How are Your Eyes?

"The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.

"But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."

                        Matthew 6:22-24 NASB

It is a fact that you cannot focus on two different things at once. If your eyes are focused on one object the rest of the things in a room are not as sharp, and if far enough apart, not even in view. 

Jesus uses this to make a point. Just as our eyes in the natural cannot focus on two separate things at the same time, likewise, our focus spiritually cannot be on two objects simultaneously either. That is why He states, "You cannot serve two masters."

God demands our full allegiance, therefore we must look to Him with singleness of purpose. In Hebrews 12:1-2 the Christian life is portrayed as a runner who eliminates everything that hinders him so that he has the endurance to finish the race. Not only do we need to cast of sin and every thing that might slow us down, but our eyes must be fixed firmly upon Jesus.

The NASB 2020 puts it like this,

Looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

And the Amplified version states,

Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus...

The idea is to have a single eye to the glory of God. Our eyes, Spiritually speaking, must be turned away from every distracting thing, and placed on Christ alone. Just like the old hymn reads, 

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus.

Look full in his wonderful face.

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of his glory and grace."

Our hearts go out to what we love; what we are devoted to. We are told to set our minds (KJV uses the term affections) on things above.

If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

This in not merely a mental exercise where we think about heavenly things all day, but a going after these things, drawn by a passion for them, born out of an ultimate passion for Jesus Himself. Where once we were consumed by earthly pursuits, now as those who have "died" to living for self and sin, and have been raised up by the quickening of the Holy Spirit, we now have new life with new passions and pursuits, all flowing out of a devotion to Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul seemed to be a fairly busy man, missionary trips, planting churches, writing scriptures, among other things. The truth is all of this flowed out of one thing, the pursuit of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ.

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

                       Philippians 3:13-14 ESV

This is how "seeking first the kingdom of God" should look. Paul was not "beating the air" with a lot of activities, but was disciplined, focused, driven on by a love for Jesus, and a desire to someday stand before Him (1 Cor 9:26). In his pursuit, missionary trips were taken, churches were planted, scriptures were written, along with hardship and suffering, but even this he counted as joy in serving Christ. Paul's focus was on Christ. He didn't dwell in past victories or failures, but always pushed forward. How many of us are defeated by failure? And even more subtle than that, the temptation to relish in the mountain top experiences can sidetrack our pursuit of God as well. We can easily fall into a comfortable complacency if we are not constantly looking forward to the prize. We must move on, the race isn't over yet.

So how are your eyes? How is your focus? The image of Jesus should be sharp and clear, everything else should be fading into the background. If this is not the case for you, it's time to repent, and fix your eyes upon Jesus once again. There is a race to finish, and we need to stay focused.

Focus

     If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (Col 3:1-3 ESV)

     I have run across a saying that goes something like this. "He is so heavenly minded, that he is of no earthly good." Immediately we think of an individual with his or her head in the clouds, dreamily going through life with heavenly thoughts, but unable to function much in the everyday affairs of life. But is this saying biblical? 

     The passage quoted above mentions several important aspects of the Christian life. First, the Christian has died. When we come to Christ in repentance and faith, we renounce ourselves, our sin and selfishness, and die to it. Paul, in Romans 6:1-13, paints a picture of the believer's uniting with Christ's death through baptism, and consequently uniting with Him in His resurrection, resulting in newness of life. We have forsaken our old life, to live a new one. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin (Romans 6:6-7 ESV).

     Paul writes that he has been crucified with Christ (Gal 2:20). As a result, it is no longer he who lives, but by faith, Christ lives in him. Jesus tells us that one must renounce all to become His disciple (Luke 14:33), he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Him. We must lose our lives for Christ's sake (Matt 16:24-26). 

     To tell the truth, I often find myself caught up with earthly affairs. I worry about making ends meet. I can get caught up with my job, or hobbies. I'm sure many of us can relate to this. Life can be hard at times, and it is so easy to let our focus settle there. But what does Jesus say? He tells us to make His kingdom our priority! He knows our needs, and tells us not to worry, to be consumed by them. These are the things we need, clothing, food, the essentials of life. These are also the things the world is consumed with (Matt 6:25-33). He encourages us to pursue His interests, not ours, and what we need, He will provide.

