Hi, my name is Rick this is the Common Sense Christian Channel, and today is Sunday, so we're going to be looking at a Bible based topic, and the subject that I chose today is difficult Bible passages. And by that, I don't necessarily mean that they're difficult to understand. As a matter of fact, the passages we're going to look at today are pretty clear as we look at them. But what I mean is they're difficult to reconcile with some of the understandings that we may have had. So through the years as far as the way God deals with us and as far as what he expects of us. The first passage is found in Proverbs chapter 14 and verse 12, and, and it says this, there's a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. Well, maybe this was a mistake. Maybe this wasn't needed to, to have been there, we might be thinking, but this one is actually repeated again in Proverbs chapter 16, verse 25. And again, it says the exact same thing. There's a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. Well, think about that for a moment. Is that fair that we can think that something is going to be pleasing to God. We're going to be able to serve him in the way that he expects us to, only to find out later that we're going on the exact opposite path. And the answer, I believe, as we go through the scriptures, is that it is fair because he's not trying to be tricky with what he says. As a matter of fact, most of the passages that I've had difficulty with through the years. have been not because they conflict with other scriptures, but because they conflict with popular opinions that men have. Now again, this is Old Testament. I, I understand that, but let's keep this one in mind. There's a way that seems right, but its end is death. Now maybe turning to Psalms chapter 16 and in verse 11, we'll be able to get maybe a little bit better perspective on this. This is David and he says, you have made known to me. the path of life. Well, his son Solomon, through inspiration, said there's a way that seems right, but ends in death. But his, but David, through inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says you've made known to me the path of life. And so maybe this will help us a bit. It is true that there are things that seem okay to people that aren't at all, but it's typically because we're not familiar with the scripture. I have to admit that these passages in Proverbs have been ones that have really made me want to dig into the Bible more. And when I do dig into the Bible more, one of the things I find is that God is on our side. He's not trying to be tricky in anything. He is very upfront and clear with the things he wants us to do. And yet so often men come in and they kind of muddy the waters. But David points out something important for us. You have made known to me the path of life. We can find out the way God wants us to go just by reading his word. God let David know he'll let us know as well. And in fact has. Now. Again, this is Old Testament, so let's go to the New Testament. This particular passage we're going to look at next, or this series of passages, are ones we looked at just a few days ago in the Sermon on the Mount, but they're found in Matthew chapter 7. And in verse 13 it says, Enter through the narrow door, for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But narrow, small is the gate, and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Well, when we talk about the same population, if you have a a part of that population being many and part of that population being few, it's very clear that those in the many are more than those that are in the population of the few. And yet Jesus said many are going to go on the path of destruction. where only a few will find the path of life. Well, this goes against much of what men teach us. It seems like it's very popular for preachers and pastors and, and the like to be preaching that everybody just about is going to heaven. You have to be really, really bad to, to, to go to hell. But this isn't what Jesus taught. Seems to be teaching here is it now you can draw your own conclusions from this and and understand that these are not my Words, and if they were I certainly wouldn't choose them. I'd want to choose the easy way I'd want to make it to be where I where it was the broad path where most of the people on it were the ones that were saved and that the small path in which only a few were on it would be the ones that were lost. But it's Jesus that points out that most people will choose destruction. And that again is a bit disarming, isn't it? A bit unsettling. It's kind of like that passage in Proverbs that says there's a way that seems right. but, but actually leads to death. Well, one of the things that gives me comfort whenever we come across a passage like this is there's nearly always something contained within that body of scripture that also tells us the remedy for it. And certainly that's true in Matthew 7 in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7, verse 7, he said, seek and you will find. And so when he says that only a few will find the narrow way that leads to life. Isn't he in essence saying that only a few will actually seek? And, and when we talk about seek, we're not talking about just glancing at something. I feel like that's the way that I've spent too much of my religious life, just kind of dabbling with it and glancing in the way and, and thinking that's, that's all that's needed. But when it talks about seeking, it really is talking about that understanding of seeking with all of our heart and intents. Looking so that we can find it. And if heaven's important to us, that, that looking will be very intense, won't it? But again, the path is narrow that leads to life and only a few find it. I was thinking about this particular passage one time and it finally dawned on me how important this is. I was on vacation and oh, it's probably been about 10 years ago with my wife and our two daughters. Our son was already off and married, but our two daughters were both single at that time and we were on vacation and we stayed on Jekyll Island and we were able to get a town home just right on the Atlantic Ocean. And everybody was up early the the morning that, that after, after the first day that we were there so that they could take pictures of the sun coming up on the ocean. And we weren't disappointed either because when the sun came up on the ocean it was spectacular. Well, both my daughters and my wife took pictures of this sunrise and as I was looking at them later, I noticed something that was really comforting to me, and what I noticed was as the sun came up, it made a stark golden line across the water to where we were. It essentially stretched from where we were to the sun. And compared to