LEARNING DAILY

Isaiah 55:8, “For My thoughts are not your thought, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.

The Lord Jesus Christ saves a person when he confesses his sins, asks Him to forgive and save him; the person then begins to walk a narrow way where God begins to change him to walk into His eternal kingdom. The walk on the narrow way is one where the Lord Jesus tells the person that he must “deny themselves, take up his cross, and follow Him in order to come after Him” (Matthew 16:24). The Believer is told that everything important to him must take a backseat to following Jesus. Isaiah’s words above must be considered.

Consider this for a moment. When one is saved and walks on a narrow way, he is to live according to the principles set forth in God’s Word. But, the training and experiences of the individual have been according to the old self, the person before one met Jesus Christ. The problem comes when the new Believer tries to walk in his new life with Christ in the old earthly ways he once followed. God’s ways are not the ways of the “old person”! It is not difficult to understand why so many Believers try to hang on to their “stuff” and position in life.

This walk on the narrow way causes Believers to live their life on earth according to heavenly principles; understand that this way of life is contrary to the way the world wants them to live. Part of this demands that Believers remember that God is eternal and that we are created in His image; stop trying to create God to fit our image. Because of who He is, He knows every detail of a Believer’s life and knows what is best in order to make him ready to walk into His eternal kingdom. As a believer, you do not need to hang on to anything; stop trying to build treasure on earth! Do all you do to build treasure in heaven.

As a Believer walks the narrow way to heaven, obedience is really the key! Do the best you can with what you know the Bible instructs you to do! I believe that obedience to doing what the Bible tells us to do is a forgotten topic in the church today. Are you having difficulty with obedience? Have you asked God to help you become obedient to His Word? Don’t you think He wants to give you more blessing than you can handle if you ask Him to help you be obedient to His Word?

Walking on the narrow way is one of faith and obedience. Let me suggest some things. If there is sin in your life, confess it and stop it immediately. Stop following what the world says is okay; I do not need to tell you what things are included here. Get right with anyone you have offended and forgive those who might have offended you. How are you using the money God has given you? Do you help others you see in need (not just with money, by the way)? Are you looking to Him for wisdom or are you looking for the wisdom of the world to be your guide?

James writes in his letter that “faith without works is dead faith”. As the Believer becomes more like Christ from walking the narrow way, their obedience is shown by what he/she does. This is not salvation based on works. It is doing out of obedience and the desire to be like Jesus as He walked on this earth; it is being His hands and feet in order for His light to shine through us!

I wonder if another reason for few finding the way to life on the narrow way is because of the lack of obedience, because one insists on his own way instead of following God’s!