     Now I am not saying we must all quit our jobs and go sit on a rooftop somewhere waiting for God to do something. We all have gifts and callings that God has given us, and we must walk in them. It might mean a radical change of direction in our lives. At the very least our focus must change. We are not our own, we have been purchased by Jesus Christ, to live for His glory (1 Cor 6:19-20). How will that fact affect my job choices, my interests, my pursuits? Can I glorify God in these areas of my life, or must I make a change? One who has died in this sense of the word has given up himself.

     We have also been made alive in Christ Jesus. Not only have we died, but now, as Jesus has been raised from the dead, so we also have been raised up to newness of life (Romans 6:4).

     Newness of life entails everything of one's life. We have renounced all for the sake of Christ, so now we use all for the glory of God. To set our minds on the things above means to focus on the interests of Christ. It means that we are consumed by the advancement of His kingdom. It is our priority. The things that hinder, that get in the way, must go. We cannot serve two masters, one or the other must go. You can only focus on one thing in the natural, and so it is in the spiritual as well (Matt 6:22-24). We must ever be careful to keep the things of eternity in sharp focus.

     Let us have the same attitude as that of Paul, who counted all things loss for the sake of Christ, who forgot the former things to press on towards the goal (Phil 3:8-15). He said he did one thing (verse 13). We know that Paul traveled as an Apostle planting churches and preaching the gospel. He wrote under inspiration a large portion of the New Testament. He suffered persecution and stood before kings. He did many things, but his life with all of its experiences and accomplishments flowed out of one thing. Paul was passionate for Jesus Christ. He had renounced all, he had been crucified with Christ, and was merely living out the life of Christ by faith.

      

      

 

Dead to this World.

     But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. (Gal 6:14 KJV).

     There are many people who believe that we can fix this world. In fact, many Christians are of the opinion that we can make this world a better place through the power of the gospel. In a sense I can agree with this sentiment. It is true that as people are saved, and their lives changed, they begin to treat those around them differently. They are now honest, compassionate, and loving. They exhibit the fruit of the Spirit with those they encounter on a daily basis (Gal 5:22-23). In that respect you could say that they world has been made better, one soul at a time.
     But the reality is that this world is exceeding wicked. It was wicked in the days of Noah (Gen 6:5), and will be just as wicked at the Lord's return (Matt 24:12, 37). The bible tells us that there is a spirit at work in the sons of disobedience (Eph 2:2-3). Mankind spends his days fulfilling the lusts of his flesh and mind. That is why we see so much wickedness in this world today. There is a mystery of lawlessness at work in this world, and things will only grow worse (2 Thess 2:7). We are warned that perilous times will come, where mankind plunges deeper and deeper into sin and selfishness, even turning his ears away from the truth (2 Tim 3:1-5, 4:3-4). Sadly, this world cannot be fixed. All attempts to fix it through political power, legislating morality, social reforms, and by any other natural means, will only end in failure. 
     Instead of a better world someday, we read that this world will in fact be destroyed by God. John tells us that the world with all of its lusts is passing away (1 John 2:17). Peter writes this concerning the destruction of the world,

     But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up (2 Peter 3:10 KJV).

