The Choice is Up to You...

In my US History class this past week, we've been studying about the Progressive Era...an era of great changes politically, socially, and economically in America. Basically from the end of the 19th century right up until the start of World War I, many reforms were implemented to deal with the abuses and corruptions of people in places of power. Along with these reforms, there were also many advances that took place in areas such as transportation (invention of the car & airplane), medicine (John Hopkins & Mayo Clinic), agriculture (invention of the tractor & advnaces in veterinary medicine)...not to make you feel like you're one of my students, but that was quite an interesting time in history.

Unfortunately reforms were not just limited to government. Ideas such as modernism and the social gospel undermined basic doctrines of the Bible, like salvation through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Social gospel basically tried to turn the life of our Lord into the life of some social reformer, undermining the doctrine of the person of Jesus Christ.

One Baptist minister began promoting the idea that man is not responsible for his actions because he is the product of his environment...another play at undermining the teachings of Scripture on man's sinful nature.

I was trying to relate to my students how that we are not the product of our environment but we ARE the product of our choices. Interesting that this particular topic fell on a Monday right after we had heard two powerful sermons on Christian hypocrites and carnality the day before.

Every man is offered the choice of salvation or damnation...an eternal destination in Heaven or eternal punishment in Hell. This choice is completely free, and is offered as a gift already paid for by the blood of Jesus.

For those who have accepted that free gift, they are made new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17) and are given yet another choice: live like the old man or become a disciple of Christ. Whereas salvation is free...discipleship costs. Is it no wonder that Jesus said in Matthew 16:24: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me; and is repeated again in Mark 8:34 and Luke 8:23.

It's hard to deny oneself, to take up the cross, to follow Him. We're cumbered about with flesh...flesh that does everything in it's power to weaken our resolve, make us rethink decisions we've made to grow spiritually, fill our time with needless activities.

Interesting that we were never told that cross-bearing would be easy. In fact, the only time in Scripture where we find a cross being carried was when our Lord bore the weight of His own cross on a back that had been beaten by a whip. He was weakend by pain and blood loss from a crown of thorns and a beard that was pulled from his face...and even He stumbled on the road to Golgatha.

And we're to do all this if we want to follow Him?

That's the price of discipleship.

Oh, it's much easier to just say I want to do what I want to do, to ignore clear teachings from the Word of God, just so we can feel better about ourselves. We balk against Biblical preaching that challenges us to deny ourselves, to take up our cross...to follow Him. We would rather feel free to do exactly what we want to do, without the consideration that we relegate ourselves to a life of carnal Christianity.

It all comes down to choices: my way or His way? Mediocrity or quality?

You are the product of your choices. So, what will your choice be?

Simply Seeking to be His Disciple,