Called to be Blameless

I’d like to discuss the call to blamelessness that is on the life of every disciple. This is not just for the elite or the professionals that are in ministry, but for all who follow Jesus.

The Lord Requires Us to Be Perfect
First of all, before I begin with the Scripture passages about being blameless, I’d like to mention that Jesus said, "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mat 5:48). Since we are to be perfect like the Lord our God is perfect, we know that this is not merely figurative perfection or anything less than actual perfection. It affects every aspect of our lives, not just the inward unseen parts. It does not mean that we cannot make mistakes, such as failing to remember something correctly. It is not speaking of intellectual or physical perfection, but about moral perfection.

What Jesus commanded here closely approximates similar verses found in the Law. For example:

“I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.” (Lev 20:26, NIV; c.f., 11:44).

The apostle Peter quoted this when he wrote, “But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." (1Pe 1:15-16). Just as Jesus taught us to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect, Peter taught us to be holy like the Holy One who called us. This removes all speculation that it could be a lesser kind of holiness. And once again, it applies to every aspect of our lives, since we must be holy in all our behavior.

The Lord Requires Us to Be Blameless
Having examined the requirements to be perfect and holy, let’s now look at what the Scripture says similarly about being blameless. The Scripture says, "You shall be blameless before the LORD your God.” (Deu 18:13).

The word blameless is from the Hebrew word “tamıym” meaning “entire (literally, figuratively or morally); also (as noun) integrity, truth: - without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely (-ity), sound, without spot, undefiled, upright (-ly), whole.” This word was used to describe the kind of sacrifices God required, which had to be without defect.

God commanded Abram to be blameless. “Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.’” (Gen 17:1). In the KJV it says, "Be thou perfect."

Blamelessness a Condition for Eternal Life
While we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, once we repent and follow Jesus, we are required to live a blameless life, if we would inherit eternal life. The Scripture says:

“Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.” (Ps 15. NIV).

Similarly the Holy Spirit also said, “Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD And righteousness from the God of his salvation.” (Psa 24:3-5)

“The LORD knows the days of the blameless, And their inheritance will be forever.” (Psa 37:18)

“Mark the blameless man, and behold the upright; For the man of peace will have a posterity.” (Psa 37:37)

“My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; He who walks in a blameless way is the one who will minister to me.” (Psa 101:6)

We Were Chosen to Be Blameless Before Him
Not only does the Lord command us to be blameless and require it as a condition for inheriting eternal life, this is the reason He chose us. Paul said, “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.” (Eph 1:4a)

The Greek word that is translated as “blameless” in the New Testament is “anegkletos” meaning “unaccused, that is, (by implication) irreproachable: - blameless.”

Paul also wrote about the work of Christ in our lives, “That He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.” (Eph 5:27)

He Reconciled Us in Order to Present Us Blameless
Just as He chose us to be blameless, so has He also reconciled us in order to present us holy, blameless, and irreproachable before Him. “Yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- (Col 1:22)

Noah, David, and Job Were Blameless
Three examples of blameless men in the Bible are Noah, David, and Job.

“These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.” (Gen 6:9)

David said, "I was also blameless toward Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity.” (2Sa 22:24; cf. Psa 18:23)

“There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.” (Job 1:1)

The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil."
(Job 1:8)

The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause." (Job 2:3)

The 144,000 Pure Virgins are Blameless
A good example of those who are blameless are the 144,000 who had been purchased from the earth. “And they *sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.” (Rev 14:3-5)

How to Be Blameless
Since we know it is required of us to blameless, it behooves us to know how to be blameless.

First of all, it is God who makes us blameless. “The God who girds me with strength And makes my way blameless?” (Psa 18:32). Without God making your way blameless or perfect, you don’t even have a chance.

Paul said, “He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1Co 1:8-9)

Therefore, you must pray and ask the Lord to keep you from presumptuous sins and not allow them to rule over you, so that you will be blameless. David prayed, “Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.” (Psa 19:13)

Pray for a blameless heart in God’s statutes, so that you will not be ashamed. “May my heart be blameless in Your statutes, So that I will not be ashamed.” (Psa 119:80)

This is why Paul prayed for the Philippians that their love would abound more and more, so that they would be blameless until the end. He wrote, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;” (Php 1:9-10). Since the whole law and prophets hang on the two commandments to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself, then it's no wonder that being blameless is dependent on having an every-increasing love. Following Paul's example, you can pray this way for yourself and others, just as he did for the Philippians, in order to be blameless.

