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SCRIPTURE - ST. JOHN 14 : 6                                           MARCH, 2000

I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father, but by Me

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Last month, we looked at a subject, using the second part of the scripture above. This month I want to call your attention to the third part of this scripture, dealing with, the life.

The life. What is life???

To us, it has different meanings.

One. It is what we perceive as being alive. Being able to breathe, get up and move around, being active, and so on. Life, is the opposite of being dead. Therefore it is our perception, that gives us the idea of life.

Yet, certain things, have life, or are alive, even though they don't meet the criteria that we have set. Trees and plants, don't get up and walk around, yet they are alive. The earth itself, is alive, because it, provides the resources, constantly, that are needed for the existence of everything on it.

When we consider life, many times, we are thinking about the quality of life. To most people, what they consider a good quality of life, is when you are active, able to do for yourself, not needing anyone's help in accomplishing your basic tasks, like feeding and clothing yourself. Being able to relieve and clean yourself. To many of us, if we lost any of these abilities, we would consider that to be the end of a good quality of life. Seeing a paraplegic, quadriplegic, or a person that is too old to do anything but lay in a bed, and not be able to do anything for themselves, is what some would consider, no life at all.

So, as you can see, life, has all sorts of characteristics, by which it can be judged.

Now, Jesus is giving us a look at life, that is not based on what we think, but rather on what God thinks. You see, what we think, is really immaterial. After all, it is Him, that gives us life, in the first place. The bible says that 'He breathed in to man's nostrils, and he (man) became a living soul.' [Gen. 2:7]. So, in reality, He is the architect of life. And He has a far more reaching vision of what, life, is. It is no more different than a person that designs a house or car, then gives it to a person that does not appreciate or understand all of the qualities that are in it, and therefore, only enjoys the basics that an average, no frills house or car has. Maybe a better example would be a computer. Many computers today, have all sorts of features included in them when they are built. Yet, only a few people that purchase them, will use all of them. Most people will get them so they can get on the internet, and maybe have a word processor, and maybe a fax modem.

Things like graphics, spreadsheets, and various other utilities that are in there, will sit and be inactive.

Well, that is the same thing that is happening when we consider what the full potential of what life is. versus what the full extent of what God has put in us.

God, looks at life, based on our relationship with Him. What we do, and what we say, and how we think, are all barometers of how closely we walk in the ways He designed for us to go. That's right, the ways that He has designed for us to go.

In our lives, there are two paths to travel. One is the path that leads to destruction.

In that path, we are our own gods. We do what we feel like doing. We go where we want to go. We say what we want to say, and if anyone tries to tell us that we are doing wrong, then they better watch out. We pursue all of the pleasures of this life, and when we get them, we are still missing something, so we pursue even more wealth, and pleasure. We sit back and proudly boast, 'Ahhhhh, this is the life. It doesn't get any better than this.' And true, in our eyes, if that is all that there was, then I would not be telling you that you are missing the boat.

You see, the bible says, 'what does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, but, loses his soul, or what can a man give God, in exchange for his soul?'(Matt. 8:34-38) That means, when the time comes, and you stand before God, and He pronounces your sentence of eternity in hell, no amount of money, property, jewelry or anything else, will be able to buy Him off, simply because He owns it all in the first place, the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof (Ps 24:1), we are just being allowed to use it, while we are here on this earth. Every piece of clothing you have, is His. That BMW in your driveway is His. The place where you work, is His. Your mansion, is His. Even in simple terms, every breath you take, is His. You can't do anything, if He decides to not let you breathe, can you??? Yet, you feel you are your own person. Try telling Him that, when you are standing there. So, that is the end result of the 'life' that you say, doesn't get any better than this.

But, the other Path, the one that many of us, ignore, is the One that leads to Life, Spiritual Life. This path, leads us to eternity with God, in Heaven. It leads us to everything that God has designed for us, seeing that we are, His children, by adoption. And if He owns the earth and all that is in it, then I am an inheritor of the whole world, because of that relationship.

Jesus said He was the Life. Well, if we use Him, and His life on this earth, as our example, we will see that everything that He did, He did, not to please Himself, but to please the Father. And because He did, He became Lord over all the earth. That means that He was put in control of all of every single solitary thing that exists today.

Now, here is where we can begin to see the difference in what man's opinion of what life means, compared to what God's opinion is.

