I have been considering this whole "Blog thing" quite a bit lately. I have been reading all different blogs and their comments for a few years now. It seems to me that there is more sin involved in what is going on than anything. Maybe one starts a blog with noble and true intentions but they seem to drift in the wrong direction.
I read the "discernment" blogs and I read the "Emergent" blogs. Seems to me there is more opinion than truth on any of them. The pride of life is a dangerous thing. I live in the real world and the blog-o-shere is not where it is at. Yet many escape to it. In the real world, we see the people with their little fishes on their cars, or the "faithful" church goer that when you deal with them their rudeness and treatment of others betrays their true heart. We are failing miserably in almost all things. Profession is useless unless there is action. I fear that many many people in "Christiandom" will be horrified when they stand before the Lord only to hear "Depart from Me, I never knew you!"
Is the narrow gate the way "all" the people who believe in God are going? Is the broad way the way the unbelievers only are going? I think not. I believe the Lord was pointing out that the two gates are the ways of professors and true believers. If my pride causes me to say one thing in the midst of believers and act in a way contrary to what I've said when in private or out in the world I am deceiving myself, and I may cause a brother to stumble. I can't have it both ways, pursue the riches and pleasures of the world, and keep up with the Jones'. I see Christians who are rude, caring not about people but making sure they are not taken advantage of in their shopping or dealing in the market place. Never engaging a person or greeting them in a joyful way. We are such a blessed people but are the things we have truly a blessing? Does not the Scriptures equate the rich man to a man that cannot enter the kingdom of God without much struggle? We are rich, even the poor among us are rich in the eyes of the world. We lack many things when an honest evaluation is done.
James 1:1-27 is a most sobering and humbling appraisal of who most of us truly are. "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."
Our faith is a mess, so many methods, ways, books, and what not. All claiming to have the answers. You have those who claim we cannot know with certainty much of anything. How hopeless that sounds! Are we to think that the Creator of all things who has revealed Himself in Scripture, is unable to be understood by the very people He created for His own glory and purposes? I see the problem as being we have a low view of God and a high view of ourselves! We seem to think we can approach God in a manner that fits our inflated view of ourselves. But as always, to die to self and live for God is the hardest thing we face, the cost is too high. We want our sin and salvation too.
I want to keep it simple, take the Scripture at face value. Understand that if I question that Scripture I am in fact questioning God Himself. No I will not understand all things that the Scriptures declare. (as in election/freewill) The Scriptures declare both from my reading of it, how can I reconcile this in my mind? I can't, but I'll believe God because His ways are higher than my ways. I will not approach God on my terms but on His terms. I will not think that I can worship Him in any manner that I think He will accept, Cain thought he could and he did not repent when God gave him opportunity.
Genesis 4:3-7 "And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him."
God gave Cain the opportunity to do right, yet he chose to continue in his pride.
Hebrews 10:23-39 "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul."
Hebrews 12:29 says; "For our God is a consuming fire." Do we believe this?
Liberty comes with great responsibility and self-control. Abuse of liberty will cause it to fail. Liberty is having all choices before us and only choosing those things which are good and right.
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