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October, 2007 Lessons to Convert Know And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32 TheI am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 Truth In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. John 1:4
This Month's Theme: Paths of Life and Death
As we can read, within the entire body of the scriptures, God has articulated to man his capacity to choose a path or way in this life. As far back as the beginning, God proclaimed that there were expectations and the choice to follow them. Obey My commands and live, disobey my commands and die. This first became evident in the Garden of God ( Genesis 2-3 ). God gave Adam and Eve a specific command and a specific punishment; if he chose not to obey it! The result was that the first people made the wrong choice, they went down the wrong path , and subsequently death came to all men. Additionally, this produced a need in men; to be reconciled to the right path , a path that brings life back within our grasp, a path that brings us back to God. We find this concept advanced in the giving of the Law of Moses, in the book of Deuteronomy . Moses' upper desert discourse; a book that consists of a series of farewell messages to the children of Israel, to those who had survived the forty years of wandering and would be the beneficiaries of a second given of the Law. Moses is going to describe a choice these Israelites and subsequently all the generations to follow would have concerning life and death (a choice of paths , two clear alternatives, and two clear directions), note: Deuteronomy 30:11-15 "For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' 14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. 15 "See, I have set before you today life and good , death and evil , Again, we would see this concept of paths to choose advanced, when Jesus came and taught the lost sheep of Israel and expected them to repent to the Old Law in preparation for the coming kingdom, note: Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. In this passage, as part of the Sermon on the Mount; Jesus is giving a three chapter discourse on the need to return to God. If they cannot practice what God has given without deviation, how would they accept the righteousness of the kingdom without apostasy? He says, enter , and so describes that they must make a choice. The terms, gate and way are used figuratively, as there isn't a literal gate or path. However, just as Moses did, the Lord describes two different and clear alternatives that require a choice. Note: It is the universal practice of men to follow the course of least resistance and effort, especially in life. This is the recognition of the Lord, and its destination is destruction. However, the path of greatest difficulty, that which requires man to forsake his comfort zones is described by the Lord as the correct choice. The Lord would illustrate that few would find it because of the difficulty. Yet, it is also described within the teachings of the New Testament, that the difficulty is also the sign that you are on the right path (see: Hebrews 5:8-9 ; I Peter 2: 21 ). What We Know: The term, path or way describes a direction of choice, a course of conduct, or way of thinking that controls the course of life (righteousness with God, or unrighteousness).
To this point it is my hope that we have come to an understanding that we have two distinct choices in life. Our time here on earth has been given for us to find the right way , and follow it. The Lord has already described for us that the right way is difficult, so let's take a look to see if this difficult way is within our grasp! John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Just before His betrayal, the Lord would tell His chosen that He was God's great plan to reconcile man to the Father (the eleven at this point, as Judas has gone out to betray Him), and no one would come to God apart from Him. Shortly after His death, burial, and resurrection, he would appear again to His chosen and give them departing instruction on what they would tell the world concerning the great plan of God for the reconciliation of man, note: Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Mark 16:15-16 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. Luke 24:47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem . Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem , and in all Judea and Samaria , and to the end of the earth." This great commission, to preach Jesus as the Way to the entire world, started as it was described, in Jerusalem (on the day of Pentecost Acts 2 ), and went out to the world from there. As was described by the Lord, many would heed this message of redemption and find the path God set before them, yet, always the minority and never the majority. However, it wouldn't be long until those who became Christians ( Acts 11:26 those who pertain to Christ), would be referred to as those of the Way ( Acts 9:2 ; 19:9 ; 23 ; 22:4 ; 24:22 ), and those who instructed and taught the Gospel of Christ would speak of it as the way ( Acts 16:17 ; 18:26 ). What We Know: Since God made Christ the Way to salvation, He is simply the path that must be chosen for life. The first disciples clearly recognized this and were added to the Lord's body, the church ( Acts 2:38 -47 ). As they continued in the doctrine of Christ, as delivered and taught by the Apostles, persecutions came (the difficulties promised), yet they considered themselves fortunate to suffer for the name of Christ ( Acts 5:41 -42 staying on the path of life!). We access the path of life in the exact same way as these first disciples did. We hear the word preached and believe that we are on the wrong path and that Jesus the Christ is the right way . We must repent (leave the path of death, sin, and the world), and be baptized into Christ for the remission of sins (the access to God through Christ), note: Galatians 3:26-27 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ . Remaining on this narrow way , then becomes the exclusive purpose of each and every entrant to the path of life, note: 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord .
Wide, varied, and easily accessed is the path of death! No One Comes To The Father, Except Through Christ !
We invite you to worship with us: Sunday Morning Bible Study 10 A.M. (Classes for all ages) Sunday Morning Worship 10:50 A.M. (Communion, Prayer, Singing, and a Sermon) Sunday Evening Worship 5 P.M. (Singing, Prayer, and another practical lesson) Wednesday Evening Service 7 P.M. (Singing, Prayer, and Bible Classes) Visit our web site at: plvcc.org
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