Where In The Bible Will I Find:
That We Must “Choose Sides” In Religion?
Beside what the Bible teaches on this subject,
integrity compels it! It has been said that the man who stands for nothing will
fall for anything! God requires those who want to be saved, and to go to
Heaven, to know and stand in the Truth (Jn. 8:31-32). We must choose and "earnestly
contend for the faith" (Jude 3). Christ makes it clear that it is not
enough to just be religious, but that we must choose to do the will of the
Father (Matt. 7:21 ).
Paul taught that we must know the only true and
living God to be religiously right (Acts 17:23). Through out the Bible men have
been called upon to choose between obedience and disobedience; life and death;
loyalty and disloyalty! And, we must choose today! Please notice:
1.
Adam and Eve were required to choose by God at the beginning of time, between
eating or not eating of the "tree of knowledge of good and evil"
(Gen. 2:16-17).
2.
Cain and Abel had to choose in worship, whither to do by obedient faith what God
commanded or be rejected (Gen. 4; Heb. 11:4; Matt. 15:9).
3.
Moses
charged the people of Israel, "choose life, that you and your
descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice, and cleaving
to him" (Deut. 30:19-20).
4.
Joshua
charged Israel to choose in his farewell address. "Choose ye
this day whom ye will serve" (Josh. 24:14‑15).
5.
Jesus
said to some would-be followers, “No man having put his hand to the
plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Lk. 9:62).
6.
Jesus
made it clear that all should choose, the narrow way that leads to
eternal life, but if we choose to travel the broad way our end will be
destruction (Matt. 7:13-14).
7.
If
Christians choose to be "lukewarm and neither cold nor
hot," Christ promises to "spew" them out of His mouth
(Rev. 3:16).
In summation, all who desire
salvation from past sins and the hope of eternal life must choose Christ's
church, obeying His will in believing, repenting, confessing and being baptized
(Acts 2:38-41). Then we must choose to faithfully stand with Christ,
whatever the cost (Lk. 9:23-26).
--Gary Colley
