by Scott Shifferd
“Why do you sleep? Rise and
pray, lest you enter into temptation”, said Jesus as
He returned from prayer in the garden (Lk 22.46). Jesus told His disciples to
pray that they not enter into temptation, but now, an armed crowd came to
arrest Jesus. When is an inopportune to time to listen to Jesus?
Many people do not listen to Jesus, and they think they
are heaven bound. They reason that good people go to Heaven. If good people go
to Heaven, then who needs Jesus and who needs God? Regarding being good, Jesus
said, "No one is good but One, that is, God" (Mk 10.18). He also
said, “I did not come to call the
righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Mk 2.17b). If we have not been
sinners, then we do not need Jesus. Jesus was asked, "Lord, are there few who are saved?", and to which Jesus
replied, "Strive to enter through
the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be
able” (Lk 13.23-24).
If we need to repent, then we need Jesus. Do our
consciences tell us that we need to be relieved of guilt and regret? Jesus
said,
“What comes out of a person, that defiles a person. For
from within, out of the heart of people, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries,
extramarital sex, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness,
an evil eye, cursing, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from
within and defile a man” (Mk 7.20-23).
Are we innocent or guilty? If we not guilty of some sin
and evil, then we do not need Jesus. Christ said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” (Jn
8.34). He also stated, “And you will know
the truth, and the truth will make you free” (Jn 8.32).
No one wants to believe that God would send us to Hell,
but those, who are guilty, are condemned (Jn 3.18-20). Jesus stated,
“The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will
gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice
lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing
and gnashing of teeth” (Mt 13.41-42).
Jesus was clear about those, who practice lawlessness,
saying,
“Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter
the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many
will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name,
cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? 'And then I
will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice
lawlessness!’” (Mt 7.21-23).
Jesus stated, “But
I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has
power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!” (Lk 12.5, cf. Mk
9.43).
See, Jesus taught, "The
Son of man has come to save that which was lost" (Mt 18.11, cf. Lk
19.9-10, Jn 3.17, 12.47). For Christ prayed,
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your
Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that
He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is
eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom
You have sent” (Jn 17.1-3).
Jesus said, “I am
the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”
(John 14:6, cf. 10:9).
Jesus tells of what must be given for eternal life
saying, “He who loves his life will lose
it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (Jn
12:25), and Christ said in Mark 8.34-35, “Whoever
desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and
follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses
his life for Me and the gospel's will save it” (cf. Lk 9.24ff, Mt
10.37-39). Therefore, Jesus wants us to be like Him. Jesus showed the world the
greatest act of love as Jesus said, “Greater
love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends” (Jn
15.13).
Do you truly believe Jesus Christ? Jesus said, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men,
him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies
Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Mt
10.32-33). Jesus said that He would build His Church on the confession that He
is the Christ (Mt 16.18). Therefore, Jesus instructed that one must believe that
He is, who He says that He is, the “I am”
(Jn 8.24, 58, Is 9.6, 48.16).
Do you truly love Christ? Jesus said, “He who has My commandments and keeps them,
it is he who loves Me” (Jn 14.21). Jesus warned of dying in sins saying, “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you
will all likewise perish” (Lk 13.3, 5). Therefore, Jesus taught, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is
born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (Jn 3.5).
Jesus spoke of being born of the water and the Spirit when He said, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be
saved” (Mk 16.16, cf. Mt 28.19).
Knowing that Jesus said that all can be freed from sin
by the Truth, that Truth is God's Word (Jn 8.32, 17.17). Therefore, Jesus said,
“If you abide in My word, you are My
disciples indeed” (Jn 8.31). The disciples of Christ within His Church can
be clearly seen. Jesus preached, “Blessed
are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in
heart, For they shall see God” (Mt 5.6-8). Jesus also stated, “By this all will know that you are My
disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13.35, cf. 1 Jn 3.16).
Concerning man-made worship and the worship that David brought to Jerusalem,
Jesus said,
“believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on
this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father […] the hour is coming, and
now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth;
for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who
worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (Jn
4.21-24).
These are characteristics of Christ's followers, who
form the Church that He built.
When is an inopportune to time to listen to Jesus? “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, unless you
enter into temptation”. Listen to Him now. Christ warned and instructed,
“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.
Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and
there are few who find it” (Mt 7.13-14, Lk 13.23-24).
Jesus invites you,
“Come to Me,
all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke
upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will
find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Mt 11.28-30).
~Scott Shifferd
Scott’s bio: Scott Shifferd is a native of Montgomery, AL. He has
served as a minister for 12 years, and for 6 years been ministering by
preaching at the Dean Road church of Christ in Jacksonville, FL. Scott married
Rachael Christine Sullivan of Tallahassee, FL after they met in Jacksonville
and dated at Freed-Hardeman. They have a daughter and two sons. Scott has a
B.A. in Biblical Studies from Faulkner University. Scott has written hundreds
of articles for his website for over 7 years at GodsBreath.Net that reaches
18,000 readers a month from around the world.
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