     We read in Revelation 21:1 KJV,

     And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

    God calls to us to come out from among them and be separate (2 Cor 7:17) We are to come out of this wicked world system so that we are not partakers of its sins and its judgment (Rev 18:4). This is what the gospel does for those who believe it! Jesus came to redeem us from this present evil age (Gal 1:4). In the above verse, Paul speaks of the cross of Christ as a barrier between him and the world. Through the cross, he has died to the world; turned his back on it with all of its evil ways. Through the cross, the world has lost its attraction, it no longer holds its power over the one who by faith has reckoned himself "crucified with Christ" (Gal 2:20). 
     Once again, this present world will not be fixed. Our remedy is to come out of it, forsaking its ways. Paul says, "Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:2 KJV). John tells us that to love this world is to not love God. What is this world that we are not to love? We are told that it consists of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life (1 John 2:15-16). When we live for the temporal things of this life, we have become guilty of loving this world! When we make our choices based upon what looks good to our eyes, what feels good, what give us pleasure, what makes us happy, we are living for the lust of the flesh and eyes. When we spend our days bettering ourselves, impressing our friends and neighbors; when we are consumed with power and the opinions of men, we are guilty of pride. This is the force that drives this world. People are consumed by fashions, impressing others with clothing and appearance; or by job performance; climbing the corporate ladder. Pride drives us to do many such things, even subtle things that we would think were benign, yet if tainted with pride, deadly to our souls. Like Paul, our only glory should be in the cross of Christ and the "life through death" that it brings.
     You see, the individual who has renounced this world with its prideful ways, has now been set free from this rat race. The person crucified with Christ is no longer consumed by the temporal things of this life. Pride and fleshly lusts no longer hold control over this individual, who by the grace of God is now led by a higher principle than lust. It is now Christ living through the believer. Love is the motivation behind the action. Those things that cannot be done in love, and for the glory of God are not done. The crucified believer understands that this world is passing away, and looks for a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells. They are careful in their conduct, being diligent to be found in peace without spot or blemish at the return of Christ (2 Peter 2:11-14). They are consumed by Christ, and not by the things this world offers; its entertainments, pleasures, and so forth.
     We cannot fix this world. Our only option is to renounce its ways, to come out of it, to die to ourselves, so that we may truly live. What we are called to do, is to bring others with us; to present the gospel to them, so that others may also flee from the wrath to come, experience this crucified life, and be set free.

Are You Anchored To This Life?

     For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven.
                                                    2 Corinthians 5:1-2 NASB

     We as Christians are supposed to be strangers and aliens upon this earth ( Hebrews 11:13-16; 1 Peter 1:1). Following the example of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we are called to live in this world as in a foreign land, looking with eyes of faith to the promise of our heavenly home (Hebrews 11:8-10). This is the reality; That which is natural (What we see) is temporal, that which is spiritual (unseen) is eternal (2 Cor 4:18).
     Can we relate to this? Do we in fact groan in this life of ours? Are we longing to be home? Are we indeed travelling this life empty handed, not weighed down with the cares and troubles of this life, not burdened by the pursuit of material things (Matt 13:22), but instead living with a singleness of purpose for the glory of God, as His ambassadors upon this earth?
     Jesus warns us against laying up treasures in this life. Our possessions will steal our hearts (Matt 6:19-21). Yet we see so many professed believers living in abundance, accumulating temporal things, focused on the here and now. They seem to be finding their happiness in the things that they own and the activities they enjoy. The hunger for God is gone, the longing for their real home has faded. Sadly, their possessions will anchor them to this earth! They have no treasure being laid up in heaven. They have over the course of time, transferred their citizenship to the kingdom of this world.
   

     

Speak the Truth in Love.

     "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, The Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."
                                       Mark 8:38 NASB

     We are clearly living in an adulterous and sinful generation. One does not need to look too hard to see that perilous times are upon us in these days (2 Tim 3:1-5). We see that men are lovers of self, pleasure, etc.....
     As Christians, we are called to stand out, exposing the darkness of this wicked world with the light of the truth of the gospel of Christ (Eph 5:11-14). This means that we do speak up, that we do tell a wicked world that what it is promoting is wrong, sinful in the eyes of God. It means that we do tell of the judgment to come. We do these things not to offend others, or to point a self righteous finger, but to set forth the truth in hopes of reaching those who are lost in sin.
     Understand what Jesus was doing in the sermon on the mount when he addressed issues such as lust and adultery, divorce, anger and murder, honesty and the taking of oaths, non resistance etc. (Matt 5:21-48). He was refuting the compromised teaching of the day that allowed people to live and act in ways contrary to God's law, while still believing that they were keeping it.
     We see Jesus confront an adulterous woman in Samaria. She was looking for something that her life and empty religion could not give her, but before she could find it, she had to deal with her sin (John 4:15-18). Jesus gently confronts her with the fact of her multiple marriages, because it is impossible to merely "add" Jesus to our already busy sinful lives. Jesus demands all; our hearts, wills, our lives. We must turn from our sin if we would embrace the Savior.
     Many are ashamed to speak truth. They are afraid of offending others. Pastor are afraid to preach on certain topics because they see so many in their congregations living in this sin or that sin, so they remain silent.
     It is time to give up this fearful tolerance of sin, and embrace the message of the cross (Mark 8:34); the crucified life. It is time to raise our voices strong, and lift up Christ as a Savior form sin. It is a message that the world does not want to hear, but it is also the message that will set them free (John 8:31-36).