Although it is the work of God in you, the fact is that you must still do your part, as Paul did his best to always maintain a blameless conscience. He said, "In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men.” (Act 24:16)

You must make every effort to be found blameless when Jesus returns. “So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. (2Pe 3:14, NIV)

If you want to prove yourselves to be blameless, you must do all things without complaining or arguing. “Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.” (Php 2:14-16).

Just remember that you cannot do this is your own strength, but only by the power of the Holy Spirit. “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (Zech 4:6, NIV). That's why you need to be Baptized with the Spirit, as well as the powerful Holy Fire Baptism.

If we try to be blameless in our own strength, we would fail terribly and be a bunch of miserable Pharisees. The apostle Paul was a Pharisee before he came to Christ, and according to legalistic righteousness, he was blameless (Phil 3:6). But he was persecuting the Church, going from house to house to try and get people to deny Christ, and putting people into prison. Whenever the Christians were put to death, Paul was casting his vote against them. He was not blameless in heart, but only from a legalistic point of view. He was kicking against the goads until Jesus arrested him and changed his life forever. Then he became blameless and joined the ranks of those who are persecuted for Christ.

Choose the Blameless Way
You need to make a deliberate choice to conduct yourself blamelessly. As David said, “I will be careful to lead a blameless life — when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart." (Psa 101:2, NIV).

That means you will need to exercise care to avoid certain things. David refused to set before his eyes any vile thing. He said, "I will set before my eyes no vile thing " (Ps 101:3a, NIV). There are many vile things to be found on the internet, in magazines, advertisements, television, and commercials, just to name a few. So if you would lead a blameless life, you must and determine beforehand not to set such vile things before your eyes.

God is Blameless
The reason we must be blameless is that God Himself is blameless, and we are to be godly. He is blameless in all His ways, including His judgments. David said, “Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge.” (Psa 51:4)

Don’t ever blame God for anything. He does no wrong and is never at fault. “As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.” (Psa 18:30; cf., 2Sa 22:31).

Some people choose to blame God for something tragic that happened in their life, and they go around being angry with God for years. This holds them back from experiencing His presence in their lives. And if they die in that state, they will perish.

Some people say things like, “If there is a God, then why is there so much evil in the world?” In saying this, they show they their own heart is evil and that they do not know God, because if they knew Him, they would realize that He is blameless.

“With the kind You show Yourself kind; With the blameless You show Yourself blameless;” (Psa 18:25)

The Blameless Are Hated and Persecuted
The blameless have always been hated and persecuted since the beginning. Abel was the first such person. Although he was righteous, his brother Cain murdered him.

This is what the evil one and his agents do. “To shoot from concealment at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him, and do not fear.” (Psa 64:4).

Job said, "I am a joke to my friends, The one who called on God and He answered him; The just and blameless man is a joke.” (Job 12:4)

“Men of bloodshed hate the blameless, But the upright are concerned for his life.” (Pro 29:10). This is how it will continue to be for the blameless until the Lord returns.

The Lord Delights in the Blameless
While the wicked hate the blameless, the Lord delights in them. “The perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD, But the blameless in their walk are His delight.” (Pro 11:20). It doesn’t matter what the wicked think. What matters is that the Lord is pleased with their lives.

The Way of the Blameless is Guarded
“Righteousness guards the one whose way is blameless, But wickedness subverts the sinner.” (Pro 13:6)

He Sets the Blameless in His Way
David said, "God is my strong fortress; And He sets the blameless in His way.” (2Sa 22:33). Therefore, if you desire to be blameless, you should always rely on God, our strong fortress, to set you in His way.

The Blameless Are Blessed
There are many blessings reserved for those who are blameless. “How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD.” (Psa 119:1)

The blameless will inherit good. “He who leads the upright astray in an evil way Will himself fall into his own pit, But the blameless will inherit good.” (Pro 28:10)

The blameless will remain in the land. “For the upright will live in the land And the blameless will remain in it;” (Pro 2:21)

“The righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way, But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.” (Pro 11:5)

The Lord will not withhold any good thing from the blameless. “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” (Psa 84:11).

What Blamelessness is Not
I have already mentioned that being perfect and blameless does not mean we never make mistakes. It also doesn’t mean that we are without sin.

