The Two Paths of Life – Dr. Charles Stanley

you have chosen a path up to this point

if you keep walking the path that you’re

walking where will it lead you will it

lead you where you really want to go

where you thought you were going to be

by this time in your life so it’s so

very important you listen carefully

because Jesus just cut it down there on

the – today on InTouch the two paths of

life the choices you and I make today

determine our tomorrow’s

that’s why we have to be careful what

kind of choices we make in life for some

people they make very very important

choices carelessly they somehow don’t

look beyond today and they don’t look

beyond tomorrow

they don’t look beyond the future

realizing there are always consequences

to decisions we make would you not agree

that probably all of us have made

decisions we wish we could remake that

the decisions made that we probably

regret if we knew with the consequences

where we would never have made that

decision if we knew where we was going

to lead us we would never make that

decision so how do you how do you make

those choices in a way do you make those

choices on the basis of your the

influence of others for example you make

those choices in the basis of money or

your health or what is it so maybe the

opportunity where does the will of God

fit into how you make choices in life

and I’ll say again it’s so very

important because we live with them in

fact we’ve made choices of what road are

we going to travel in life and the truth

is the path you living today is the path

upon which you have chosen to walk out

your life you started back yonder a long

time ago and you’ve been on this path

too so long did you make a decision well

that’s how I want my life to work out

that’s the path I want to live in that’s

what Jesus said

did you just sort of find yourself

drifting into it well Jesus is

crystal-clear about the kind of path we

should walk on and he is very clear when

it comes to making contrasts that make

it so clear so we know exactly what we

can expect so I want you to turn to the

Sermon on the Mount at five six and

seven chapters of the book of Matthew

and once in a while you’ll find some of

your friend who’ll say now I don’t

believe all the Bible but I believe the

Sermon on the Mount well what that tells

you is that they haven’t read it Jesus

in the Sermon on the mouth in the

seventh chapter just a couple of verses

I want us to read here and I want us to

explain them before we get into further

message but look at if you will that

13th verse of the seventh chapter he

says and the word he uses into here is a

command he commends us enter through the

narrow gate now watch this through the

narrow gate that skip down to the

fourteenth Rus where it says the gate

but the gate is small and the way is

narrow that leads to life and there are

few who find it go back now enter

through the narrow gate for the gate is

wide and the way is broad that leads to

destruction so we talked about two

different gates here and you have to

skip down to see if what you want is

talking about so another narrow gate

that this gate the gate is small and the

way is narrow that leads to life and

there are few who find it and then back

again now enter through the narrow gate

then we change the gates for the gate is

wide and the way is broad and it leads

to destruction and there are many people

who enter through it so what Jesus is

simply saying is this there are many

ways to live that is we walk the path of

righteousness walk the path that’s godly

or we walk the path that’s full of

destruction and run in a person’s life

and if you’ll think about it all of us

have chosen the path and the path that

you and I are living on today is the

path that we’ve chosen that you may not

have sat down and said this is the path

I’m

want to choose but you chose one you may

have found yourself may be influenced in

that way or somebody convention

persuaded you or whatever the situation

you’re walking on the path that you have

chosen now the question is that’s where

is he going to lead you if you keep

walking the path that you follow me

where are you going to end up you so I

don’t know but don’t you think it’d be

wise before you chose the pathway in

life to ask yourself the question where

will this lead me what will this get me

how will I end up what’s that what’s the

final stage of my life where am I going

to spend eternity you should ask them

very sobering questions and if you’re on

a path today that you wish you were not

on I’ll show you how to get off of it if

you’re on a path and don’t know why you

started that maybe you’ll find out today

the important thing is this you’re

walking on a path you’ve chosen that

path it has consequences good or bad

depends on which path it is and I want

you to listen carefully to this message

it’s interesting in this passage for

example if you keep going you’ll notice

he talks about the good trees bad trees

he talks about the fruit and so forth

and talks about good foundations and bad

foundations so when you look at all this

listen to what he says he talks about

two gates narrow and wide two ways

narrow and broad two destinations life

