There Are Three

We traveled to Puerto Rico and then to the tiny Island of Tortola this past weekend in the midst of all the new security regulations. We spent about 2 hours snaking our way through the long security check lines in Puerto Rico on Sunday afternoon in order to make a short 25 minute flight to Tortola. During the last hour of our wait, we were close enough to the security check point that we could watch the people as they went through the metal detectors and had their bags searched for liquids and gels.

I was amazed at the sight I saw. Basically three types of people approached the security check points. There were those who had been very careful to follow exactly the instructions that were repeatedly being announced over the loud speakers and posted on every wall and pole. They proceeded quite quickly through the check points (once they reached them). There were those who had been careless and forgotten to remove a bottle of lotion, toothpaste, or some other seemingly innocent offending item. This caused delays for not only them, but all who were behind them. And then there were those who were simply rebellious. These marched right up to the security officers with soft drinks and water bottles in hand, defying and arguing every step of the way as items were removed from their bags and thrown away. I must admit I had to fight back my anger as I continually watched them cause all of us to suffer delays because of their behavior.

If you think about it, aren’t there the same three groups in the spiritual sense? There are those (hopefully you fall into this group) who are very careful to do exactly what God commands and instructs us to do through His word. They will proceed very easily through the gates of Heaven come Judgment Day.

Then there are those who mean to do well, but are careless—they are not careful to do exactly what God says. Because of their careless attitudes, they often hinder others from being obedient to God by teaching them that all they have to do is come close to His word. Maybe they teach all you have to do to be saved is believe or, they may teach that it doesn’t really matter how you worship God as long as you are sincere. But Jesus said in Matt. 7:21-23 that it is not those who believe in Him and worship Him in their own way, but rather those who “do the will of my Father who is in Heaven” that will be saved. In Matt. 15:9 Jesus said, “In vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.” We cannot be saved by being careless in our worship to God or being fooled by following others who have been careless with the commandments of God. If we are careless with His word, we will not get through the gates of Heaven and we may hinder others who follow after us.

Lastly, there are those who couldn’t care less about God or His word. In fact, they are very rebellious and defiant toward anything religious. They are actively fighting against everything He commands and instructs us to do. They have so spread their false doctrines of humanism and evolution that millions have been fooled and will never even approach the gates of Heaven.

Are you angered by these types of people as you watch them defy our God and take countless others with them to eternal torment? We are commanded to love their souls, but we should abhor their ways.
Are you being careful to follow God and His instructions exactly as He says and are you encouraging others to do the same? Your path to Heaven will be sure and the gate will be wide open for you if you heed His commands.

Dana Burk