Jesus Christ is my God!
Issued 11.07.2001
Principle is the way
Because your choices are crucially affected by your principles, they form your way, in which you will walk. If you persist in the way of your principles you will achieve something. So it is possible to predict something about your future on the grounds of your principles. If you fall into actions against your principles, you feel astray. To be able to change your principles you need some kind of awakening that opens the access to a new way. Bad principles lead to destruction and good ones to life. Jesus is able to wash clean your inner being from your bad principles. You adopt His good principles through your love for Him. He is the gate to purity. He is the way to eternal life.
Principles are the law of the heart
Principles are like a law that is adopted voluntarily. Its content is written to the heart not to the statute-book. Principles are adopted from those who are loved and honoured. The first principles are adopted from the parents. When rebelling against the parents some of the principles are also forsaken for the first time.
Every principle is tested in the pressures of practice. It is a good thing if you stay in the way you selected, when your principle is good. Some try to live without any principles, because they feel that they are not able to follow them.
Principles are like a law that is adopted voluntarily. Its content is written to the heart not to the statute-book. Principles are adopted from those who are loved and honoured. The first principles are adopted from the parents. When rebelling against the parents some of the principles are also forsaken for the first time.
Every principle is tested in the pressures of practice. It is a good thing if you stay in the way you selected, when your principle is good. Some try to live without any principles, because they feel that they are not able to follow them.
Seeking a way
Principles are the way written into your heart. You try to walk in it. If the pressure of circumstances makes you act against your principles, you feel astray. Then you either aim back at your way or you seek a new way or you keep on straying outside all roads.
Giving up one's principles is not easy for anyone, whatever is the content of one's principles. Some gate must be entered through so that a conscience could get a new content, which puts life to a new track. The lost one finds again a way which he can walk.
God is calling all stray people: "Ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, 'We will not walk in it.'" Jer.6:16 Nowadays many answer to the previous call. "I will not walk in it, because I don't want to be so old-fashioned." The evolution theory has been deeply adopted by people. Therefore they believe that everything old is somehow primitive and a new one is somehow better, because they consider it more advanced. Woe those, who walk in the way of a chance!
Nobody is as old-fashioned as God, because His way is eternal! Also you could be happy to walk in His way.
Principles are the way written into your heart. You try to walk in it. If the pressure of circumstances makes you act against your principles, you feel astray. Then you either aim back at your way or you seek a new way or you keep on straying outside all roads.
Giving up one's principles is not easy for anyone, whatever is the content of one's principles. Some gate must be entered through so that a conscience could get a new content, which puts life to a new track. The lost one finds again a way which he can walk.
God is calling all stray people: "Ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, 'We will not walk in it.'" Jer.6:16 Nowadays many answer to the previous call. "I will not walk in it, because I don't want to be so old-fashioned." The evolution theory has been deeply adopted by people. Therefore they believe that everything old is somehow primitive and a new one is somehow better, because they consider it more advanced. Woe those, who walk in the way of a chance!
Nobody is as old-fashioned as God, because His way is eternal! Also you could be happy to walk in His way.
Jesus is the gate
Jesus says: "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved." John.10:9 and "Enter through the narrow gate." Matth.7:13 So He says that He is the narrow gate to the salvation. Why is Jesus the narrow gate to the new life? Therefore, because the gate is measured for a person who has humbled himself. It is too narrow only for a proud one.
To get the acceptance of God is the narrow gate and to get the acceptance of people is the wide gate. The narrowness of the gate comes from the fact, that it is a difficult thing for a sinner to get the favour of God. The death of the Son of God was needed for that purpose. We can get the acceptance of God only through Jesus, because He has paid for our sins. Come close to God through the sacrificial death of Jesus and you will get in His principles! If you cannot accept for yourself the sacrifice of Jesus, the gate is too narrow for you.
When you adopt the principles of the public opinion you go through the wide gate. Then the acceptance of the majority will be the ground of your conscience. A democratic conscience is formed in a polling booth of the wide gate, a pure conscience received by calling on Jesus in a repentance room of the narrow gate.
Jesus says: "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved." John.10:9 and "Enter through the narrow gate." Matth.7:13 So He says that He is the narrow gate to the salvation. Why is Jesus the narrow gate to the new life? Therefore, because the gate is measured for a person who has humbled himself. It is too narrow only for a proud one.
