Pastor Kyle continues: Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and there is no Plan “B”. Because of sin, the default for all mankind is Hell. Everybody wants a wide and easy path to victory, but the thing is that this has never been God’s way. Jesus said that God’s way that leads to life is narrow and hard. There is only One Way to Heaven and that is through the Narrow Gate. John 3:35-36 tells us the truth that, “The Father loves the Son and has given and entrusted all things into His hand. He who believes and trusts in the Son and accepts Him [as Savior] has eternal life [that is, already possesses it]; but he who does not believe the Son and chooses to reject Him, [disobeying Him and denying Him as Savior] will not see [eternal] life, but [instead] the wrath of God hangs over him continually.” God provided the Narrow Gate of salvation in His Son as Savior.
Ephesians 2:4-8 confers, “But God, being [so very] rich in mercy, because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us, even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment). And He raised us up together with Him [when we believed], and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, [because we are] in Christ Jesus, [and He did this] so that in the ages to come He might [clearly] show the immeasurable and unsurpassed riches of His grace in [His] kindness toward us in Christ Jesus [by providing for our redemption]. For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God.” So, if you want a shortcut, it will not lead to victory in the end.
Disqualification can happen by disorderly conduct on or off the field. The thing about being a Christian, the moment we become a Christian, we are never off the field. The moment that we realize that God loves us and has a plan for our lives, we are accountable to God for every thought, word said, decision made, or action done in our lives. Whatever is done in Vegas is seen and known in the eyes of the Lord. Disorderly conduct can take a Christian out of the game. Every sin requires remorse and repentance to be forgiven on the Cross, atoned for by Christ. Either Christ pays the price for them or we, the disqualified and condemned do. Grace is a gift of God, but must be accepted, taken, received, opened and used daily. You are must be a contender for the faith, and not a pretender of the faith. 1 Samuel 16:7 The Lord said to Samuel, “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Numbers 32:23 “Be sure your sin will find you out.”
The Gospel has always been and will always been advanced by fallen people (because all have sinned) who do have sinful thoughts, words and deeds of the flesh desires of their heart (Galatians 5:17, Romans 7:15-20). Sin is any action, feeling, or thought that goes against God’s standards. It includes willfully breaking God’s laws by doing what is wrong, or unrighteous in God’s sight. There are consequences to our sins. Hebrews 9:22 states, “In fact under the Law almost everything is cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness [neither release from sin and its guilt, nor cancellation of the merited punishment].” For this reason, Jesus died for us, so won’t we die to sin and live for Christ? Mark 1:15 “The time promised by God has come at last!” Jesus announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”
Jesus said to all in Luke 5:32 “I have not come to call righteous people, but sinners, to repentance.” There is no “cheap grace.” Martyred German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote that “Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the Cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. But, Costly grace is the Gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it costs God the life of His Son.
The Apostle Peter said in Acts 3:19 “Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.” And in Acts 17:30 the Apostle Paul declared, “Now God commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him.” Then continues in Acts 26:20 “First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.” We know that 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
The Apostle Paul concludes, “I discipline my body [plus mind, will and emotions] and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” The Lord Jesus stated in Luke 9:23, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” That is the true Marathon that we are in, and we are in it to win it.
In Christ, Brian
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