A lot of people treat the matter of holiness as an expired topic or as an optional thing. This is not true. Holiness is a command from God. It is the nature of Saints, which is what we become when we get born again.
Before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah He removed the righteous first. Before He destroyed the first world, He preserved Noah and his family because they were righteous. Before God destroyed the city of Jericho He preserved the only woman who believed, Rahab and her family. God will not destroy the righteous with the wicked. This is why He warns His people to come out of the world, and not be a part of the corruption in the world. Though we live in the world we are not of this world. Let us live like pilgrims who have eternity in view.
How many people will be saved? Are they many or few? What is the response of Jesus Christ to the man who asked Him, “Are there few that be few?
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” Hebrews 12:1-4 KJV
When Jesus Christ called His Disciples they were so committed that they left everything and followed. They were so dedicated and faithful to their call, except Judas Iscariot. We are also being enjoined today to follow Jesus Christ with the same level of faithfulness.
Our stay in this world is actually for business. We are here to transact business, but not many people are aware. The gifts (talents) we have been given are for business. We shall all give account and receive our rewards on the Last Day. This message is a call to duty.
Jesus Christ did not hide the cost of following Him when He was preaching and teaching. He told those He called and those who offered to follow Him the cost of discipleship, not because He wanted to discourage them, but that they may have a true understanding before finalizing their decisions. Jesus Christ did not sugar-coat the Gospel. So also, we must not sugar-coat it. This is because the message of the Kingdom, when preached correctly, produces true disciples, not superficial followers who give up when trials arise.
Matthew 4:18-22 KJV 18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.
22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
Life is not as complicated as it appears to be today. Some years ago it wasn’t so. Modern society has made life to be so complicated, hereby making life to be very difficult for people to cope with. A lot of people are homeless today, not because they are not living in a rich country, but because of the complexity of our modern day society. All these leads to worries. But we have been told not to worry as Christians. What do we do as Christians? What do we do to simplify our lives in order to live a life that is devoid of worries, as the Bible has commanded us?
Paul, here, talks about his ability to cope in any and every situation, be it good or bad:
Philippians 4:11-13 (KJV) 11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
We know the period the Lord Jesus Christ will come the second time, it is “Immediately after the tribulation of those days” (Matthew 24:29) but we do not know when the Rapture will take place. Nevertheless, when we see the end time events playing out before our very eyes, we have no choice that to be more watchful and get ourselves ready for the Rapture Flight.