To get the acceptance of God is the narrow gate and to get the acceptance of people is the wide gate. The narrowness of the gate comes from the fact, that it is a difficult thing for a sinner to get the favour of God. The death of the Son of God was needed for that purpose. We can get the acceptance of God only through Jesus, because He has paid for our sins. Come close to God through the sacrificial death of Jesus and you will get in His principles! If you cannot accept for yourself the sacrifice of Jesus, the gate is too narrow for you.
When you adopt the principles of the public opinion you go through the wide gate. Then the acceptance of the majority will be the ground of your conscience. A democratic conscience is formed in a polling booth of the wide gate, a pure conscience received by calling on Jesus in a repentance room of the narrow gate.
Jesus is the way
Jesus says: "Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life." Matth.7:14 "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me" John.14:6
When Jesus speaks about Himself as the way the Jews certainly remembered the word of the Bible, which Moses spoke after he had given the ten commandments: "So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you." Deut.5:32-33 So the law of God is the way.
When He said, "I am the Way", Jesus moved the authority of God's law to Himself. He replaced the law text of Moses by Himself, His words and His example. Apostle John says about this as follows: "Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." 1John.2:6 If you know His mercy and love you follow Him. To follow Him cannot be based on copying His behaviour but adopting His principles. If you love Him you embrace His principles.
Who has entered into God's grace through the gospel, has got the new mind and spirit. A reborn inner being loves God's law. He is not any more under the law, but the law is inside him, "for in my inner being I delight in God's law." Rom.7:22 He who is not inside the grace of God doesn't love Jesus and therefore doesn't obey His commands. Jesus says: "He who does not love me will not obey my teaching." John.14:24
Jesus says: "Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life." Matth.7:14 "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me" John.14:6
When Jesus speaks about Himself as the way the Jews certainly remembered the word of the Bible, which Moses spoke after he had given the ten commandments: "So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you." Deut.5:32-33 So the law of God is the way.
When He said, "I am the Way", Jesus moved the authority of God's law to Himself. He replaced the law text of Moses by Himself, His words and His example. Apostle John says about this as follows: "Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." 1John.2:6 If you know His mercy and love you follow Him. To follow Him cannot be based on copying His behaviour but adopting His principles. If you love Him you embrace His principles.
Who has entered into God's grace through the gospel, has got the new mind and spirit. A reborn inner being loves God's law. He is not any more under the law, but the law is inside him, "for in my inner being I delight in God's law." Rom.7:22 He who is not inside the grace of God doesn't love Jesus and therefore doesn't obey His commands. Jesus says: "He who does not love me will not obey my teaching." John.14:24
Walking in the Jesus-Way
To make progress in the Jesus-Way is important but most important is to be in the Way: "Only let us live up to what we have already attained!" Phil.3:16 Nobody must think that we could follow Jesus using our own power. What we ourselves can do to stay in the Jesus-Way is the same we did when we came to the faith.
We have to unite ourselves in spirit with Jesus who is revealed by the gospel. If we take care of our attitudes God will take care of our ways. If we have the attitude of Jesus He will give us strength to follow His way.
On the right side of the Jesus-Way there is the religious world of those who live under the law. On the left side there is the godless world of those who live without the law.
Some of the believers have come to the Jesus-Way from the right side of the way, others from its left side. Apostle Paul describes his efforts to win those under the law and those without the law as follows. "To those under the law I became like one under the law though I myself am not under the law, so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law, so as to win those not having the law." 1Cor.9:20-21
When he preached the gospel to those who lived under the law, he tried to get them hear what the law says, so that they would realise their guilt and would become needy of mercy. When he preached the gospel to those who lived without the law, he tried to get them hear how good Jesus is, so that they would realise the futility of their false gods and would become needy of the connection to the real God. He describes his own walking in the Jesus-Way by saying "I myself am not under the law" and "I am not free from God's law" and "I am under Christ's law".
Jesus is such a narrow Way that it is difficult for an outsider even to notice that it exists. This is true especially when it is looked at from a distance by the side of the Way. On the right side of the Way there is the religious and on the left side the godless world. In other words the people under the law are on the right side and the people without the law are on the left side.
