Which Way Do We Go?
Part One
Here we are. We have come to the inevitable fork in the road where we must choose one of two ways. There is no third option.
The one we choose will not enhance or diminish the integrity of the salvation that we, in the capacity of born again believers, have already received, but our choice will determine the quality of our individual post (after) salvation spiritual life, here on Earth.
The divine standard for evaluating the quality of one’s post salvation spiritual life is the quantity of one’s production (or lack of it) outlined in Mark 4: 19, 20. We will see more on this point later on in this presentation.
Perhaps so far, being a Christian might not have been too difficult.
We might have experienced the peace (1) Luke 2: 14 and the confidence (2) John 8: 32) that comes from KNOWING that we have been forgiven (3) 1John 1: 9), and that we have a home (4) John 14: 2 prepared and awaiting us in Heaven (5) Romans 8: 1, when the time of our Earthly departure arrives.
This, as we would say, is all good.
Sure, there might have been some pleasurable (6) Heb. 11: 25) sins that had to go, but in retrospect, we would have to concede that any one of them would have inevitably taken their destructive toll (7) Gal. 6: 7, if they had not been confessed (8) 1John 1: 9) and forsaken (9) John 8: 11.
By now, two important principles should have been learned. One is that no one gets away with anything. We might not have been disciplined when or in the way we expected, but what goes around WILL come around in one form or another.
The second principle is that life is not just about us. The choices, both good and bad, that we make for ourselves will bring blessings or grief to others, as well.
But now, you’ve come to a fork in the road that requires that you, as an individual, make a choice between two roads.
Religious human viewpoint rolls up salvation and discipleship into one ball of wax. We hear of people being saved AND giving their life to Jesus, as if they were instantaneously accomplished at the same time.
They are two separate decisions.
Salvation is the immediate and complete result of making a one-time decision to believe in the Person and the atoning Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, upon being presented with the unadulterated Gospel Message.
Biblical discipleship calls for the DAILY intake (10) 2Pet.3:18 and the moment to moment application (11) James 1: 22 of the Word of God to ALL that we think, do, and say.
Failing to take in The Word daily will lead to spiritual starvation, weakness, and defeat on the spiritual battlefield. There will be no spiritual maturing in the post salvation life of such believers, and they will be easily defeated, rendered useless, in the evangelization and edification of others.
Biblical Discipleship is initially for the edification and sanctification of the born-again believer, but with the long-term objective of participating in the Great Commission (12), being used by God to evangelize and or to edify others.
Participating in Biblical Discipleship is what it means to be a follower of Christ.
Many saved, Heaven-bound souls do not respond to the post salvation call to Biblical discipleship. Many saved souls that initially do, later abandon ship for the Mark 4: 19 reasons, or when the 2Tim 3: 12 persecution, or such things as the Luke 14: 26 cost of remaining in discipleship, becomes more than what they are willing to pay.
Here at the fork, the pressure is mounting. Like having an impatient driver behind you in traffic honking his horn, you’re pressured to make a decision to choose one way, forsaking the other.
These internal pressures can come from the ongoing, trifold struggle for control over our immediate thoughts and actions.
God the Holy Spirit, indwelling the bodies of all born again believers (13) 1Cor. 3: 16, our own fallen nature (14) Romans 7: 14ff, and the devil with his forces of evil (15) Eph. 6: 12), compete with each other for the control of our thoughts and actions.
With the free will that God has given us, we are free to choose which ONE we will listen to and respond. We however, are not free from having to make that choice, nor are we relieved from receiving either the blessings or the consequences of the decisions we make.
In addition to these pressures from within, there are the external pressures that come from parents, spouses, family, friends, employers, and acquaintances, whose plans and advice, may or may not be in line with what God has in mind.
Each one of the two ways at the fork has its own street sign. One reads BROAD WAY, the other reads NARROW WAY.
Clearly, the majority of the traffic ahead are following the crowd, choosing BROAD WAY in spite of the warning sign.
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction… (Matt. 7: 10 NASB2020).”
One of the reasons the majority chooses BROADWAY is because of their unwillingness to pay the required Luke 14: 26 “toll” that is collected along the NARROW WAY.
“If anyone comes to Me and does *hate (love less) his own father, mother, wife (husband), children, brothers, sisters, yes, even his own (plans for) life, he cannot be my disciple (Luke 14: 26 NASB parentheses mine).”
HATE in this verse is not promoting ill-feelings towards family members. It is speaking of not placing them or any thing else (e.g. our plans) in God’s place on our list of priorities.
End of Part One
(1) Luke 2: 14 (2) John 8: 32 (3) 1John 1: 9 (4) John 14: 2 (5) Rom. 8: 1 (6) He . 11: 25 (7) Gal. 6: 7 (8) 1John 1: 9 (9) John 8: 11 (10) 2Pet. 3:18 (11) James 1:22 (12) Matt. 28: 19, 20 (13) 1Cor. 3:16 (14) Rom. 7: 14ff (15) Eph. 6: 12
Part One
Here we are. We have come to the inevitable fork in the road where we must choose one of two ways. There is no third option.