Let me show you something in the twentieth proverb. Solomon said, “The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them.” (Prov 20:7, NIV). So he commends the blameless. But then he said, “Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”?” So he acknowledged that nobody can say they are without sin.

The apostle John said, “If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.” (1 Jn 1:10, NIV).

The cross has given us power over sin and the goal is not to sin.  But there is a remedy if you do. “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” (1 Jn 2:1, NIV)

We must confess our sin and repent of it, so that we might receive forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn 1:9, NIV).

Putting it All Together
In the Scriptures, we find that the Lord requires us to be perfect and blameless. Blamelessness is a condition for eternal life. We were chosen to be blameless before Him. He reconciled us in order to present us blameless. This is what we were made for, and it's what we are called to.

We have a great cloud of witnesses who were and still are blameless. Among them are Noah, David, and Job. The 144,000 pure virgins purchased from the earth are blameless.

And the Scriptures teach us how to be blameless. The Lord is the One who does it in us, but we must pray for Him to do it and we must submit to the process, allowing Him to do it. We must do our best and make every effort to be found blameless when Jesus comes.  Choose the blameless way. Just remember that you cannot do this is your own strength, but only by the power of the Holy Spirit.

God is blameless. And although the blameless are hated and persecuted, the Lord delights in the blameless. He sets the blameless in his way. The way of the blameless is guarded by righteousness. The blameless are blessed.

And don’t forget what blamelessness is not. In your pursuit of blamelessness, you will need the blood of Jesus and the grace and mercy of God.

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,” (Jud 1:24)

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, where noted. The "Rare treasure" painting is by my seventeen-year old daughter, C.V. Lacroix. You can find more of her lovely artwork at A Brush with Life.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy Christian Perfection, Aim for Perfection, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, Following in His Steps, Baptized with the Spirit, Holy Fire Baptism, The Straight and Narrow Path, Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, Pleasing the Lord, The Burning Ones, Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies, Ask for the Ancient Paths, The Knowledge of the Holy, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, Keeping a Good Conscience, Separation from the World, Having a Servant's Heart, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, Righteous Deeds and White Robes, Doing What is Right, Partaking of the Divine Nature, The Ways of Life, The Refiner's Fire, Whatever You Do, Do All Like This, Is Obedience Optional?, Obedience by the Spirit, and The Obedience of Faith.You can find more of my articles related to Seeking the Lord on the Home page of this blog. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

The Way, Will, and Word of God

Dear God-seekers,

In my previous article, The Ways of Life, I coined an expression, "the www of God's kingdom." I explained how there are the ways of God, the will of God, and the Word of God. These three w's are emphasized throughout Scripture. But today I want to show you how the Lord Himself emphasized them in His famous Sermon on the Mount, teaching on all three of these topics at the closing of that sermon in Matthew chapter seven.

The Narrow Way

"Walking on the Narrow Way"

First of all, as I have explained in The Straight and Narrow Path, Jesus taught that we must enter through the narrow gate and follow the narrow way.

He said, "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Mat 7:13-14)

We have choices. On the one hand, there is the wide gate with it's broad way. On the other hand, there is the small gate with its narrow way. Many people enter through this wide gate, which leads to destruction. In fact probably the majority do so. But few people find the narrow way, which leads to life. They are the minority.

Like I explained in Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, in Luke's gospel, the Lord is recorded as saying, "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able." (Luk 13:24). That word strive means "to struggle, literally (to compete for a prize), to endeavor to accomplish something), fight, labor fervently, strive, to contend, struggle, with difficulties and dangers antagonistic to the gospel."

Beware of False Prophets
One of the reasons you have to strive to enter the narrow gate is because the devil does not want you to, and he tries to prevent you from doing so. You have a very real adversary, who hates you and wants to destroy you. That is the reason you must strive to enter the narrow gate, not because the Lord does not want you to.

"Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits." (Mat 7:15-20)

The Lord warned us of the devil's emissaries, who come preaching the message everyone wants to hear. they will convince you that you don't need to strive and that the narrow road to life is much wider than you think it is. They come wearing sheep's clothing on the outside, but they are actually ravenous wolves inside. You must be careful not to be deceived by them.

Since you cannot determine by their outward appearance that they are wolves, you must test their fruit. The Lord said you would know them by their fruits, which refers to what they produce and what they do. This is the way that everyone is known in the spirit realm, not by their outward appearance. For example, angels and demons can appear in different forms, but they are known by their character. That too, is how we know these false prophets.

