And that which fell among thorns are they, which when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. (Luke 8:14-15)
They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods... (2 Kings 17:33)
Then said one unto Him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And He said unto them, Strive to enter into the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. (Luke 12:24)
The scripture in 2 Kings above describes a people who agreed to obey God (for fear of judgment from Him if they didn't) and yet continued to build their own gods and to serve them at the same time as they considered themselves "safe" with God.
That also seems indicative of religious life here in America, and perhaps in many other countries, where people feel "safe" because they go to church, or call themselves Christian, mentioning the name of Jesus only whenever politically correct to do so (such as in church); and yet still continue to prioritize their lives in such a way, that God takes up only a minimal part of each day (or of every other day, or of only one day a week), serving other desires instead, but certainly not what we want to call "gods". Yet God's Word does call them "gods" when they outweigh His presence and influence in our lives.
The scripture in the 12th chapter of Luke above indicates that only a remnant will be saved, out of the multitude that think that they are saved. This is a scary thought. And I think this might have been the scripture in Paul's mind when he instructed the Philippian church to:
Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12)
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation. (Philippians 2:15)
Paul goes on to say:
For I have no man like-minded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things that are Jesus Christ's. (Philippians 2:21)
It seems the problems of 2 Kings (Luke chapter 8 passage above) were being experienced in the early church....as they are even today.
But we cannot omit the passage in Philippians in which Paul reminds them of the source of their obedience:
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus....He humbled Himself and became obedient unto, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:8)
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. (Phillipians 2:13)
The problem is that we take that last passage to mean that there is nothing for us to do, that God takes care of it all and we are to sit by like bumps on a log, ignoring that Paul just said "Work it out." We ignore that Jesus is all about obedience, as we should be also. Jesus is not just a good feeling. He must produce obedience in us, or what we have is not Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is God in us "working" the will and the obedience (the doing of God's good pleasure) in us. But we are flesh AND spirit. We can want to do many things, yet accomplish little, if our flesh is in control rather than the Spirit of the Lord.
And if we take lightly, because of the doctrine of grace, the "endurance" that is necessary to remain in obedience to the will of God, then we place ourselves at great risk of damnation instead of salvation. Jesus is clear on this...few enter in.
All because we allow the flesh to have its way, deceiving us into death. Grace is not given to us by Jesus so that we can become spiritual wimps and weaklings. Grace is given to us to enable us to be strong, and endure, and remain obedient to the commandment of God.
Thou, therefore my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strives for masteries, yet he is not crowned, except he strive lawfully. (2 Timothy 2:1-5)
How entangled with the affairs of this fleeting life are we?
How much are we striving to be lawful (obedient to the commandment of God)?
How much hardness (affliction, discipline, not persecution) are we enduring for the cause of Jesus Christ?
Do you see "many" around you who are seeking the things of Jesus MORE THAN they are seeking the things of their own desire in this age of technology? Can you look around in your own social circle and find some? If you can, out of all the number of people that you know, what is the number of those who seek ONLY Jesus and NOT the things of this world? Or even those who seek MORE of Jesus than the things of this world, as indicated by what their time is spent on and their money is spent on and their efforts are spent on?
Are there many, or are there few? And which group do you fall into: the many or the few?
If you are one of the many, it is not too late to change your focus from things of the world to things of Jesus Christ, making Him your priority in ALL things. The word of the Lord to the people who tried to serve Him and other gods at the same time is still the same word that He speaks to us today through Jesus, through His Word:
Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols.. (Ezekiel 14:6)
Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 3:2)
And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. (Acts 17:30)
But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. (Acts 26:20)
They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods... (2 Kings 17:33)
Then said one unto Him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And He said unto them, Strive to enter into the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. (Luke 12:24)
The scripture in 2 Kings above describes a people who agreed to obey God (for fear of judgment from Him if they didn't) and yet continued to build their own gods and to serve them at the same time as they considered themselves "safe" with God.
That also seems indicative of religious life here in America, and perhaps in many other countries, where people feel "safe" because they go to church, or call themselves Christian, mentioning the name of Jesus only whenever politically correct to do so (such as in church); and yet still continue to prioritize their lives in such a way, that God takes up only a minimal part of each day (or of every other day, or of only one day a week), serving other desires instead, but certainly not what we want to call "gods". Yet God's Word does call them "gods" when they outweigh His presence and influence in our lives.
The scripture in the 12th chapter of Luke above indicates that only a remnant will be saved, out of the multitude that think that they are saved. This is a scary thought. And I think this might have been the scripture in Paul's mind when he instructed the Philippian church to:
Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12)
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation. (Philippians 2:15)
Paul goes on to say:
For I have no man like-minded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things that are Jesus Christ's. (Philippians 2:21)
It seems the problems of 2 Kings (Luke chapter 8 passage above) were being experienced in the early church....as they are even today.
But we cannot omit the passage in Philippians in which Paul reminds them of the source of their obedience:
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus....He humbled Himself and became obedient unto, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:8)
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. (Phillipians 2:13)
The problem is that we take that last passage to mean that there is nothing for us to do, that God takes care of it all and we are to sit by like bumps on a log, ignoring that Paul just said "Work it out." We ignore that Jesus is all about obedience, as we should be also. Jesus is not just a good feeling. He must produce obedience in us, or what we have is not Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is God in us "working" the will and the obedience (the doing of God's good pleasure) in us. But we are flesh AND spirit. We can want to do many things, yet accomplish little, if our flesh is in control rather than the Spirit of the Lord.
And if we take lightly, because of the doctrine of grace, the "endurance" that is necessary to remain in obedience to the will of God, then we place ourselves at great risk of damnation instead of salvation. Jesus is clear on this...few enter in.
All because we allow the flesh to have its way, deceiving us into death. Grace is not given to us by Jesus so that we can become spiritual wimps and weaklings. Grace is given to us to enable us to be strong, and endure, and remain obedient to the commandment of God.
Thou, therefore my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strives for masteries, yet he is not crowned, except he strive lawfully. (2 Timothy 2:1-5)
How entangled with the affairs of this fleeting life are we?
How much are we striving to be lawful (obedient to the commandment of God)?
How much hardness (affliction, discipline, not persecution) are we enduring for the cause of Jesus Christ?
Do you see "many" around you who are seeking the things of Jesus MORE THAN they are seeking the things of their own desire in this age of technology? Can you look around in your own social circle and find some? If you can, out of all the number of people that you know, what is the number of those who seek ONLY Jesus and NOT the things of this world? Or even those who seek MORE of Jesus than the things of this world, as indicated by what their time is spent on and their money is spent on and their efforts are spent on?
Are there many, or are there few? And which group do you fall into: the many or the few?
If you are one of the many, it is not too late to change your focus from things of the world to things of Jesus Christ, making Him your priority in ALL things. The word of the Lord to the people who tried to serve Him and other gods at the same time is still the same word that He speaks to us today through Jesus, through His Word:
Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols.. (Ezekiel 14:6)
Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 3:2)
And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. (Acts 17:30)
But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. (Acts 26:20)
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