If Your Christianity Is Easy, You're Doing It Wrong
“For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” - Matthew 7:14
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Christ commanded His followers to go and make disciples, not converts. Disciples are learned pupils, subjects to their master, devoted followers and doctrinal adherents. The word itself is a mere two letters away from being discipline.
To be a disciple is to be disciplined. Discipline involves dedication, consistency, resilience, determination, a willingness to accept correction, obedience, humility and endurance. It is a day-to-day, minute-by-minute commitment. It recognizes failure and labors to correct. It understands the long game and is patient in process. It is sold-out. It has drawn a line in the sand. It rejects all its other options.
A hard way that leads to a narrow gate was Christ’s description of the Christian life. He also spoke about denying yourself (another way of saying, “discipline”) and taking up your own cross in order to follow Him (Matthew 16:24). Not exactly a metaphor resounding with notions of comfort and ease.
Christianity is marked by joy (John 15:11). But it is the joy of those who have trained, drilled, prepared, fought and survived the battle of their lives. It is not the joy of a fan watching from the comforts of home as their favorite team wins the big game. It is the joy of those who have dedicated their lives to the contest and are celebrating on the field.
The entire work of your salvation is the work of God. From your creation, to your regeneration and new birth, from your salvation through your sanctification and on into your eventual glorification, it is God who has done the lifting:
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6
He has taken upon Himself the impossibly heavy load of sin and death and replaced it with the light yoke and burden of His lordship (Matthew 11:30). He has enabled you to walk the hard path to the narrow gate. You never could have managed it otherwise.
But make no mistake: it will still be the hardest thing you will ever have to do. You will fail. You will become discouraged. You will get tired. You will most likely want to quit at times.
When that happens, remember the words of the original disciples when Christ asked them if they would leave Him like so many others:
“Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.” - John 6:68-69
The journey to eternity with Christ will be harder than you imagine, even with the assistance of the Holy Spirit. But it would be completely impossible any other way.
Paul wrote in Philippians 2:12-13 to, “[W]ork out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
Work out your own salvation because God is at work within you.
Add to that the words of Christ Himself in John 6:27: “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.”
Your salvation is not earned through your works. But it is evidenced by them. The true Christian disciple understands that he has been called to a life defined by struggle (Ephesians 6:12), war (Ephesians 6:13-18), striving (Luke 13:24), suffering (Romans 8:17), endurance (Mark 13:13), competition (Hebrews 12:1-2) and labor (Philippians 2:16).
Victory is assured, but only if you get in the fight (Matthew 24:13, Hebrews 3:14).
If your Christianity is easy, you’re doing it wrong.
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