Outside the Camp.

     Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
     So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
     For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.
                                 Hebrews 13:12-14 NASB

     The epistle to the Hebrews was written to encourage early Christians to remain faithful to Christ. They faced severe pressure from friends and family to return to Judaism, and no doubt, for many, the temptation to give in would have been strong. In this book, Christ is shown to be the reality of the Old Testament types and shadows. To turn from Him, and to go back to the sacrificial system, was to leave Christianity altogether. They were encouraged in the above passage to go outside the camp, and suffer the reproach of Christ. Outside the camp was the garbage dump; the place where the animal carcasses were dumped (Hebrews 13:11). In other words, they would face rejection, reproach, and even persecution for the name of Christ. They must not return to what they had come out of.
     True Christians today are faced with a similar situation. We see a wicked world plunging deeper into moral filth today. There seems to be no shame, as men cast off what little restraint seems to be left.
     Not only has this moral decline increased in the world, it has also invaded the professing Church as well. Here is where things get tough for those who would follow Christ. There are those who draw a line. In their eyes, sin is sin, and they will not compromise. They refuse to partake in it, they refuse to tolerate it, and refuse to excuse it. This puts them at odds with multitudes of professing believers who blindly coddle sin in the name of Christian love.
     To stand up for truth in many churches today will get you labeled as judgmental, a hater, a legalist, and extreme. You will bring rejection upon yourself if you call sin what it really is, and call men to repent. In our tolerant modern theology, it is better to be "politically correct" than to be Biblically correct.
     The temptation is there, just as it has always been, to give in, to compromise, to be just like everyone else. This admonition in Hebrews is for us as well. Let us draw that line in the sand. There can be no compromise, no settling down in a lukewarm religion. We must go outside the camp with Jesus, bearing His reproach. This earth, with all of its ways is temporal. We are looking for the city which is to come.
    

Contending for the Faith: Strangers and Exiles.

Contending for the Faith: Strangers and Exiles.: All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confess...

Is Christ Enough?

     Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds' feet, and makes me walk on my high places.
                                  Habakkuk 3:17-19 NASB

     This passage of scripture brings us face to face with a pressing question. If I lost everything, if disaster struck my life, would God be enough?
     It is easy to read these verses, and indeed many of us often do, and think to ourselves that yes, God is enough. We feel that our faith is strong, and that we are satisfied with Him. It is one thing to watch a man push some one in a cart across a tightrope stretched high above a canyon, and believe that he could get us across, but quite another thing to actually get into the cart.
     Are we really content with God alone? Is He enough, is He all? In the hustle and bustle of life, in this age of instant gratification, is Christ enough, or are we clinging tightly to the material things of this earth? Could we say He was enough even if faced with the loss of a loved one? These are hard questions, but Christ must be all, if He is to be enthroned within our hearts.
   

         

Stumbling Blocks.

     But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
     Woe unto the world because of offenses: for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh.
     Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
     And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
     Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
     For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
                                 Matthew 18:6-11 KJV

