For or Against

December 9, 2020

He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad (Matthew 12:30).

In American politics the cardinal doctrine of success is compromise. It is “an agreement or a settlement of a dispute that is reached by each side making concessions; an ability to listen to two sides in a dispute, and devise a compromise acceptable to both” (Webster’s Dictionary). Compromise may work in American politics, but it does not work in the Kingdom of God.

“Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts . . . (C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters). “Oh, this was the great ploy of Satan in that kingdom of his: to display such blatant evil one could almost believe one’s own secret sin didn’t matter” (Corrie Ten Boom, The Hiding Place: The Triumphant True Story of Corrie Ten Boom).

In closing out His argument against the Pharisees who accused Jesus of being in league with Satan for healing a demoniac, Jesus clearly and unequivocally revealed the key that unlocks the door to the Kingdom of Heaven. He states the principle that there are only two groups in the universe insofar as God is concerned - those who believe in and receive Jesus Christ as Messiah, and those who don’t.

This ought not to be a shocker to anyone familiar with Scripture. Since before the Garden of Eden there has been only two choices given to those beings created in God’s image insofar as morality is concerned - good or evil, godliness or ungodliness, holiness or wickedness, righteousness or unrighteousness, faith or unbelief, truth or a lie, obedience or disobedience, etc. And, there are only two eternal destinations given to these same beings - heaven or hell. It’s that simple. There is no middle ground, no straddling the fence, no middle of the road. A person is either a disciple of Jesus Christ or he/she is not.

Those who do not follow Jesus and serve in His Kingdom stand against Him. They don’t have to be vehement or violent in their opposition, they just have to be non-committal toward Him; to be neutral concerning Jesus Christ is to stand opposed to Jesus Christ. To ‘take Him or leave Him’ is to leave Him. There is no compromising Jesus Christ with self, the world, sin, the devil, etc.

“Father, You have made it clear in Scripture that there are only two gates, two roads, and two destinations given to us in this life - the broad gate and the narrow gate, the broad way and the narrow way, eternal life and eternal death. Thank You that faith in Jesus Christ is that narrow gate and that discipleship is the narrow way that leads to eternal life. Thank You that the choice is clear and simple and available to all who believe in and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. To His honor and glory I pray, Amen.”

Pastor

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