and destruction two groups view and many

two kinds of trees good and bad two

kinds of people who profess faith in

Christ is sincere and the faults two

kinds of builders wise and foolish two

kinds of foundations rock and sin and

two kinds of houses secure and insecure

and you’ll see that Jesus makes it very

very clear with two choices that’s it I

have two choices in life so you have

chosen a path up to this point if you

keep walking the path that you’re

walking where will it lead you will it

lead you where you really want to go

where you thought you were

to be by this time in your life so it’s

so very important you listen carefully

because Jesus just cut it down there

only to there’s a path of righteousness

godliness there’s a path that leads to

destruction and the path that leads to

eternal life you say well I decide I’m

just going to go along on this path and

change my mind out there somewhere maybe

you can maybe you can’t maybe you will

maybe you want very important you listen

carefully so let’s look at this first

path and he calls it the broad way so

when you look at that he talks about the

wide gate now what is he talking about

he’s talking about that lifestyle in

that pathway if you choose that wide

then you can have all kind of

diversities of beliefs you can believe

most anything in the world you want to

believe all kind of philosophies and

opinions and people have all kind of

religions and and everything seems to be

fine and you have your religion I have

mine but on the path we walk we don’t

criticize each other we choose what we

believe in life we don’t talk about

Jesus necessarily or the Bible we just

enjoy our life and move on on the broad

path and it’s a place of freedom and we

don’t worry about consequences

that’s the broad wide path this is a

path he says that’s crowded and that is

he said many are in this path and if you

look around you for example today as a

follower of Jesus in some circles you

find yourself in you have to look for

the believer you have to find the

Christian there was a time when most

people in this country believed in the

Lord Jesus Christ believed the Word of

God that’s no longer true there many

people in this country who do not even

know who Jesus is you’d be surprised the

people when you talk about Jesus they’d

say and I was talking to someone the

other day and I said do you have a Bible

if I’d have been a bettin man out of

that sure he had one or two or three

Bibles and at this point in his life he

said no listen this is no longer the

Christian nation it used to be Jesus and

the Word of God and the Christian does

not have the place we used to have and

what means what that means is

people have stopped listening to the

Word of God they have decided to walk a

certain way and that crowds getting

larger and larger all the time they want

to be able to do what they want to do

when they want to do it as they want to

do it and they think in their crowd

they’re the strongest and on and on they

go that’s the broad way the broad way is

ungodly it’s undisciplined it allows all

kinds of things you can drink all you

want to drink gamble all you want to

gamble you have all kind of sexual

immorality you have it your way that is

their words this that they call this the

freeway it is not the freeway Jesus

called it the way of destruction but

people today want freedom they say I

want freedom to do what I want to do go

where I want to go I don’t want anybody

telling me what I can do and what I

can’t do find that that’s that’s the

path that’s the crowded path that’s

that’s the broad way that’s the way of

the ungodly and so if that’s what you

want you can have it and Jesus is not

going to say to you no you can’t do that

if you want to live a life that will end

in destruction you want to live a path

walk a path well you’ve got freedom to

do what you please you tell your parents

to forget it you know what you’re at

this point in your life and they’ve

raised you and now you’re free to do

what you want to do you can have all

kinds of sexual affairs you want to have

drink all you on a drink live like you

want to live party like you want to

party and all the rest and say well that

that’s the path I choose I just want to

warn you that path will lead you

ultimately to being eternally separated

from God and the Bible calls the place a

chi ll hell I know you don’t like to

hear you don’t want to hear it that’s

not what you want to hear I’m not here

to tell you what you want to hear I’m

here to tell you what Jesus said and it

depends on where you want to end up in

life and it depends on what rules you

want to live by maybe you don’t live by

the rules you don’t want anybody telling

you how to live your life you have

enough money enough property enough this

and the friends and all the rest you

can’t get anything in the world you want

but the one thing I know you don’t have

is

don’t have any peace in there real joy

you have absolutely no security

whatsoever you could lose everything you

have in a split second you have no

assurance you have you have nothing that

you can be confident about so you’re

living on a path that is a path of

destruction you’re living on the path