The one we choose will not enhance or diminish the integrity of the salvation that we, in the capacity of born again believers, have already received, but our choice will determine the quality of our individual post (after) salvation spiritual life, here on Earth.
The divine standard for evaluating the quality of one’s post salvation spiritual life is the quantity of one’s production (or lack of it) outlined in Mark 4: 19, 20. We will see more on this point later on in this presentation.
Perhaps so far, being a Christian might not have been too difficult.
We might have experienced the peace (1) Luke 2: 14 and the confidence (2) John 8: 32) that comes from KNOWING that we have been forgiven (3) 1John 1: 9), and that we have a home (4) John 14: 2 prepared and awaiting us in Heaven (5) Romans 8: 1, when the time of our Earthly departure arrives.
This, as we would say, is all good.
Sure, there might have been some pleasurable (6) Heb. 11: 25) sins that had to go, but in retrospect, we would have to concede that any one of them would have inevitably taken their destructive toll (7) Gal. 6: 7, if they had not been confessed (8) 1John 1: 9) and forsaken (9) John 8: 11.
By now, two important principles should have been learned. One is that no one gets away with anything. We might not have been disciplined when or in the way we expected, but what goes around WILL come around in one form or another.
The second principle is that life is not just about us. The choices, both good and bad, that we make for ourselves will bring blessings or grief to others, as well.
But now, you’ve come to a fork in the road that requires that you, as an individual, make a choice between two roads.
Religious human viewpoint rolls up salvation and discipleship into one ball of wax. We hear of people being saved AND giving their life to Jesus, as if they were instantaneously accomplished at the same time.
They are two separate decisions.
Salvation is the immediate and complete result of making a one-time decision to believe in the Person and the atoning Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, upon being presented with the unadulterated Gospel Message.
Biblical discipleship calls for the DAILY intake (10) 2Pet.3:18 and the moment to moment application (11) James 1: 22 of the Word of God to ALL that we think, do, and say.
Failing to take in The Word daily will lead to spiritual starvation, weakness, and defeat on the spiritual battlefield. There will be no spiritual maturing in the post salvation life of such believers, and they will be easily defeated, rendered useless, in the evangelization and edification of others.
Biblical Discipleship is initially for the edification and sanctification of the born-again believer, but with the long-term objective of participating in the Great Commission (12), being used by God to evangelize and or to edify others.
Participating in Biblical Discipleship is what it means to be a follower of Christ.
Many saved, Heaven-bound souls do not respond to the post salvation call to Biblical discipleship. Many saved souls that initially do, later abandon ship for the Mark 4: 19 reasons, or when the 2Tim 3: 12 persecution, or such things as the Luke 14: 26 cost of remaining in discipleship, becomes more than what they are willing to pay.
Here at the fork, the pressure is mounting. Like having an impatient driver behind you in traffic honking his horn, you’re pressured to make a decision to choose one way, forsaking the other.
These internal pressures can come from the ongoing, trifold struggle for control over our immediate thoughts and actions.
God the Holy Spirit, indwelling the bodies of all born again believers (13) 1Cor. 3: 16, our own fallen nature (14) Romans 7: 14ff, and the devil with his forces of evil (15) Eph. 6: 12), compete with each other for the control of our thoughts and actions.
With the free will that God has given us, we are free to choose which ONE we will listen to and respond. We however, are not free from having to make that choice, nor are we relieved from receiving either the blessings or the consequences of the decisions we make.
In addition to these pressures from within, there are the external pressures that come from parents, spouses, family, friends, employers, and acquaintances, whose plans and advice, may or may not be in line with what God has in mind.
Each one of the two ways at the fork has its own street sign. One reads BROAD WAY, the other reads NARROW WAY.
Clearly, the majority of the traffic ahead are following the crowd, choosing BROAD WAY in spite of the warning sign.
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction… (Matt. 7: 10 NASB2020).”
One of the reasons the majority chooses BROADWAY is because of their unwillingness to pay the required Luke 14: 26 “toll” that is collected along the NARROW WAY.
“If anyone comes to Me and does *hate (love less) his own father, mother, wife (husband), children, brothers, sisters, yes, even his own (plans for) life, he cannot be my disciple (Luke 14: 26 NASB parentheses mine).”
HATE in this verse is not promoting ill-feelings towards family members. It is speaking of not placing them or any thing else (e.g. our plans) in God’s place on our list of priorities.
End of Part One
(1) Luke 2: 14 (2) John 8: 32 (3) 1John 1: 9 (4) John 14: 2 (5) Rom. 8: 1 (6) He . 11: 25 (7) Gal. 6: 7 (8) 1John 1: 9 (9) John 8: 11 (10) 2Pet. 3:18 (11) James 1:22 (12) Matt. 28: 19, 20 (13) 1Cor. 3:16 (14) Rom. 7: 14ff (15) Eph. 6: 12