the vastness of the ocean, this little path of light was very narrow. But what I noticed was it was very clear. It could not be mistaken. If you stayed on that path, you would find the direction of the sun you would find the sun. And one of the things I believe we can conclude from that, or one of the things I concluded from that is this. The narrow path indeed is narrow as, as compared to the vastness of the choices that men make, but it's also well defined. We can see that well lit path from us to God if, if we're looking for it. And, and if we see that, then we'll find something that we can stay on. Because sometimes I'm afraid we think that we're going to fall off the path accidentally. If we get off the path, it's because we're not keeping our eyes on the goal. And so there's a great deal of comfort in that for me. Also in Matthew chapter 7. In verse 21, Jesus said, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. Well, that sounds difficult, doesn't it? Because there's a lot of people who confess Jesus is Lord. As a matter of fact, even as wicked as our nation has seemed to become in recent years, we are still the vast majority of our people, claim to be Christians. They claim to be believers in, in Christ. And I see no reason to doubt their belief in Christ and in God. And, and yet it, it also seems that even though there's a lot that claim Christ as their Lord, they're not living as if he is. Lord and master. And if we're honest, we probably can admit the same in our own lives from time to time. There have been times where we have freely acknowledged that Jesus is our savior. And yet we haven't lived as if he's our savior and master. We freely acknowledge that God is our master and he's the creator. And yet there's so many times where we live as if we're the boss of our own life and we go outside of his rules. And so. I believe part of the reason that, that Jesus said, not everybody who says to me, Lord, Lord, in other words, they're calling a master are going to find, or they're, they're not going to enter the kingdom of God. The majority, or not the majority, but many people who say, to him, Lord, Lord, Jesus says, aren't going to enter the kingdom of heaven. And the reason is that while they're giving him lip service, they're not actually living the life. Well, this very type of, of idea is also found in Luke chapter 13 and in Luke chapter chapter 13 in verse 22 this is what Jesus said make every effort Oh, by the way, let me back up because someone asked him in verse 21 Luke chapter 13 in verse 21 Someone asked him talking to Jesus Lord are only a few people going to be saved now. This is the answer I would have preferred When they ask him are only a few people going to be saved I would have preferred if Jesus would have said oh, no, no, no, no We're all going to the same place. We're just going by different paths. Just about everybody is going to heaven except for those who are truly, truly wicked. That would have given me comfort because we always know somebody a little more wicked than we are, who's done worse things than we have. But Jesus didn't reply that way. When the person asked if only a few people were going to be saved, Jesus said this in verse 22. Well, now that's kind of chilling, isn't it? There are going to be people who are going to be trying to get to heaven, but Jesus says they're not going to be able to. Well, does that make his other statement seek and you'll find incorrect? Is, is that a contradiction within scripture? But that's not it at all. As we read this, Jesus gives this comparison. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, Sir, open the door for us. But he'll answer, I don't know you or where you come from. Then you'll say, we ate and drank with you and you taught in our streets. But he'll reply, I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, you evildoers. There will be weeping, there. Gnashing of teeth. Well, here's, here's the point. There's a lot of people who feel like by association they're going to heaven. And by that I mean they, they attend worship services sometimes and, and their parents were great Christians. Or, or so it seemed. And maybe they're even married to a strong believer. And maybe, maybe their, their primary associates are again, Christians, but it's not your associations that make you a Christian. Just going to church on Sunday doesn't make you a Christian any more than, than you're being in a garage would make you a car. You have to really walk the walk. You really have to stay on the narrow path. And, and these people, Jesus says, there will be people. at the end, who are going to point out to him, we knew you, we were there when you taught. And, and yet Jesus is going to say, I didn't know you. And I don't know you depart from me. You see, it goes way beyond just a verbal acknowledgement of our belief in Christ in order to be a true believer. It takes more than just a glance to be a true seeker. We really have to put our effort in to finding God's way, the narrow path, and then we have to put our effort into staying on that path. And it does take effort. It shouldn't surprise us, by the way. Everything in your life that you are proud of probably came as a result of hard work. If, if you were a good athlete and, and, and you got some trophies along the way. You probably look at those trophies with a sense of pride. I'm not talking about a sinful pride, but just a sense of accomplishment because you put the hard work into it and the hard work paid off. Maybe you get a promotion at work that you've been very diligent to, to try and achieve and, and, and you worked harder than just about anybody else you knew and, and eventually that hard work paid off and you got the promotion. In school, we want our kids to put the effort into making good grades. I went to school a long time ago, and if you did average in class, if you got everything that you were supposed to accomplish, you got a C. That was average. To get an A was something extra. And there were a lot of years I didn't make many A's, if any. To be a straight A student took a lot of effort, a lot of hard work, and I'm not implying for a moment that somehow we're going to earn our salvation. We know we're saved by grace. We know we're saved by the shed blood of Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. The Bible's very clear on that, but we're also told, commanded, that we have a part to do and we're commanded to do that part. And God expects us to do that. That's why once we get on the narrow path, we're to stay on the narrow path. And if we find ourself off of it, then we need to come back. And that's going to take effort. And I don't know why it is in religion that we, we treat it differently from everything else. In our physical