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The world tells us that there are many different ways to live out our days with the phrase, “You do you,” being a common sentiment.
Yet the reality is that there are only two ways to live; two roads from which to choose, each of which leading to two very different destinations; we also established that we therefore live at the crossroads of decision and we all have a decision to make.
The first road is the way of the righteous, those who desire after the ways of God, meditate on God’s word and, as a result, not only avoid the gradual decline into depravity but are planted intentionally by God near a pure and endless supply of water to endure the different seasons of life but, ultimately, to bear fruit in His name and for His glory. Psalm 1:1-3 reads, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” This being exclusive in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.
The second road is more natural or intuitive, it is the way of the wicked, those who are motivated by pride, the approval of others and all sorts of ungodly desires. Scripture tells us that even though such people are alive they are perishing inwardly, being condemned in their sins by default and are presently dead to God. Psalm 1:4-6 reads, “The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” They who are not clothed in Christ will simply not only not enter into the Lord’s happiness, that is His joyful presence, but they will suffer forever via their separation from Him in anguish.
This first psalm frames, in totality, the nature of the conflict before us, our absolute need for the gospel truth and it asks us to look with sobriety into its reflective surface in order to seek out what is true about our lives since that to which we do not admit and confess God already knows and, for the Christian, while our salvation is not in question, our ever-closer walk with Him is.
Jesus speaks to this in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Notice the lack of a middle-of-the-road option.
God makes clear the reality before us, yes, the problem but also the solution in the form of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In this we have a choice to make, knowing that the outer man is perishing, no matter what we do, will we choose to allow the inner man to be renewed by the grace of God?
Yes, today is the day the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it; let us on this day renew our hearts for God in the name of Jesus Christ.
Crystal Lake Christian Church
8015 Ridgefield Road, Crystal Lake, IL
Sunday Ministries:
Adult Bible Study: 9:30 a.m.
Worship Service: 10:30 a.m.
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