     This is an often overlooked passage of scripture, but yet upon reading it, one is struck by the seriousness of these words of Jesus. We have a tremendous responsibility toward our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We dare not be careless or negligent in this matter, as we are indeed our brother's keeper.
     In the greater context of this passage, Jesus is teaching His disciples a lesson on humility. In response to their question of who is the greatest in the kingdom, Jesus teaches them that one must be humble, like a child, to be truly great (Matt 18:1-5). 
     The world runs on pride. Decisions are made based upon selfish interests. People in general do not really look out for the concerns and needs of those around them. This goes against what Jesus tells us when He says, "Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones." The Apostle Paul asked "But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set at nought thy brother (Romans 14:10)?" This is the same thing; despising a brother, not caring about his feelings, concerns or needs, in relation to our own.
     What is at issue here is the salvation, and spiritual well being of an individual. We have a solemn responsibility to take care that we do not do something that would cause another to stumble in their faith. The eyes of others are on us, and the things that we say and do, the things that we promote, and the way we live from day to day are noticed by others, and influence them for good, or bad.
     Jesus urges us to take great pains with our lives so that we will not be the cause of stumbling for someone else. He uses the example of cutting off a hand or foot, or gouging out an eye, to show us that we must be radical, going to great extremes to ensure that our lives are above reproach before Him, and also before the world around us. This is a hard teaching for many today. We have our lifestyles to maintain, our "Christian liberty" to enjoy, and do not like the idea of having to look out for a "weaker" brother. Look at the example of Paul however. He would give up eating meat forever, if it would somehow cause another to stumble (1 Cor 8:13).
     There are several passages of scripture that lay out this principle for us. They are as follows,

      Romans 14:1-23

     Romans 15:1-7

     1 Corinthians 8:1-13

     1 Corinthians 10:23-33

     The point is, we as Christians are not to live for ourselves. We are to seek the well being of others. If this means that I might have to give up a little "Christian liberty", for the sake of someone who might not have that same liberty that I have, so be it. A lot of people are easily offended at the idea that a brother or sister might be stumbled by an activity that is seen by another as innocent. Many believe that their actions are between them and God alone, and no one else has the right to say anything about it. This is wrong however, according to what both Jesus, and the Apostle Paul teach in the scriptures. If your liberty leads someone into sin, it is wrong for you to flaunt that liberty around that person.
     One example is that of clothing; what is modest, as opposed to immodest in dress. Many women dress in a way that seems ok to them, but it might be a little too revealing for someone else. Now if it causes someone to wrestle with lustful thoughts, there is a problem. If that brother gives way to the thoughts he wrestles with, he has now sinned.
     The common reaction of many is that of contempt for the man wrestling with his thought life. They might say that they have a right to dress how they like; that it is between them and God, and their conscience does not convict them. They go on to blame the other person for his apparent lack of self control. This is wrong according to what the Bible teaches. If the way someone dresses is leading someone else into temptation or even sin, then that person has the responsibility to dress so as not to offend someone else. It does not matter if the other person is weaker, or lacks self control, or not. The fact is, the actions of one person, are leading to the spiritual downfall of another.
     This principle can be applied to actions and situations of all kinds. We have a God given responsibility to look out for one another. If we determine that our actions might be a cause of offense to another, then whether we feel we are right or not, we must deny self, for the sake of a weaker brother.
     Like I said, this is a hard teaching that many do not like. It involves humility, self denial, giving up things that we may have perfect liberty to be involved in, for the sake of someone who may not share the same convictions that we hold, or who is weaker, or struggles in certain areas of his or her life. We must determine that we will not place a stumbling block, or obstacle in a brother's way (Romans 14:13). This is walking in Christian love.
    
     

     

    
    

Strive to Enter the Narrow Door.

     We seem to have this idea that the Christian life requires little or no effort on our part. It is true on the one hand that salvation is the gift of God, received by faith, and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). But we also have the words of Jesus as recorded in Luke's gospel,

     "Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many will seek to enter and will not be able. Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door saying, 'Lord, open up to us!' then He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know where you are from.' Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets'; and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; DEPART FROM ME ALL YOU EVIL DOERS.' There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth there when you see Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves being cast out. And they will come from east and west, and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last."
                                     Luke 13:24-30 NASB

