Originally, my previous post was meant to bring up something completely different. Monte Python fans, insert your line here.
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Instead of going back and changing that post (by the time you read this a couple of months will have passed), I’ll simply make this Part II.
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I’ve probably already mentioned the conversation I had with God about the wonderful things I’ve discovered while reading a book on Joshua. I’ll summarize:
God - “No you didn’t.”
Me - “What?”
God - “You didn’t discover that.”
Me - “Well, no, the author did.”
God - “He didn’t, either.”
Me - “What?”
Then He brought to mind, “I know that I cannot, by my own effort or understanding, come to Jesus Christ or know Him.” That’s from Luther’s Small Catechism, which means anything we know about Jesus is a gift from God. That’s so nobody can boast.
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I’ve found that the more I know about Him, the narrower the path I’m walking. Every new revelation from God makes me WANT to walk a narrower path. Not because He demands it, but because I don’t want to disappoint Him.
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A Christian NEEDS to be more careful. People notice what others say and do, and it reflects on the person or organization most closely associated with that person.
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For instance, take politics.
The higher up a politician gets on the party ladder, the more they’re watched by the opposition party. Get caught in an unsavory situation and you can count on the competition trumpeting that from the rooftops.
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Are you in the business world?
The CEO of American Widgets, Inc., is caught on camera using Anti-American Widgets’ product, and you can bet that CEO will get fired. But the guy working in AWI’s factory uses AAWI’s widget (and caught on camera) will just get a stern reprimand.
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If you want, insert Coke and Pepsi, Ford and GMC, Packers and Vikings, and you’ll get the idea. Wow, I’d hate to be the general manager of a big sports team and have a picture turn up with me wearing another team’s jersey.
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That’s the general principle of the pathway getting narrower. Every bit you learn about God should do that to you if you claim to follow Him. If you don’t, someone will notice. Do you want to be caught out as a liar?
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I don’t.
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Anyone who has kids will understand how much it hurts to have that kid do something stupid. If you don’t have kids, do you remember your parents saying, “This hurts me more than it hurts you?” Yeah, I thought it sounded stupid, too, but it’s true.
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If you know God doesn’t want you to do XYandZ, but you do it anyway, you hurt Him. It’s not just some esoteric “gosh I’m really sorry you’re going through that” kind of thing. It’s a real hurt.
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Back in the days of Abraham, God made a promise that He would pay for our sins. See this post for details. That promise resulted in Jesus getting crucified because He took all that on Himself. So everything we’ve done wrong (or WILL do wrong) put Him there. Not so He could condemn us, but to save us.
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God wants us to live a righteous life, and everything we can do in that direction leads us to a narrower and narrower path. Each little bit we learn should put us more closely aligned with that path.
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For me, I want to live a life that will make Him proud of me.
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How about you? Will you get the “Well done,” or the “I never knew you?”
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Keep in mind, Judas was sorry for his sin. Being sorry isn’t enough. Trusting in Him to save you is the key, and Judas thought he was beyond saving.
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Is there a sin that cannot be atoned for?
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That’s another topic for another day.
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