The Lord said that a good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. This is how it is with people. So any preacher who bears bad fruit is not a good tree. And any preacher bearing good fruit cannot be a bad tree. I covered this in my previous article, Testing the Spirits of False Prophets.

What does the good fruit look like? It's the fruit of the Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Gal 5:22-23)

On the other hand, the bad fruit is the deeds of the flesh. “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Gal 5:19-21)

Consider what each of these sins listed here is referring to. Immorality means fornication or sexual relations outside of marriage (e.g., adultery, incest, rape, molestation). Impurity means any uncleanness, any dirty things in your life and heart (e.g. sexually impure thoughts, impure actions, even those that are not of a sexual nature like smoking cigarettes, watching secular TV, videos, and movies, listening to secular music). Sensuality means being sexually immodest or promiscuous, filthiness, or debauchery.

Idolatry means image worship, making anything into a god, putting anything above God, loving anything or anyone more than Him, praying with an image or diagram before you (e.g., statues of Mary or other saints, images of Jesus, Buddha, phallic symbols, figurines, satanic symbols, etc.), loving or being controlled by material things (e.g., cars, boats, toys, games, money, etc). Sorcery means magic or witchcraft, which includes occult activities like incantations, casting spells, white or black magic, voodoo, drugs, séances, contacting the dead, mediums, Ouija boards, burning incense, crystals, astrology, horoscopes, tarot cards, palm reading, fortune telling, psychic healing, channeling, telepathy, role playing games, Dungeons and Dragons, yoga, transcendental meditation, astral projection, levitation, mind control, satanism, etc.(Also see Demon Busters list).

Enmities means hatred, opposition, conflicts, or being adversarial. Strife means quarrel, disputing angrily, contention, debate, variance, or discord that produces a dispute. Jealousy means envy, fervent mind, zealousness for something other than the Lord or the true things of God (e.g., it was out of jealousy they crucified Christ). Outbursts of anger means passion (as if breathing hard, loud sighing), fierceness, indignation, wrath, fits of rage, temper tantrums, losing your temper. Disputes means selfish ambition, plots, complicated schemes, secret plans, conspiracies, (e.g., they plotted to kill the Lord). Dissensions means disunion, division, sedition (rising commotion in which people come together against authority).

Factions means a party (e.g., political or religious) or disunion, clique, sect, cult, splinter groups that follow heresy (error in fundamental religious beliefs). It also includes secret societies and brotherhoods that require oaths or initiation of some sort for membership (e.g., Freemasons, Knights of Columbus, Shriners, Elks, mafia, fraternities, and sororities).

Envying means ill will, envy, jealousy. Drunkenness means using alcohol to change your state of mind, using it as a drug. Matthew Henry said, “Drunkenness is excess in drinking of wine or strong drink, whereby the stomach is overcharged, the mind is intoxicated, and the body enfeebled and unable to perform its office.” Carousing means reveling. Matthew Henry said, “Reveling is excess in feed, nocturnal riotings in eating, drinking, dancing, singing, chambering and wantonness. The Syriac version renders it, ‘lascivious singing’; and the Arabic version, ‘songs’ which are a part of the nightly revels: and such like which are of the same nature and kind.” To put it in modern terms, reveling is jamming to worldly music, nighttime dancing, partying, “kicking,” singing lascivious songs, “rocking,” letting loose, etc.   It means to make a racket, make whoopie, make merry, whoop it up, jollify, “kick” it up, or participate in orgies.

A Christian medical doctor I know in Africa said that in the Spirit, God showed him something. He discovered that the church he used to attend in the village was dominated by witchcraft and surprisingly some of those he thought were Christian were in fact using Christianity as a cover while they continued to work for Satan.

I have already explained in my article, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, that this is not a comprehensive list of all sins. In that article, I showed numerous lists found in the Scriptures of sins that will keep you from heaven. But at the end of this list in Galatians, Paul finished by saying, “And things like these”. That is a very broad expression that covers a vast array of sins. So not all bad fruit that a false prophet could produce are necessarily listed in Galatians 5:19-21, but any fruit they produce that are like the ones Paul listed are also bad. He said, “Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”. So you should avoid any preacher who is practicing such things. As the Lord said, "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Mat 7:19). Therefore, those who follow them will also end up in the fire. 

The Will of God

As I have covered in Walking in the Perfect Will of God, those who enter the kingdom of heaven are the ones who do the will of God.

Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'" (Mat 7:21-23)

Not everyone who calls Jesus “Lord” will enter. He who does the will of God will enter. The will of God is His desire or pleasure. It is what He has determined should happen.

Elsewhere Jesus also said, "For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother." (Mar 3:35). He also taught us to pray, “Heavenly Father, Your will be done.” We are constantly seeking the will of God. It's not always easy to follow His will, as Jesus Himself experienced in the Garden of Gethsemane. You may recall that He prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done." (Mat 26:42b).  But even though it may be difficult, and it may require self-denial, it is the only way to inherit eternal life. The apostle John said, "The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." (1Jn 2:17)

The Lord said on “that day” (judgment day) many people who call Him "Lord" will point to their gifts and how He used them (prophesying, casting out demons, performing many miracles). They will seek to show that since they did all these things in His name, that it is evidence of their allegiance to Him and qualification to enter the kingdom of God.

But He doesn’t know such people. He said He will command them to depart from Him. He will call them those “who practice lawlessness” (i.e., workers of iniquity, wicked people, evil people). In the expression, "you who practice lawlessness", the word “practice” refers to what they do (i.e., their works). And the word “lawlessness” refers to wickedness (i.e., unrighteousness, iniquity, violation of law, that which is illegal). Yes, even in the New Covenant of grace, we must still obey The Law of Christ. It’s not enough to call Jesus "Lord". Don’t think that because the Lord uses you a lot in supernatural gifts that you’ll enter the kingdom. You must obey His commands, or else you will not see His face.

The Word of God
Finally, the Lord said we must hear the Word and act on it.

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall." (Mat 7:24-27)

The man who hears the Word of God and acts on it (puts into practice) is the one who built his house on the solid rock. His house represents his life. On the other hand, the man who hears the Word of God and does NOT act on it is like the one who built his house on shifting sand. Both houses encountered a storm. Both men will stand before the Lord in judgment, which is like a great storm. Each of us is either like one of these men or the other. The house is your life. We are either building our lives on the solid rock or on shifting sand.

The house that was built on the rock will not fall, and neither will the person who hears the Word of God and obeys it. The house that was built on the sand fell with a great fall. This is how the person's life will end, who merely heard the Word of God, but did not put it into practice. Wise men build on the rock. Foolish men build on sand.

As I explained in my article, You Must Be Born Again, Jesus said, "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (Joh 3:36)

He also said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments...He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me..." (Joh 14:15,21a)

This is why it says in Scripture, "And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation." (Heb 5:9)

Putting it All Together
The Lord concluded His Sermon on the Mount by emphasizing the need to follow the way of God, which is the narrow way, as well as do the will of God, and put into practice the Word of God.

In this passage, entering through the narrow gate involves bearing good fruit, doing the will of the Father in heaven, and obeying the Lord’s commands, as well as hearing the Word and putting it into practice. Those who do so are wise. They will not fall, they will find life, they will enter the kingdom of heaven.

On the other hand, taking the broad way and the wide gate is to produce bad fruit -- the deeds of the flesh, to practice lawlessness, to work iniquity, to lead a wicked life, and to merely hear the Word without putting it into practice. Those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God, even though they may call Jesus Lord and operate in the supernatural spiritual gifts in the name of Jesus Christ. They will either be deceived by false prophets or become one. They will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Those who take this broad road are foolish. They will end in destruction. They will fall with a crash. They will be told to depart from the Lord, since He doesn’t know them.

We must strive to enter through the narrow gate. We must beware of the false prophets. We must test their fruit. We must obey the Lord’s commands and do the will of God to enter the kingdom of heaven. We must hear the Word and act on it. All who are wise will do so.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The "Thy Will Be Done" painting and the "Wise and Foolish Builders" painting © 2012 is by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist. The "Walking on the Narrow Way" illustration is by my seventeen-year old daughter C.V. Lacroix. You can find more of her artwork at A Brush with Life.

Author's note:  I invite you to visit these related articles of mine: The Ways of Life, The Straight and Narrow Path, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, Testing the Spirits of False Prophets, You Must Be Born Again, The Law of Christ, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, Is Obedience Optional?, Obedience by the Spirit, Righteous Deeds and White Robes, Faith Works!, and Doing What is Right, and Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth? You can access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.  I also recommend the booklet by brother Sadiq Ibraham, called Walking in God's Perfect Will.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Straight and Narrow Path

Walking on the Narrow Way

The way of heaven is straight.  I have learned this from the Word and from experience, as well as divine revelations.  It is literally a straight and narrow path, as the Lord revealed so clearly in Michael Shigaba's Encounter with Jesus.  It is straighter, narrower, and more difficult than most Christians realize. Let's look at what the Scriptures say about this topic.