lives, we recognize that quality results require quality efforts. But, but somehow when it comes to religion, we want the welfare route. We want it to be given to us. We want the bare minimum effort, but God does not want bare minimum followers. And again, you could do everything in the world. You could work as hard as, as you possibly could and not make heaven because your heart's wrong. Because you did think that you were earning it because you had a Pharisaic attitude that somehow you deserved heaven. In Romans 6 23 and in Romans 3 23, we are told that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin are death. but that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, His Son. Now think about that for a moment. If everybody's sinned and the wages of sin is death, the only thing that you and I can earn, and really the only thing that we have already earned, is death, is hell. But God does have that free gift for us. But, but we still have to open the gift. One of the things that, that I think we need to be very cautious about is by twisting God's Word to mean things it doesn't mean. Just because we're not saved by our effort doesn't mean that effort is not required. If that were the case, the devil himself would be going to heaven. Adolf Hitler would be going to heaven. The most wicked person you can think of would be going to heaven. And yet we know that those who do wickedness and who don't repent of it and come to God on God's terms will not have heaven. As a matter of fact, Jesus said only a few would find that path. And the implication is very clear. Since he said, seek and you'll find what he is saying there is only a few are going to put the effort into seeking. And, and so we have this. While we're not earning it, we still have our part to do. And that's not unreasonable on God's behalf, by the way. If you want something as quality as heaven, shouldn't you at least put the same type of effort you did when you were working for something that you really wanted to achieve, your grades, your promotion, your trophies? We have our part to do. There's one other passage that I wanted to read to you that, that goes along these same lines that I've always had difficulty with, and again, not difficulty because they're hard to understand, but difficulty because it sets the bar a little bit higher. It shows that God and Christ do have high expectations for our part. And it's found in Revelation chapter three. It's Jesus is talking to the church at Sardis. And he said this in verse one, I know your deeds. You have a reputation for being alive. Wake up, strengthen what remains and is about to die for I've not found your deeds complete in my sight. Well, we know our deeds can't save us, but our lack of deeds apparently can. Can cause us to be lost and and this is I know this sounds like a contradiction to some but but but it's not when I put a I've roofed several properties and when I put those roofs on I had to have nails to put them on the nails were not the reason for the roof The reason was because I needed a roof, but I still had to have nails to put them on The reason for your salvation is not your deeds But you still have to have deeds You in order to be acceptable to God. And if we think that we can just saunter in to heaven because we are we and because somehow we deserve it, that's the Pharisees attitude. It's ironic that so often when we talk about works, if anybody says they, they believe that you do have to have works in order to be pleasing to God, that somehow you're a Pharisee in that. The Pharisees thought they deserved good things. They deserved reward because of what they were doing. But the faithful servant of God will realize that no matter how much he does, he's still not worthy. He still needs God's grace and he or she still needs the shed blood of Christ. But we're called servants over and over and over for a reason. It's because we are here to serve the master. And so after he says, wake up and strengthen that, which is about to die. He says this, For I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard. Obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I come. Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. And, and this again, helps this difficult passage to be easier. Now we see that even though all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, in God's eyes we can still be worthy if we will just do our best to serve him. You and I are going to fail and fail a lot and and and we might not find the path to heaven if we're not in the word of God, reading for ourselves and finding out what he has to, wants for us to do. But the good news is it is very achievable. If you do put the effort into finding his will, you're going to find it because Jesus said, seek and you'll find, ask and it will be given to you. And so we pray for wisdom as we're seeking. And then we do our part, understanding that it's never enough, that we still need God in Christ's part. But we also understand we have our part to do. And once we understand that, that makes these difficult passages, I believe, a little bit easier, not only to understand, but then to accept and to live by. There are ways that seem right that just aren't right. There are paths that seem the right way that just aren't. But this is not God's fault. God has made the path clear. He's illuminated the way to him brightly. We just need to follow the light. And we can find that within the Word of God. And if we'll do that, as hard as it is to imagine, God will consider us worthy. And someday, even though we don't deserve it, and we certainly haven't earned it, we'll receive a crown of life. Difficult passages, yes, but I believe by doing our best to understand them, we can come to the point where we can be pleasing to God. And isn't that what we want to do? Doesn't the sacrifice of Christ cause you to believe that that effort is worth it? And doesn't the love for the one who created you and then gave you the grace to come back to him, doesn't that make you feel that the effort is worthwhile? We have our part to do, but we have a loving God who's going to take care of everything else. Our part is just to do what we can. And trust him to do the rest. That's it for today. A lot there. And again, I recognize the fact that these are not always easy to understand as we look at them, or at least not easy to accept. But once we do, I believe that we can enjoy. our life. Have, have a pleasing life before him and then be able to help others to do the same and then someday we'll get to take part in that great reunion that he has for us in heaven. Appreciate your tuning in today. I hope these things help and also I pray that God will richly bless you in all of your efforts as you seek him and you seek to do as well.