Those who walk in the Jesus-Way are often equally misunderstood by those who are on the right side as those on the left side. Those who are under the law suppose that the believers walking in the Way are free from God's law, because they don't see the Way. They only see the lawlessness which is behind the Way and therefore it seems to be so that those walking in the Way would live in lawlessness. Those who are without the law suppose that the believers walking in the Way are under the law, because also they don't see the Way. They only see the world under the law which is behind the Way and therefore it seems to be so that those walking in the Way would live under the law. This is the reason why those who are walking in the Jesus-Way have to receive insults as well from the right side as from the left side. Some people consider us regulated by law and others consider us unregulated by law.
To make progress in the Jesus-Way is important but most important is to be in the Way: "Only let us live up to what we have already attained!" Phil.3:16 Nobody must think that we could follow Jesus using our own power. What we ourselves can do to stay in the Jesus-Way is the same we did when we came to the faith.
We have to unite ourselves in spirit with Jesus who is revealed by the gospel. If we take care of our attitudes God will take care of our ways. If we have the attitude of Jesus He will give us strength to follow His way.
On the right side of the Jesus-Way there is the religious world of those who live under the law. On the left side there is the godless world of those who live without the law.
Some of the believers have come to the Jesus-Way from the right side of the way, others from its left side. Apostle Paul describes his efforts to win those under the law and those without the law as follows. "To those under the law I became like one under the law though I myself am not under the law, so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law, so as to win those not having the law." 1Cor.9:20-21
When he preached the gospel to those who lived under the law, he tried to get them hear what the law says, so that they would realise their guilt and would become needy of mercy. When he preached the gospel to those who lived without the law, he tried to get them hear how good Jesus is, so that they would realise the futility of their false gods and would become needy of the connection to the real God. He describes his own walking in the Jesus-Way by saying "I myself am not under the law" and "I am not free from God's law" and "I am under Christ's law".
Jesus is such a narrow Way that it is difficult for an outsider even to notice that it exists. This is true especially when it is looked at from a distance by the side of the Way. On the right side of the Way there is the religious and on the left side the godless world. In other words the people under the law are on the right side and the people without the law are on the left side.
Those who walk in the Jesus-Way are often equally misunderstood by those who are on the right side as those on the left side. Those who are under the law suppose that the believers walking in the Way are free from God's law, because they don't see the Way. They only see the lawlessness which is behind the Way and therefore it seems to be so that those walking in the Way would live in lawlessness. Those who are without the law suppose that the believers walking in the Way are under the law, because also they don't see the Way. They only see the world under the law which is behind the Way and therefore it seems to be so that those walking in the Way would live under the law. This is the reason why those who are walking in the Jesus-Way have to receive insults as well from the right side as from the left side. Some people consider us regulated by law and others consider us unregulated by law.
Staying on the Road
The best way to stay on the narrow road is to look straight ahead at the Road which means looking at Jesus. Glancing around easily leads out of the Road.
If you are frightened by messages of the law you easily fall into the lawlessness.If you are frightened by messages of the lawlessness you easily fall under the law.
A message of the law can also bewitch you so that you turn on purpose to the right.Also a message of the lawlessness can fascinate you so much that you forget the Road and turn to the left.
When you came to the faith you admired Jesus as the crucified Lamb of God and the up risen Lord on God's throne. So that you would be able to walk in the Jesus-Way you also must admire Him as man. As such He is the Way for us, for "in this world we are like Him." 1John.4:17
What Jesus experienced when he walked on earth as a human being, encourages us. "Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Heb.12:3 He left "you an example, that you should follow in His steps." 1Pet.2:21
There is darkness on the right and on the left but ahead there is the ever brighter and brighter Jesus-Way!
The best way to stay on the narrow road is to look straight ahead at the Road which means looking at Jesus. Glancing around easily leads out of the Road.
If you are frightened by messages of the law you easily fall into the lawlessness.If you are frightened by messages of the lawlessness you easily fall under the law.
A message of the law can also bewitch you so that you turn on purpose to the right.Also a message of the lawlessness can fascinate you so much that you forget the Road and turn to the left.
When you came to the faith you admired Jesus as the crucified Lamb of God and the up risen Lord on God's throne. So that you would be able to walk in the Jesus-Way you also must admire Him as man. As such He is the Way for us, for "in this world we are like Him." 1John.4:17
What Jesus experienced when he walked on earth as a human being, encourages us. "Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Heb.12:3 He left "you an example, that you should follow in His steps." 1Pet.2:21
There is darkness on the right and on the left but ahead there is the ever brighter and brighter Jesus-Way!
The Bible version used in references is NIV