Straight is God's Divine Order
As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.'" (Lk 3:4-5)

"They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness." (2 Pe 2:15)

"Who have left the straight paths to walk in dark ways," (Prov 2:13)

"I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths." (Prov 4:11).

"He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle." (Ps 107:7).

"In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." (Prov 3:6).

"Whoever has understanding keeps a straight course." (Prov 15:21b).

"Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil." (Prov 4:27; cf., Josh 1:7).

The apostle Paul said the ways of the Lord are straight (Acts 13:10).

The Scripture says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight." (Pro 3:5-6).

Also see the following Scriptures in the NASB version: Deu. 32:5; Psa. 18:26; 125:5; Pro. 2:15; 3:5-6; 8:8; 17:20; 21:8; 28:6, 18; Isa. 59:8; Eze 1:9,12; 10:22; 46:9; Php. 2:15.

Narrow is God's Divine Order
The Lord Jesus said, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Mt 7:13-14). He said this at the end of His sermon on the mount, which summarizes the content of that sermon recorded in Matthew 5-7. In that sermon, He taught that something you say can put you in danger of the fire of hell (Mt 5:22). The sin of adultery can be committed in your heart without even having physical contact with the other person (Mt 5:28). He taught the need for radical obedience to God at all costs (Mt 5:29-30). Indeed, it is not only our outward actions that must be perfect, but also our thoughts, motives, and words (Mt 5:48).

Self must be denied, the body kept under subjection, corruptions put to death; temptations must be resisted on a daily basis; duties must be carried out that are against our natural tendencies. We must wrestle, must go through extreme physical and mental suffering, must watch in everything, and walk with care and prudence, wary of that which would endanger our souls.* We must pass through many trials and tribulations (Joh 16:33; 1 Pe 4:12-19). We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God (Ac 14:22). This is not the way that the majority of the people go. Most people go through the wide gate and take the broad road that leads to destruction. But only a few find the small gate and the narrow road that leads to life. Many are going to hell, but only a few are going to heaven.

He also said, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to." (Lk 13:24). If many try and are unable to enter through this narrow door, then it must be very narrow. It's difficult to find and difficult to get through, so every effort must be made to do so. It's hard but not impossible by God's grace if we strive. You will not be able to enter if you are complacent or half-hearted, because there are many Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven. The devil has set many traps for you to try and capture you into hell.

Putting it All Together
The Scriptures clearly teach that in everything the straight way is God’s way. Indeed, the way to heaven is both straight and narrow.  In fact, it is more so than you think it is. But one hour in heaven will make it all worthwhile.

Therefore, we must Strive to Enter the Kingdom of God on the way of righteousness, holiness, and truth. It's time we cease from standing in the broad and crooked path of sinners, and going along with the crowd. It's high time we consecrate ourselves to the Lord Jesus, and follow Him with pure and simple devotion (2 Cor 11:3).  Seek Him earnestly (Ps 63:1) and stay close to Him (Ps 63:8). Cling to God! All you His people, let's Ask for the Ancient Paths once again.

Attribution notice: Most Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. "Walking on the Narrow Way" was illustrated by my sixteen-year-old daughter, Charity Lacroix.  You can find more of her fine artwork at A Brush with Life. *The preceding sentences in this particular paragraph were adapted from Matthew Henry's commentary on Matthew 7:12-14.

Author's note: You are invited to read Michael Shigaba's Encounter with Jesus, The Ways of Life, The Way, Will, and Word of God, Strive to Enter the Kingdom of God, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Aim for Perfection, Eudoxia Varga Testimony of Heaven and Hell, A Warning for Married Christian Couples, Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Carrying Your Cross or Cross Dressing?, Alcohol and Cigarettes -- Ten Divine Revelations, Messages from the Lord for Catholics Worshipping Idols, Keeping Sundays Holy - Part I, Keeping Sundays Holy - Part II, Rock, Rap, and Reggae Music -- Three Divine Revelations, Separation from the World, and Ask for the Ancient Paths. You may access the Main Directory for this Seeking the Lord blog for more articles like this, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

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Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.