Many
people in life start a task with great zeal and enthusiasm, but shortly
thereafter they realize the seriousness of the task or think
it is too tough, and they soon give it up.
Sadly, this is true in Christianity also.
Many Christians begin their walk on fire for the Lord, but when
temptation or hard times come they soon fall back into the sinful ways of the
world (Lk 8:12ff). However, if you
and I expect to please the Lord and make it to Heaven, we must never give up. For, if we do go back to the world, we are “not fit for the
kingdom of Heaven” (Lk 9:62, 2 Pet 2:20-22).
To keep from falling back to the world, the Christian must keep his
spiritual focus on Jesus, count the cost of Christianity, and live in hope of
Heaven.
The
first step to keep one from falling back into the world is to focus the “lamp
of the body” (Matt 6:22), the spiritual eye on the Prince of Peace and true
light, Jesus Christ (Isa. 9:6; Jn 9:5). No
one enters a new task or career without first being focused on accomplishing his
or her goal. Likewise, Christians must realize that to keep the proper
focus in life they must look to Jesus. In
the words of the Hebrew writer, we need to be “looking unto Jesus the Author
and Finisher of our faith” (Heb 12:1-2).
We must follow the capting of our salvation (Heb 2:10) if we want to
receive a beautiful home in glory (Jn 14:1-4).
Next,
we must count the cost of Christianity. Too
many people fail to realize what it really means to be a Christian.
They think that simply attending services, taking communion and giving
makes them right in God’s sight. However,
these alone do not make you a Christian. These
are merely the benefits of being a Christian.
True Christianity is a holy, everyday life of complete devotion to the
Lord (Lk 9:23; Rom 12:1-2, Gal 2:20). Christianity
is not a free ride to Heaven! It is
a life of service to God and mankind (Mk 10:45; Lk 19:10).
In Luke 14:28ff Jesus illustrates the cost of Christianity to the Jews in
a very awakening way. He begins by
asking them if they would build a tower before they sat down with pen and paper
and counted the cost. Of course,
they would not do this because they might get the foundation laid and then not
have enough money to finish the project, and everyone would laugh at them.
Then, Jesus ask them if a king who has ten thousand soldiers would go to
against a king who has twenty thousand soldiers without first considering
whether or not he is able to win. Again,
the answer is evident. No such
thing would be heard of. Then,
Jesus brings his argument to a climax by saying, “So likewise, whoever of you
does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Lk 14:33).
Christianity is a life of forsaking selfish desires, sinful ways and
false teaching and living everyday to please the Lord.
Finally,
to keep from looking back to the world we must look toward Heaven.
Although you and I may live in Texas, Oklahoma, or some other region of
America, we are not citizens of the United States.
Paul would say, “For our citizenship is in Heaven, from which we also
eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…” (Phil 3:20-21). If there is one thing that can truly motivate you and I to
not look back, it is the desire to live with God in eternity. Won’t
it be grand to live in a place where there is no darkness, no night, no
sickness, no crying, no pain etc., (Rev 21:4ff)?
The hope of Heaven should cause us all to be even more faithful to the
Lord in the future than we have been in the past.
The old hymn portrays this beautifully
“Why should I long for the world
with its sorrows,
when in that land o’er the sea,
millions are singing the wonderful story,
Heaven holds all to me.”