take away from these verses and discussion? I believe the takeaway is quite straight forward, though the process is not. Christianity should not just be a religious affiliation, but a sincere, intimate, and purposeful decision to surrender everything the world and the flesh has to offer, for the sake of restoring a right relationship with our heavenly Father and his Son, through our loyalty, obedience, and faith. As we do this, we empty ourselves of the sinful lusts of the flesh that keep us imprisoned through our unrighteousness to our enemy, Satan, by letting go, surrendering, and walking in the Holy Spirit of our Lord. Through our obedient posture, we acknowledge sin rather than ignoring it, and we understand that God has instructed and warned us to be transformed into a new creation, rather than holding onto the “old man” we have been living prior to accepting Jesus Christ into our life. We should be set apart from the world, as image bearers and light bearers, seasoned with salt to be well received by others, so that we are able to communicate truth and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, understanding that this process requires us to walk out our Christian faith in a world that is moving in the opposite direction. This hard and narrow road we are encouraged to find is the only road through the narrow gate into God’s kingdom, and the only way we will find it is to accept that we are not our own, and put our entire hope and faith in our Good Shepherd, who will show us the way.
I pray that this has been helpful and that it produces a positive change in the life you wish to live, with Jesus Christ at the center.
In Christ.
Restoration Road Ministry.org 