HAVE YOU MADE YOUR CHOICE?

     

      “…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites…But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” - Joshua 24:15 NIV

 

      Joshua made a choice and firm commitment. He chose to serve the LORD God. There are many gods that we can choose to serve today. Anything that comes between God and us or takes first place in our lives is our god or idol. Some of these gods can be self,  family, materialism, personal ambition, wealth, prestige, etc.

 

What Is The Best Choice?

      Jesus stated that the greatest commandment was this: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). In order to do this, we must choose to accept salvation through His Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him” (John 3:16, 17).

 

Temporal vs. Eternal

      Our present life is for a short duration at best. This is truly put into its proper perspective by the Apostle in James 4:14: “…you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” The wise Solomon said virtually the same thing centuries before.  Wisdom dictates that what we choose should be considered from an eternal viewpoint. “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” (1 Timothy 6:6-7).  There is no true and lasting contentment, if our Creator, the LORD Jehovah and His Son, Jesus Christ are ignored. 

 

Two Gates Or Ways Of Choice

      “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13, 14). To choose the wide gate is to go with the crowd in the flow of worldliness, which in the end leads to destruction and emptiness.   To choose to enter the narrow gate is to
follow the way of Jesus who said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

 

Is There A Knocking At Your Door?

In Revelation 3:20 we have a beautiful picture. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” What better invitation could anyone ever receive? Jesus Christ, our Wonderful Savior and Lord, is waiting to enter your heart and life, but you must open the door and let Him in. In the famous painting of this scene by Salsman, he shows Jesus knocking at a door that does not have an outside door knob! How aptly this pictures those on whose heart Jesus is knocking must open the door to Him from within. He will not make a forced entry. Only you can make the choice to let Him into your heart and life.

 

 

 

Benefits of A Fully Committed Life?

      These are too numerous for us to mention them all in this small tract.  Here are just a few:

 

      You will be God’s child…………………John 1:12, Ephesians 1:5

      You will have all sins forgiven…………………….Colossians 1:14

      You will be Christ’s friend……………………………….John 15:15

      You will be justified freely………………………………Romans 5:1

      You will be a member of Christ’s Body……………….1 Cor. 12:27

      You will have direct access to God via the Holy Spirit…Eph. 2:18

      You will be free forever from condemnation…………Rom. 8:1, 2

      You will know that all will work together for good….Romans 8:28

      You will find grace and mercy in time of need……. Hebrews 4:16

      You will be a branch of the true vine………………….John 15:5, 6

      You will be seated in heavenly places…………….. Ephesians 2:6

      You will approach God with confidence…………..Ephesians 3:12

      You will have Christ’s power in your life………….Philippians 4:13

      Your life will be hidden with Christ in God…………Colossians 3:3

      Your life will manifest the fruit of the Spirit - love,  joy, peace,      patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,      temperance………………………………………….. Galatians 5:22            

 

                                                                           A CMF Tract