Look at your life, today. Maybe you have lots of money stored up in accounts, stocks and bonds. Maybe you have the biggest house and the finest car. Maybe you don't. Maybe you are just an average guy, like myself. Well, irregardless of what you have, or don't have, one thing is certain. One day, hopefully later, but maybe as early as a few hours from now, you may be in a position, where you are about to die, and there will be nothing that anyone can do for you, no matter how much money you have.

Now, when that time comes, your life, your personal life, will be drawing to a close, and you will begin to realize that if there is a God, you will want to have Him look at you with favor. But, how can He, when you have been doing your own thing, and enjoying everything that He has put here for us, but yet, have disregarded all of His statutes, and commandments??

As a parent, you will do just about anything for your children. And one thing is certain, You want to be appreciated for what you do for them. No one, wants to do for a child that is disobedient, because it will end up, hurting the child, by sending the wrong message, and that is, no matter what you do, I will still give you everything you want. Any parent, that follows that type of thinking, is going to be in for a rude awakening one day, when the child gets older, and turns on the parent, because they didn't get that new pair of tennis shoes, or that gold chain, or even a car, or money, that they want to buy some drugs. And it may not be because the parent didn't want to do it. It might be simply because that parent didn't have the money, or means to get it.

God, on the other hand, blesses all of us with the basics, like food clothing and shelter. The bible says that 'if He clothes the flowers, and feeds the birds, then how much more will He do for His children??' [Matt. 6:28-33] However, He does not have to do it, especially for those that are not His children. No more so than you have to do for someone else' children. The operative words here being, have to. You are obligated to your kids, and your kids alone. How would it look if the authorities came to your house and arrested you for child neglect, because your neighbors child, didn't have clothes or shoes to wear, and was starving?? It would look stupid, wouldn't it?? But, if it was your child, then, that is a horse of a different color.

In making reference to God's children, you are only His child, if you have been 'born again.' If you are born again (saved), then He, has obligated Himself, to you. If you are not saved, then all the promises in the bible that you claim are for you, are not. Even, going to Heaven.

So, you are living the high life, and you say, 'God is blessing me to have all of this, so I must be pleasing Him.' News Flash!!!! He allows the sun to shine on the just, and the unjust.[Matt. 5:45). He feeds the roaches, the rats, and all of the other detestable (in our opinion, not His) creatures on the earth. So, in that vain, you don't have any higher influence with Him, than they do. Even Satan, is provided for by God. If he wasn't, he wouldn't exist. The bible says that all things exist, or consist, in Him [Col. 1:16-17]. That means that he has a part of God, in Him. Yet, God hates him, and when the time comes, will cast him, and his followers (demons), and those that are his children (people that are unsaved), in to hell, and then later in to the lake of fire, which is the second death. (Rev. 21:8)

So, there you are getting ready to stand before God, and you know, deep down inside, that you were a devil, all your life, and you are saying, 'it's too late!!! I should have listened to what people were telling me about God!!!" 'All that literature that people gave me, and I just threw it in the trash, I wish I had it now!!!' 'I'm going to hell, and I can't stop it!!!' That's right. That's where you are headed. You have no excuse. All the TV, and radio programs, all the churches around you, and all you did was make fun of those stupid, fanatical Christians. You had the good things, while they seemed to not have it so good, but the tables have turned. (read, Luke 16:19-31), rich man and Lazarus). Now, if you only had that one more chance.

Well, bless God, He provided that one chance. This is it. This tract, could very well be the last thing you read, before you leave this earth. Are you going to laugh at it??? Throw it in the trash??? Talk about how silly I am??? Or are you going to come to your senses??? You see, as long as God wakes you up, and gives you what is necessary to sustain you, it is not too late, to get saved. All it takes is your willingness to want to become His child, and to follow His commandments, and you are in.

If you are willing to do that, He will forgive you of all of your sins, and cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). That, will make you righteous. All you have to do is repeat this prayer, meaning every word from the heart, 'Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. I have rejected You, Your word, and made fun of Your people. I am sorry for my sinful ways, and ask you to forgive me, and come in to my heart, to be Lord of my life. I Accept you right now, as Lord. I believe that you died on the cross for my sins, and rose from the dead for my justification, and right now, I confess you as Lord, of my life, in Jesus' name. Amen.'

If you prayed that prayer, meaning every word,, you have just entered in to a 'new life' and God is now your Father, and you are ready to stand before Him, with a clean slate. You are now, 'SAVED'.

Now that is truly, the 'LIFE.'


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