RESPOND TO THE LORD

Musick-al Note # 267

          In Matthew 11:16-19 Jesus gives a stirring illustration of the way so many people act in regard to Christianity and their response to Him.  He said, “It is like children playing in the market, one group calls to another group saying, “We have played wedding music and you did not join us, and we have done everything including mourning but you have not responded to our pleas at all.”  Jesus explained his figure by saying it corresponds to John the Baptist and to Himself, yet the people did not respond.

          So often we are just like that generation.  We do not respond to the great love of God and is Son, Jesus Christ, nor do we respond to the exceeding great and precious promises given to encourage us.  We do not tremble and fear when we hear the awesome warnings that come from the Word of God.  We are simply playing with Christianity and making up our rules as we go.  We fear neither man or God and we shrug off any thought of opposition to our complacent way of life.  We are pretty well satisfied and yet we have no peace – no real joy and no great goal to which we are striving.  Heaven is just a word in our language, an idea that is spoken about in sermons, we do not view it as an eternal home to which we should be going.  If we truly did we would be striving with all our might to go there.  We are not fully convinced that sin will separate us from an eternity of bliss – to be the cause of an eternity of suffering in the fire of Hell which is prepared for Satan and his angels.

          God is – and His Word abides forever (Psalms 119:89).  Jesus also said that the Scripture cannot be broken (John 10::35). Whatever man might do or say in regard one’s salvation will have no weight when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ himself.  The words of the New Testament are given that we might believe that He is the Christ and obey His commands (John 20:30-31, John 14:15, 21). The scriptures include words we must follow also (2 Peter 3:1-2). We must be about His business both in serving and worshipping Him.  He is the savior of all men; without Him we will be lost throughout eternity, having missed the prize for which we thought we might gain by a pretended Christianity.

                     Gordon Musick

Leave a comment