that Satan walks and he encourages

others to walk the same path the path of

freedom the path of liberty now you can

do what you want to do when you want to

do it is nobody else’s business but

yours yes there is you cannot live apart

from the knowledge of Almighty God he

knows where you hit it while you’re

headed there and he will do his best to

keep you off that path change paths but

if you insist on living that kind of

life you will end up with the

consequences that that pathway provides

then I think it’s the way of darkness

you see if you’ll think about it for a

moment you go back to proverbs chapter 4

for a moment and let’s look if you will

in the nineteenth verse because you see

if you’ll think about this isn’t it

interesting that bars and places like

that and I guess nightclubs haven’t been

that any but the way the world operates

isn’t it incident that they cut the

lights down real low that it’s real dark

you know what that’s scriptural listen

to this the way of the wicked is like

darkness they’re walking in darkness

because they have shut Christ out of

their life and when you shut Christ out

of your life you’ve got a major problem

so look if you will on to John but that

st. John 3:16 this is the same chapter

of John 3:16 people say well I believe

in John 3:16 for God so loved the world

that He gave His only begotten Son that

whoever believes in him would not perish

but have everlasting life we’re coming

back to belief for a moment but listen

to what in the same chapter people so I

believe Jesus said that well let me tell

you something else Jesus said this is

the judgment that the light has come

into the world speaking of himself and

Men loved the darkness

other than the light because their deeds

are evil for everyone who does evil

hates the light and does not come into

the light for fear that the deeds will

be exposed and this is just the clear

teaching of the word of God Jesus is on

the light of the world now watch this

and he says that when he leaves you and

I are the light of the world so that our

life is to be a light in the darkened

world a darkened community wherever you

live a darkened household you can be a

child of God in the household everybody

else in that’s lost he says when he left

we’re the light and he says the

unbelieving world hates the light and I

was listening to this atheist on the

television the other day and he was

being interviewed and I thought of

myself I felt sorry for him because he

couldn’t answer any question what do you

believe well you know what if you’re an

atheist what do you believe well I

believe I ought to have my rights well

you have all the rights you want but

what’s gonna happen when you die you

don’t believe in God will you get there

and wait till you start breathing your

last breaths

you’re gonna want somebody to tell you

the truth and tell it to you fast all

the stuff that you and I hear we don’t

believe in Jesus we don’t believe in the

Bible and now for example I hear their

faith it’s churches so I’m gonna say

what are y’all saying what do you talk

about who’s the leader what hope do you

have what assurance do you have what’s

your purpose in other words just getting

the yepper to do what and so jesus said

it’s very clear they only two paths and

no matter how you how you classify one

path or how you decorate it you can’t

decorate it to the point that God

accepts the pathway of the wicked he

does not and is it’s also a way of

disappointment you can’t tell me that

anybody is living in sin absolute

disobedience to God and who’s happy and

contented because it is absolutely a

contradiction of emotions

you cannot live in ungodliness you

cannot live in deliberate willful sin

knowing that your sinning and you can

say well I don’t believe it’s a sin yes

you do yes you do you know the Bible

says it’s a sin yes you do know it’s a

sin you’re trying to convince yourself

it’s not listen you’re trying to change

God’s mind about what he absolutely

totally completely condemns you’re not

gonna change the mind of God about that

he hates sin that doesn’t hate the

sinner but he hates sin because of what

it does to his children he hates sin

because of what it’s doing to you on the

path that you have chosen that path the

Bible says he says it’s the path that

leads to listen not only disappointment

it’s the pathway that leads to

destruction and he asked a question and

marked the eighth chapter look at that

for just a moment Dave chapter of Mark

beginning in verse 34 and he summoned

the crowd with his disciples and said to

them look at this if anyone wishes to

come after me has to follow him he must

deny himself take up his cross and

follow me

listen to become a believer is more than

just saying I believe in Jesus you can

believe in a lot of things we have to be

clear about what he means that belief

then he says and whoever wishes to save

his life will lose it but whoever loses

his life of my sake and the gospel’s

will save it and then he asked this

question I want to challenge you to

answer what does it profit a man or a

woman to gain the whole world and

forfeit his soul what does it profit a

man for what will a man give in exchange

