The Lion Stirs
Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.
Proverbs 16.3
Commitment is what transforms the promise into reality. It is the words that speak boldly of your intentions. And the actions which speak louder than the words. (Urban Dictionary)
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A young man stands before the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus: Why are you here?
Young Man: I know why I’m here, I just don’t understand why you are doing this to me?
Jesus: What am I doing to you?
Young Man: You are sending me to Hell where I will suffer for eternity. Where I will be separated from the ones I love forever. I loved you on earth and believed you were who you said you were. Like I said before, I know why I’m here, I just don’t understand why I’m here.
Jesus: I see. You are correct, that is your destination and there is no turning back. But let me ask you again, why do you know you are here? (Prov 16.5; Gal 6.7; Matt 25.46)
Young Man: I know because somehow I’ve always known. Deep down, no matter what I’ve told others, I knew I was wrong. But I kept telling myself otherwise.
Jesus: I see. You are correct. But that is only one reason why you’re here. There are others. We’ll get to those in a second. Did I not send others to warn you?
Young Man: Yes. There are those that said it was wrong. That it was a sin.
Jesus: And how did you answer them?
Young Man: I told them you were bigger than that.
Jesus: I see. I’m bigger than that. What does that mean?
Young Man: It means that you were bigger than my sin. That no matter what I did you were so big, so loving, so much more than I could ever hope to be, that it just didn't matterl Your grace would be sufficient for my shortcomings.
Jesus: I see. So you acknowledge that it is a sin? A “shortcoming” as you call it. (1 Jn 3.4; 1 Jn 5.17; Rom 7.7-13)
Young Man: Yes, I acknowledge that. But what about grace?
Jesus: Yes, what about grace? Let’s look at that for a moment. Did you have access to a Bible?
Young Man: Yes.
Jesus: Did you read it?
Young Man: Yes.
Jesus: I see. If you had access to a Bible, and you read it, then you must also accept it as My standard of judgment in your case. Do you understand.
Young Man: Yes.
Jesus: My grace is sufficient for thee. Remember? You almost quoted it earlier. (2 Cor 12.9)
Young Man: Yes.
Jesus: And do you remember the rest?
Young Man: ...for my strength is made perfect in weakness. (2 Cor 12.9)
Jesus: Correct. And you cite this verse as a reason for why you continued to do something that you knew was a sin?
Young Man: Yes. I thought that once I was saved it didn’t matter what I did, I would always go to heaven. You know once saved, always saved.
Jesus: I see. When I asked you earlier if you had access to a Bible, I meant did you have access to the whole counsel of My Words, not just one verse. Many wicked men throughout the ages, have taken a verse out of context and twisted it to say something it never said. Understand?
Young Man: Yes.
Jesus: So, did you have access to more than one verse?
Young Man: Yes.
Jesus: How much more?
Young Man: You know Lord. I had access to the whole Bible. All 66 books and 1,189 Chapters.
Jesus: I did know that. The reason We provided so many books, chapters, verses, and words was so that you might believe that I am the Christ, the son of God: that believing you might have eternal life in My Name. It was also so that no man would deceive you with vain words and you wouldn’t be carried about by various and strange doctrines. We knew false teachers would arise and seek to decieve and beguile you with enticing and persuasive words. (1 Jn 5.13; Jn 20.31; Eph 5.6; Heb 13.9; Eph 4.14; Mt 24.11)
That is also why We said all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Our goal was that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished and equipped for every good work. Someone’s opinions are not capable of such things, would you agree? (2 Tim 3.16-17)
Young Man: Yes. And I understand what you are saying, but this is Old Testament type stuff. I thought the New Testament was different, you know, all love, grace, and mercy.
Jesus: Professing yourselves to be wise, you became as fools. You changed the incorruptible God into an image resembling man. You changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped a God as you wanted us to be, not as We are. Our expectations did not change with the New Testament, and neither did our standard. Our expectation and standard has always been holiness. (Rom 1.22-23; 1 Pe 1.14-16)
Young Man: But we were just human, you made us that way. We were going to sin no matter what we did.
