Whose Are You?

Have you ever noticed that human beings can sometimes make things more complicated than they should be?  Take for instance, the length of many contracts and “terms and conditions”.  It is absolutely ridiculous that it takes so many words and legal terminology to come to a mutual agreement!  After all, Jesus said, “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:  But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:  Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool:  neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.  Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.  But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay:  for whatsoever is more these cometh evil” (Matt. 5:33-37).  All of the extra would be unnecessary if people were simply honest with one another.

In the Scriptures, many situations are so simplistic that it comes down to only two options.  To demonstrate, let us read what Jesus said about the gates and the ways.  “Enter ye in at the strait gate:  for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:13-14).  Man only has two choices.  Either he will traverse the way to everlasting life, or he will journey the way to destruction.

Other examples of this pattern are Heaven or Hell.  There are only two options.  Then there is Holy or Unholy.  Again, there are only two options.  What about saved or lost?  There is no middle ground between the two.  With all of that being said, it is obvious that man only has the choice of two sides to which he can belong.  There is no gray area where one can remain neutral.  Jesus taught, “…Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:  And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?  And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out?  therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.  Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man?  and then he will spoil his house.  He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad” (Matt. 12:25-30).  If we are not on the side of Jesus, then on whose side would we be?

The Lord did not mix words when it came to identifying the side on which others are found.  Jesus told some first century Jews, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is not truth in him.  When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own:  for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44).  Later John would write more on this matter in what we now call the book of First John.  He wrote, “Behold, what manner the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:  therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:  but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.  Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law:  for sin is the transgression of the law.  And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.  Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not:  whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.  Little children, let no man deceive you:  he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.  For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.  Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him:  and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.  In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil:  whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother” (1 John 3:1-10).

It really is that simple.  We are all on one of two sides.  Either we are children of  God, or we are children of the devil.  We belong to one or the other.  Whose are you?
~ Corey Barnette