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| Volume 17 Number 5 May 2015 | Page 13 |
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| Volume 17 Number 5 May 2015 | Page 13 |
Robert Alexander
Highways (or roads) take us to many different places. Sometimes they take us to where we want to go. Sometimes they lead us to unexpected places. Sometimes they lead us to dead ends. The one thing every highway has in common is that they all lead somewhere (and for each of us personally, hopefully to the destinations we are trying to reach).
Each of us has traveled on many highways in our lives. We take specific highways in order to reach our desired destinations. Sometimes (and really many times) proper directions are needed to get us to where we want to go. Hence, road maps and GPS are handy tools to use in finding the right highways (or roads or interstates) to take in getting to where we want to go. A failure to heed the directions will result in us taking the wrong highway and winding up somewhere we never intended to be.
In this life, each of us is traveling towards that unknown thing called eternity. Each of us will be somewhere in eternity, either in heaven with God or in hell with the devil. The choices we make in this life will determine where we will live in eternity. We must make the choice of which highway we will take into eternity.
In His great sermon on the mount, Christ plainly declared there are two roads (“highways”) through this life, and every individual (then and today) will travel one of these two roads. However, these two roads have two different and drastically dissimilar destinations. Notice what Christ said: “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” (Matthew 7:13-14 NKJV). In the remainder of this article we want to consider these two spiritual highways and where they lead, but most importantly we will consider why all men should desire to travel the narrow and difficult highway. We will show that though there are two highways into eternity, there is but one that leads to eternal bliss. In order to reach that destination one must travel the right highway; in order to enter that highway, one must follow the right directions.
The first highway Christ speaks of in this text is the highway to Hell. This highway is an easy way to travel. It is not hard to find because it is a high traffic road. This highway is the way of the world. It is the way of sin, of unrighteousness, of iniquity and of ungodliness. It is the easy way because those who travel this way are those who disregard God’s authoritative will (as manifested in His Word for their lives). These refuse to be instructed in the ways of righteousness. Sadly, those who enter this road and continue therein will find that destruction is the destination of this highway as it leads straight to a devil’s hell. Yet, there is a better highway that God desires all to travel and that highway is the highway to Heaven.
The highway to Heaven, unlike the ‘broad’ way, is a difficult way to travel. It is difficult because the way of Christ is not an easy way. Christ never promised those who followed Him an easy time. (Please consider the parables regarding counting the cost in Luke 14 for further explanation.) It is difficult because those who travel this highway will face trouble that they must overcome (1 Peter 1:6-9). It is also a restrictive way because one cannot travel this way while living any way one so chooses; one who desires to travel this highway must abide by the laws or rules governing it (the law of Christ—the New Testament, Galatians 6:2).
In order to travel this way one must be willing to follow the directions God has provided through His Word. God directs all men to hear His Word, which produces faith necessary to please Him (Romans 10:17; Hebrews 11:6), to repent or turn from sin (Luke 13:3, 5), to confess faith in God’s Only Begotten Son (Romans 10:9-10) and be immersed into Christ in order to obtain the forgiveness of sins through His precious cleansing blood (Romans 6:3-4).
Upon meeting those conditions, one must live faithfully unto death in order to reach the final destination that traveling this highway provides – heaven (Revelation 2:10). However, as a traveler on the highway to heaven, one who strays off course and back onto the highway to hell must repent of sins and pray to God for forgiveness as an erring child of God (Acts 8:21-ff). God, who is faithful and just, will forgive once more (1 John 1:8-9). In order to find this highway and travel therein, it is imperative that we follow the right directions. Christians also need to actively engage in evangelism (Mark 16:15).
When we travel in this life, it is the case at times we may find ourselves on the wrong highways and stubbornly remain therein believing it will eventually take us to where we want to go. However, eternity is far too long for one to stubbornly continue traveling the broad way because it will always lead to a dead end existence in eternity. All men who are on this way are implored to change direction and follow God’s highway by responding positively to His Word while they have the time and opportunity to do so.
Growing in Faith
Mark T. Tonkery
Have you wondered why we have Bible Classes each Sunday and Wednesday evening? Or why preaching of the Word of God is so essential to our Sunday worship? Or why the Lord encourages us to read and study the Bible daily (Psalm 1:2)? It is because Bible study is a faith growing event. Romans 10:17, states, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
If the “hearing,” that is, getting the word of Christ into our heads and acting positively upon it, produces faith, shouldn’t the Christian be more diligent to spend time with God and His Word? Who reading this article can say they have enough faith? Isn’t our faith being challenged every day? Are we not bombarded by sin and “hearing” things that do not produce faith?
Ephesians 6:16 reminds us, “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.” Notice again how essential faith is, not only does it produce faith, but it helps us overcome our sin!
Seeing how necessary growing our faith is, why would we as Christians want to neglect an opportunity to spend time reading and studying God’s Word? Why do we let the TV, ballgames or other self-interests prevent us from daily Bible study and the services of the church? Are these things more important than spending time with the Almighty? Can the TV help us get to Heaven? Can sports draw us closer to God and help us grow our faith? Can anything else, whether it is jobs, family, hobbies or other self-interests help us deepen our relationship with God like the Word of Christ can?
How important is growing our faith to us? What are we spending more time with, things of this world or the things of God? What are we willing to do, sacrifice or even give up to develop a stronger faith in Christ? I wonder how we compare to William McPherson. A dynamite charge blew up in his face. Damage was severe. He lost his hands. Part of his face was left numb. Realizing how much the Bible meant to him, he set out to find a way he could read it. Without hands he tried to use his lips to read Braille, but numbness made that impossible. He discovered he could use his tongue to decipher the Moon Type system of dashes. This method left his tongue bleeding and very sore, but he kept at it. Gradually it became easier and he learned to read. In sixty-five years he was able to read the Bible through four times with his tongue.
The story of William McPherson makes it clear that we do what we want to do. The one who will not read or study the Bible, and who does not come to the services of the church, has no advantage over the one who cannot read. Think about it!