Jesus: Understand young man, We made no one to sin. It was man who sinned, We provided a remedy. The remedy which cost Us dearly. I never once thought of myself when I came in human form, born of a virgin, living a sinless life, but beaten to death, and hung on a cross, not for my sin, but for others. My blood was shed to cover the sin of man. (Ps 51.5; Jer 17.9; Rom 3.23; 1 John 1.8-10; Isa 53.4-6; 2 Cor 5.21; Rom 8.3; Eph 5.2; Isa 7.14; Mt 1.18-23)
Young Man: Yes, Yes! Thank You, Thank You! That is what I read. Your blood was enough to cover all my sin. I understand. None of us were perfect. We couldn’t live the way you did. Your blood is enough for even my sin, is it not? Your grace is sufficient for me in my weakness?
Jesus: My blood gives no license to sin. Did you continue to sin that grace may abound? I forbid it! How can one say that he who has died to sin shall continue in it? Did you not read that when you were baptized in Me, you also died with Me? That through baptism you were buried and just as I was raised from the dead, even so were you? Were you born again to live the old sinful ways you did before? Of course not! You were raised to walk in a new life. Your old life was crucified so that the body of sin might be destroyed, so you wouldn’t have to be a slave to sin no more. For he that is dead is freed from sin. (Rom 6.1-7)
Young Man: But surely you understand, your people were not the best witnesses. They favored some sins while seemingly disregarding others. They would shout some sins from the rooftop, others you could attend church for years and never hear anything about.
Jesus: They shall be held accountable, but not in the way you want.
Young Man: How then?
Jesus: The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Not fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunks, abusers, or swindlers. The works of the flesh are evident and they are: adultery, fornication, impurity, unrestrained lust, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, contentions and jealousies, wrath, selfish ambition, rebellion, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, abusers, and the like. They shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Outside the gates of heaven will be dogs, sorcerers, whoremongers, murderers, idolaters, and liars. We commanded you to put to death the desires of your flesh: sexual immorality, impurity, uncontrolled passions, evil desires, and greediness. For all these reasons Our wrath has come on the children of disobedience. You cannot say you were not warned. Yes, they will be held accountable. They will be held accountable for not exposing all sin as sin. They will not be held accountable for exposing your sin. I commanded them to expose all sin. (1 Cor 6.9-10; Rev 22.15; Gal 5.19-21; Col 3.5-10)
Young Man: So you mean to tell me that no one who will be in heaven has ever done any of those things? Not even once? And if you did, that’s it, no mercy? No grace?
Jesus: Those who continued to practice such things were never mine. My sheep heard my voice, and I knew them, and they followed me. I gave them eternal life, they shall never perish, and no one was able to snatch them away from Me. Blessed are they who heard the Word of God, and kept it. We did not call people to live impure lives, but holy lives. If you loved me, you would have kept my commands. That is how I knew they loved Me, they kept my Word. And I abided in them. (John 10.25-28, Luke 11.28; 1 Thess 4.7-8; John 14.15, 21; 1 Jn 2.3-5;
For just as the works of the flesh were evident, so also were the works of the Spirit. For the desires of the flesh were always set against the desires of the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Those who belonged to me crucified the flesh with all of its passions and desires. (Gal 5.19-24)
Young Man: But that’s not what we were taught. Many, most of the teachers I heard said it was all about what you believed. If you believed that Jesus died for your sins you were good to go.
Jesus: I warned you not to let any man deceive you. You had a Bible. Only the ones that practiced righteous living were righteous, even as I was righteous. Whoever made a practice of sinning was not mine, but the devils. The devil sinned from the beginning. The reason I came into the world was to destroy the work of the devil. No one, and I mean no one, born of God continued in the practice of sin. My Seed abides in Him. He could not continue in sin because he was born of Me! (1 Jn 3.7-9)
Young Man: But I loved you Jesus. I love you now. I just knew I was saved. I thought I knew it.(sobbing)
Jesus: If you had loved me, you would have kept my commands. For whatever was born of Us overcame the world along with its temptations. Your salvation assurance was based on the witness of others, but the witness of God is greater. Assurance in one’s salvation was based on ones love for me. And those who loved me kept my commands. Those who did not love me did not keep my commands. (1 Jn 5.1-13)
I warned you. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. I warned that many will say to me in that day Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have castout many devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (Mt 7.21-23)
I warned you, and now I profess, I never knew you, depart from me, you worker of iniquity. And the young man went away weeping and gnashing his teeth into a future filled only with despair and suffering for all of eternity. (Mt 7.23; Lk 13.24-30; Ps 112.10; Mt 13.39-42; Mt 25.41; Mt 25.46; Rev 20.10-15)
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It didn’t have to end that way.
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