     The word strive is a strong word that means to gain the mastery of, to agonize in contention for something. To strive is to give an all out effort in the obtaining of a prize. In this instance Christ is telling us that we must make every effort to enter through the narrow door. The four men who brought the paralytic to Jesus were an example to us of what it means to strive, or make an effort. They were not discouraged by the large crowd surrounding Jesus, but instead, dug a hole in the roof of the house where Jesus was teaching, and lowered their friend in front of Christ (Mark 2:2-4).
      We are told that many will try to enter, but will not be able. Elsewhere we read that there will be FEW that enter the narrow gate, and walk the narrow path that leads to life (Matt 7:13).
     The problem that multitudes of professing believers have is their lack of faith, evidenced by their lack of commitment to Christ and His call on their lives. They may desire to live better lives; perhaps to even give up some sinful habits, but their desires do not run deep enough to make a radical break with sin. For many, their profession is based upon an emotional experience with no depth. They may have said a prayer, made a commitment, but they failed to count the cost as Jesus tells us we must do (Luke 14:28). Just like the people in Jesus' day, there are many today who are familiar with Jesus. There are those who are content to believe the historical facts about Christ, but their faith remains in their heads and not their hearts, and their lives are unchanged. It is the same with those who are "Christian" based on the fact they grew up in a Christian home. Others are satisfied with religious forms and rituals. They, like those who ate and drank in the presence of Jesus, and heard Him teaching in the streets, will be shocked on the day they stand before Him and hear "I do not know where you are from." They have missed the new birth, through which we must enter the kingdom of God (John 3:3-7).
     Just as birth is painful and requires great effort to bring a life into the world, so also it is painful, and requires great effort to be spiritually born anew into the kingdom of God. Once again, I am aware that works will never save us, and it is impossible to earn our salvation, or to be able to impress God enough to save us. It is not a case of being able to somehow trust in God, and trust in works, and being able to get to heaven.
     You see, we must be stripped of pride, stripped of self, and this is a painful process and few can endure it, but God is opposed to the proud. Those who are humble, are those who receive grace (James 4:6-10; 1 Peter 5:5). The new birth is a radical change. We come just as we are, but we will never enter the kingdom just as we are. We come to surrender, to lay down our sinful lives, and be changed by the washing of rebirth, and the renewal of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4-7). This surrender, this laying down of our lives is repentance, a complete change of mind and action. It is a turning from ourselves to God. It involves giving up our sin. It is painful to see ourselves as God sees us, but once we do we will turn from our selfish desires and actions and give ourselves to follow Christ.
     Jesus calls us to follow Him, and to follow Him requires that we deny ourselves, take up our cross; that we renounce all we have, that we completely lose our lives for Him (John 12:25-26; Mark 8:34-35; Luke 14:27-33). To follow Jesus requires that we obey Him (Luke 6:46; John 14:21, 15:14). Our obedience does not save us. If we are following Jesus from a motive of self preservation, we have failed to lose our life for Him. We are still in control of our life, and have failed to enter in through the narrow door. The door is indeed narrow, and one must squeeze through it painfully. We must follow Him for His sake, and love Him for His sake. It is not about what He can do for us, but about losing our lives for Him.
     It is a narrow gate and an equally narrow road that leads to life, with few on it, while the broad path to destruction is filled with souls (Matt 7:13-14). The cost is high, and few are truly willing to pay it.

True Greatness.

     Jesus teaches us a lesson on true greatness in Matthew 18:1-10. Our human nature craves attention. In the flesh, we desire the praises of man. We often esteem ourselves more important than we ought, and in the process, we neglect those around us. This is how the world system runs. It is all about self. Everything is geared towards building up me and my little kingdom.
     Jesus tells us that if we would be truly great in His kingdom, we must humble ourselves as a little child (Matt 18:3-4). On another occasion, parents were bringing their children to Jesus so that He could bless them. The disciples were indignant, and rebuked them (Luke 18:15-18). The disciples no doubt, thought that Jesus had more important things to do, than to be bothered by little children. In their mindset children were insignificant. They had big things to do, important things, and could not waste time on something that they saw as insignificant.
     That is how it is in the adult world today as well. We tend to get busy, wrapped up in our pursuits, at the expense of those we consider insignificant.
     Jesus is telling us that if we would be truly great, we must become insignificant ourselves! We must become small in our own eyes. Just as the disciples despised the little ones coming to Jesus, we too must be willing to be despised by the world. It is not about us, our desires, our agendas, or our craving for attention and praise. Pride has got to go.
     James tells us that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the Humble (James 4:5-10). He tells us that we must submit ourselves to God, humbling ourselves in His presence. Peter also tells us to submit to each other in humility, casting all of our care upon Him, because God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5-7). It takes humility to get along with each other. Where we fail is when we demand our way, and our rights. This is a huge reason why we see so much division, and so little power in many Churches today. 
     Paul exhorts us to empty ourselves of pride and selfish ambition. Instead, we are to put others first. We are called to look out for each other, meeting the needs of one another, instead of living merely for ourselves. We have the example of Jesus who emptied Himself for us, taking on humanity, being obedient to death (Philippians 2:2-8). We are called to unity as brothers and sisters in Christ. We share a common bond as those who worship the living God. We have a common goal in advancing the kingdom of God. Let us lay aside all pride and selfish ambition, and truly love one another through the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:2-3; Col 3:14). It is when we are walking in brotherly love in all humility, that we will see the presence and power of God at work in and work through us.

