Perhaps you have heard the expression "It's my way or the highway!" I have but usually in a negative connotation, e.g., "that pastor (or preacher) always wants it his (or her) way, with them it's my way or the highway." Maybe and maybe not. A lot of preachers say a lot of things. Some are right, some are OK, some are just flat wrong. One thing that is never wrong, God's word is never wrong. It is always right! I am made again to think of that chorus we have sung, "The Word of God is Right..." It goes something like this;
The word of God is right hallelujah to the Lamb,
The word of God is right hallelujah to the Lamb,
The word of God is right hallelujah to the Lamb,
Hallelujah to the Lamb.
It makes me walk upright hallelujah to the Lamb,
It makes me walk upright hallelujah to the Lamb,
It makes me walk upright hallelujah to the Lamb,
Hallelujah to the Lamb.
Sounds simple doesn't it. The Bible says in Psalm 33:4 "For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth." You should the entire Psalm to get the context. The Bible also says in Isaiah 35:8, "And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein." Oh yes, God's ways are always best.
Another verse of scripture found in Psalm 25:4 says, "Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths." This passage reminds me of another old chorus;
Shew me thy ways, O LORD,
Shew me thy ways, O LORD,
Let me love when I'm hated, spread joy unabated,
Shew me thy ways, O LORD.
That is my everyday prayer, Lord Jesus let me live in such a way that you are pleased with me. Neither you nor I are able to direct our own steps. (See Jeremiah 19:23) We need God to give us direction for our lives. But how do we know when we are walking in the right path?
The Bible says in Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." (See also Proverbs 16:25) Even though the way we choose to go may seem right, the end of that way always leads to death. Only God's ways are right. what are God's ways? Where do we find them? The Lord Jesus said in John 17:17, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." The Lord was of course praying that great prayer for His apostles and disciples. But in verse 20 the Lord went on and said, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word..." Jesus apparently had you and I in mind when He prayed that prayer. You ought to read the whole prayer to get its full sense.
So Jesus said the Word of God is truth. He wasn't speaking of the words of Buddha, or of Mohammed, or of Krishna, etc. He was talking about the word that was delivered to His people, the Jews. The Bible says in 2nd Peter 1:21, "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." The Bible says that Peter, James and John accompanied the Lord Jesus to the Mount of Transfiguration where they beheld His glory and heard the voice of God speak. (See Matthew 17:1-7, Mark 9:2-8 and Luke 9:28-36) What a marvelous experience that must have been and yet in 2nd Peter 1:19-20 the Apostle Peter in referring to that experience said, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation." A more sure word than their experience? Yes, the word of God.
Let me tell you what God's word says about salvation. After Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost that wonderful first Christian message, the Jews who were his hearers and were convicted of the truth asked, "... Peter and... the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation." (See Acts 2:37-40) The Bible plan of salvation is briefly summed up in Apostle Peter's response. In Acts 4:12 Peter told the Jewish council regarding the healing of the lame man and the name of Jesus Christ, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
In essence no matter how good you may be (or how bad) if you aren't baptized in Jesus name you will be lost! And that is truly a tragedy. It makes no difference whether you call yourself a Catholic, a Baptist, a Pentecostal, an independent, etc. It makes no difference whether you have accepted the Lord as your Saviour or been baptized in the titles Father Son and Holy Ghost, etc., you will be lost to spend eternity in a devil's hell, where Jesus said in Mark 9:43-48, "... if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." The Lord Jesus said that!
You might say that's hard! I say that's Bible! Oh friend of mine, if you have never repented of your sins and been baptized in the wonderful and only saving name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and received the promised gift of God's Holy Spirit evidenced by speaking in another language, I urge you to obey the gospel, obey the Acts 2:38 message today. Don't put it off. Don't begin to believe that God will make an exception in your case or in the case of your loved ones, He won't. "God is love" and He loves you. (See 1st John 4:16 and John 3:16) He is not willing that you perish but that you repent. (See 2nd Peter 3:9) Heaven and earth will pass away before His word passes away. (See Matthew 24:13, Mark 13:31 and Luke 21.33)
No comments:
Post a Comment