Stratford church of Christ Column
Many of the fundamental teachings of Jesus have seemed incredible to the unconverted world. For example, Jesus taught the following words in Matthew 16:24-26. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
By this statement and many others like it, Jesus taught that if you are looking for personal fulfillment that will last forever, it will not be found in a self-centered approach to life. Finding real personal fulfillment that will satisfy forever can only be found with an obedient, servant’s heart.
Giving ourselves in obedience to God’s word (Acts 2:38), and serving Him faithfully everyday (Mark 13:13), will not only give us the greatest fulfillment for our lives, but it gives us hope of eternal life as well (Revelation 2:10).
But in America, our current “me” society may have a difficult time understanding this spiritual concept. With all of our affluence and freedoms to enjoy, society’s main concern often seems geared toward self-indulgence.
“Have life your way” seems to be the attitude of the majority. Combine this attitude with so much moral permissiveness being taught (even to the very young), and quickly we find the moral values of the nation looking in the wrong direction.
You may have noticed that many today have become more afraid of “what might offend some person” than they are with “what will offend God.” Not all of our laws are currently being made by our elected officials and Supreme Court system by looking to the Bible for guidance.
Yes, I do realize that we live in a free nation, in which each individual has the freedom of choice. Indeed, all are free to choose how they will live their life on this earth. But please don’t forget that every human being will face the Lord one day, in the Day of Judgment.
2 Corinthians 5:10-11 says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.” Hebrews 9:27 says that “it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”
Romans 14:10-12 also reminds us of this appointment with the Lord. “For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: ‘As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.”
The last book of the New Testament also describes the events of that last day. “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books” (Revelation 20:12).
Jesus told us by what authority each of us will be judged in the last day. “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). These verses teach us that because we are all free agents of choice, it would be wise to choose obedience to God. Life is not about me! Life is all about obeying the Lord so that we will be able to meet Him in the Day of Judgment with joy, and not with fear.
The apostle Paul stands as a very good example of someone who changed his entire life by obeying Christ, as he was baptized for the remission of his sins. In Acts 22:16, (while he was still being called Saul) he was told how to obey the Lord. “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”
It was because he made the wise choice to give his life to Jesus, that years later, when he himself was about to die, Paul knew he could face that time with complete confidence in his eternity. Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7-8, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
How will a person give account to God in the Day of Judgment if his or her life has been one of constant self-indulgence, instead of truly being an obedient servant of God? How will a person find God’s grace for everlasting life if his or her life has always been lived with the “have it your way” attitude? Or, to put it into Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:26 (above), “What profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
I hope that you realize that your soul is the only thing you have that you will get to keep for eternity. Where you spend your eternity will depend on the choices you make in this life. Have you become an obedient servant of God (Acts 2:38), or are you living life “your way?”
