Which Road Are You On?

steven · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 8:25 am Post subject: Which Road Are You On?

Which Road Are You On?

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Matthew 16:24

There are many modern 'Christians' that espouse, whether openly or secretly, in lifestyle or in word, that the road to Heaven is paved with gold. Most modern 'Christian' fellowships have continued this fantasy by making sure that every possible level of comfort is achieved for their parishioners: from the ambient temperature of the assembly hall, to the perfect pitch of the singers; from the eye-pleasing decor, to the pleasant, floral scents in the bathrooms; from the fresh baked goods and hot coffee, to the artistic Sunday services for children... all the way to the smooth speech of the pastor, whom starts each sermon with a joke and finishes with a penitent smile.

But, the Truth is, the way to Heaven is the Via Dolorosa, the road of suffering. As Jesus said, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him. This cross is not felicitous for the apathetic, modern "Christian": it bears many splinters and weighs heavily upon the shoulders of the flesh; it is cumbersome and is seen by many and reproached by many. The road of suffering is not pleasing and is full of condemnation. It is a road on which one denies himself of earthly pleasures, cutting off whatever gets in the way of serving Christ. The road is life-long and arduous, and is paved with the rocks of the Earth.

The road of suffering ends at Golgotha, where Christ meets us, bearing our sin and death for us, giving us eternal life in the Kingdom of God, where the roads are indeed paved with the purest gold. On that Day, we shall be reconciled to God once and for all, and those whom brought shame and reproach to the name of Christ shall be judged. For, those whom chose the broad, golden road of earthly ease and comfort, they shall suffer for Eternity in outer darkness where Jesus said "there is weeping and gnashing of teeth", because they were ashamed of Jesus and His Gospel.

Again, which road are you on?

Steven
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Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Act 20:21