Forsaking All

Luke 18: 15-30
Have you noticed how willingly children accept things of God. From a very young age, my son was always doing things to please God. At four years old, we overheard him tell his friend, “Aren’t you happy that God loves us?” Children are accepting of information without having to ask questions; it’s in their nature to trust.. Jesus wants our hearts to be just as willing to accept His gift of eternal life.
In contrast, the rich ruler asked questions and tried to rationalize his lifestyle. How can one be save? What else must I do? Isn’t there any other way? Instead of being accepting, he had been focusing on his ability to obey God’s commandments and not of the life changing power that happens when God is in control. He had asked what he could do to inherit eternal life.
We all know that God has already performed what needs to be done. All sin has to be covered with a sacrifice and Jesus was that sacrifice. Jesus took the opportunity to reminded his disciples that the only way to be saved is a supernatural way prepared by God and that salvation was by no means anything that a human could do. Man’s role is to accept God’s unconditional love and gift just as a child would.
Perhaps you are concerned that you will have to make a sacrifice. You are worried that following Christ may cause you to lose your friends, family, lifestyle, career. But it’s exactly what Jesus means by forsaking all to follow him. The choice to follow Christ is not for the faint of heart. It is full of the adventure of personal courage, faith, and sacrifice. Jesus addresses the difficulty of sacrifice to his disciples by encouraging them; “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”
Children are accepting, trusting, and vulnerable. This open trust is what helps people believe in a God that loves them and has a plan for their lives. Accept God’s gift to you, trust that believing in Jesus Christ will cover yours sins, and be vulnerable to the healing and forgiveness repentance brings. The sacrifice is something that God has already done, there’s nothing else to do. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

Invitation please

Luke 13: 22-35

One of those listening to Jesus as he went about preaching asked Jesus if indeed going to be only a few saved. Jesus confirmed this with an excellent example of those trying to enter a house if it were already closed.

This story makes and excellent evangelical tool as it touches on people’s desire to be included in something important. I would say spending eternity with God as that all important membership which one should belong. This person probably asked to be sure of what it takes to be include, or maybe they were concerned about their own eternal security.

Many people who are turned away from Heaven will try to negotiate their way in. Those to whom Jesus referred said “We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and though has taught in our street.” Signifying that they had associated with Jesus, but never accepted him as their savior. It is entirely to believe that Jesus lived, but not acknowledge him as the son of God. Many people will learn the difference too late. Some more modern examples of what people might say to Jesus include:
“Jesus, I know who you are, do you remember me?”
“Jesus, I heard about you in Church once and I gave some money to the poor”
“I’ve never done anything bad in my life.”
None of those statements makes a difference. The only thing certain to let you in the gates is declaring Jesus as your savior. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the father except through me”. There is no other way into heave.

I remember once in my youth my friends and I were playing a dangerous gang. After one of my friends got into a fight, we all decided that was a cool thing to do. We invited a rival neighborhood to a fight in a remote location. Everyone showed up on time and as we walked from one end of the field to the other I began to recognized some familiar faces…football players, popular students and other influential people in our school. I just looked at my friends and said, “we’re dead”.

They were there to fight and I was like, “hey, aren’t you in my sister’s class?” “I’ve seen you around school,” and other distracting sayings to get their minds off the task of beating me down.

Though I tried to develop some kind of relationship, it did not work. I had shown up to fight, putting all other friendship opportunities aside. Just like those in Jesus’ story, my feeble attempts at friendship was a last ditch effort to save myself some pain. Though we never ended up fighting, they saw right through me.

It’s not enough to hear about Jesus, do good deeds or attend church. Christ is looking for a restoration. He wants to be reconciled with humanity. Many people will try to get to heaven, but only a few who belong to Jesus will make it.

If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your savior, please do so while you can.