The Death of Self.

     "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies it bears much fruit.
     "He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.
     "If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him."
                                     John 12:24-26 NASB

     There can be no spiritual power, no true usefulness to God, except that we die to ourselves. The world is full of busy religious people all doing things for God and His kingdom, but we see so little power, so little results, so little of the presence of God in our activities.
     Jesus tells us that a seed will not bear fruit unless it is dead and buried. We also will not bear fruit unless we are dead and buried spiritually speaking.
     He puts His finger on the problem. It is the love of life that keeps us useless for His glory. Multitudes of professing believers are caught up in the everyday pursuit of life and happiness. We live for the temporal needs of this life. We are concerned for food and clothing, and put God's kingdom in the back part of our minds. This is the exact opposite of what Jesus calls us to do (Matt 6:25-34).
     You see, Jesus calls us to hate our lives in this world. He is telling us that our plans, our agendas, our pleasures and desires, must go. It is not about us at all. As long as we retain self in any form, we cannot truly follow Him. We cannot serve two masters (Matt 6:24).
     Too many professed Christians are running around with self in control of their lives. To be sure, many of them live moral, upright lives. They have put away sins of every kind, but they, like the rich young ruler, still have an idol in their hearts (Luke 18:18-24). It is this idea of happiness, the "American dream." We seem to want to be comfortable, to retain at least some control of our lives and circumstances, to have our needs fully met, and have some pleasure as well. We seek higher education, find fulfillment in sports and entertainment, go to Church and get involved with the many programs and activities that are promoted there, but it is all for us, and about us!
     Paul said that he gloried in the cross of Christ, through which the world was crucified to him, and he to the world (Galatians 6:14). We all believe that Jesus was crucified on the cross for us, but have we been placed on the cross as well? We might not teach this today, but it is biblical nonetheless. Paul states that He has been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer Paul in charge, but the life of Christ is now lived out by faith (Galatians 2:20). In the Epistle to the Romans, Paul states that as believers we have been crucified with Christ so that our sinful nature would be destroyed. We find freedom from sin through the cross (Romans 6:6).
     The point is that dead men have no plans, no purposes, no agendas, nothing. Once nailed to that cross, it is all over. You cannot get down to go to your job, you cannot get down to go home to your families, hobbies, vacations, entertainments, or anything else. Even our plans and desires as relating to Christian service must be forsaken for God, and His higher plans for us. It is over, and this is where God calls us to be. Jesus tells us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him (Mark 8:34-35). We are no longer our own. This is the call to surrender all, to completely and forever renounce all we have and are, and follow Christ fully. No more self, but Christ is all.
     This is where we are filled with power and purpose. We have to get rid of self, so that We can be filled with Him. If you had murky water in a container that was unfit to drink, wouldn't you first pour it out before you filled it with fresh clean water? Likewise, God wants us out of the way so to speak, so that He might live through us in power.
     Now it can be all about Him. It is no longer our will, but His. It is no longer our plans and purposes that we live for, but His. We are no longer struggling within the confines of our limited strength, but operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. Just as a seed falls into the ground and grows into a fruit bearing plant, now we too can bear fruit for God.
     Fear keeps us back. We worry about not being in control, but is not God far wiser than we are in making decisions? We worry about food and clothing, but will He not take care of us (Matt 6:33)? God has our highest good in mind. He will not leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6). God has a higher call upon your life than you might realize. Will you not yield to His call today?