My Daily Pause

The Sermon of John the Baptist – 1566 – Pieter Brueghel the Elder (1526/1530–1569)

I know I am heaven bound because I _____.

We are not stretching the truth too much if we say that most Christians can confidently finish that sentence. It is human nature to hear what one wants to hear and call it a day. By that I mean that many have heard just enough to believe they are saved and then quit pursuing salvation.

Sometimes they even scoff at the need to study farther.

John the Baptist gave us a great example in Luke 3:8. The Jews generally did not feel the need to repent because they were children of Abraham. This is a key reason for John’s mission to prepare the way for Christ. He needed to begin breaking through that human nature and get people thinking rightly about their salvation. They scoffed at the idea that there was more.

This is still a problem right now.

Many hear bits and pieces of the truth and quit listening. We are a people that want everything fast and easy. Our easy access to information encourages this by allowing us to find answers on demand rather than encouraging study.

Ignoring some of what God teaches us in his word makes us as much a scofflaw as parking in a handicap spot using someone else’s tags. We might be showing the sign, but we haven’t met the qualifications.

John, Jesus, the Apostles, Paul – they all taught us to obey everything God commanded.

• It is to only way show God we love him
• It is the only way to demonstrate our faith
• It is the only way to help others find Christ

I know I am heaven bound because I _____.

Whenever we have the opportunity to finish that sentence, it is good to be confident of the answer. It is better to know that confidence is based on the full word of God.