for his soul what’s the answer to that

listen to me carefully and I say this

not because I’m being critical but

because I’m being honest and biblical

you are foolish to live out the path

that you’re walking on in absolute

disobedience to God which he says as a

path of destruction denying the presence

of Christ denying the Word of God

criticizing and persecuting believers in

order to fulfill whatever those desires

are in your life thinking that somehow

one of these days it’s going to get

better it’s not going to get better it’s

going to get worse because you’re going

to be more and more captivated and

you’re going to be more and more

imprisoned by your habits and your sin

and your disobedience to God Jesus never

spoke anything but the truth and what

he’s doing in this passage is warning us

there were two paths not three but two

paths and he says in this passage that

it is a way of destruction

disappointment darkness it’s the broad

way it’s the wide way it’s the way of

the ungodly then he says there is

another path and and listen to what he

says in this passage now he says enter

through the narrow gate and had as I

said about that but this gate is small

and the way is narrow that leads to life

and there are few who find it that is

comparatively there’ll be few Christians

compared to the world’s population few

Christians it is our job to get the

truth of the knowledge of Christ David

but on the face of this globe that’s

what we’re attempting to do and

succeeding at it by the grace of God the

power of God the work of the Holy Spirit

and many many missionaries and many many

people who are preaching the gospel and

every language possible all over the

world but we’ll always be outnumbered

and what he’s simply saying here is this

this narrow way is just that it is the

narrow way and that is in the narrow way

you don’t have a mixture well a little

bit of this religion a little bit of

that religion a little bit of this is

okay a little bit of that’s okay you

don’t have a mixture of lifestyles you

don’t have a mixture of attitudes about

God and I believe in this God or that

God of the other this is the way that

Jesus calls all of us to follow and when

you see that he says it’s narrow it

requires discipline if you live a godly

life there’s some things you want to

learn your life and I’ll see parents for

example who allowing everything

imaginable in their life and in their

house

so and then they get all upset because

their kids get on drugs and they get on

drinking and sex and everything else and

you want to ask the parents will what

what kind of pattern did you set in your

home what kind of language did you talk

about was every third or fourth word in

you and your family a curse word because

you just want to be smart and I hear

people use words that I would not repeat

you misuse in the name of Jesus but he

is not a word of profanity he’s the son

of God the holiest name that there is so

then they’re away he says it’s the way

of the few Jesus said to one time to his

disciples will you to walk away his

crowd got so small he had just a handful

of people following him because they

didn’t like the idea of discipling and

your life get crucified life on the

cross and being obedient to God and so

you think about this if you want to get

a crowd you appeal to the crowd what

appeals to the crowd freedom liberty

have your way do it as you please

everybody enjoy life enjoy life for the

moment but that’s it it’s so deceptive

and yet the narrow ways is it’s the way

of the few there be that find it it’s

the way of wisdom for example go back to

Proverbs again the fourth chapter and

look what he says the narrow way is the

way of wisdom how do you want to how do

you want to live your life how do you

want to walk it out you’re gonna walk

wisely the whole book of Proverbs is all

about had to live out our life wisely

listen to this fourth chapter proverbs

in the tenth verse he says here my son

and accept my sayings and then watch

this and the years of your life will be

many I have directed you in the way of

wisdom look at that this is what God is

saying he says I’ve directed you in the

way of wisdom whether you heard it or

not whether you chose it enough is the

path you choose I have directed you in

the way of wisdom I have led you in

upright paths when you when you walk

your steps will not be impeded or handed

and if you run you will list he says you

will not stumble take hold of

instructions do not let go god listen

guard her for she is your life do not

enter the path of the wicked and do not

proceed in the way of evil men it can’t

be any clearer there’s a path of wisdom

righteousness holiness godliness it’s a

path it’s a I didn’t sending about being

easy there’s nothing easy about living a

godly life but I’ll tell you one thing

when it comes to what our heart desires

our soul cries out for peace and joy and

happiness and confidence and assurance

and eternal life and true genuine

friendships and all the rest that’s the

path do you there be that find it on the

other path crowds you don’t see all the

lights and all the glamour on the narrow

path but it’s the right path a path of

wisdom and it’s the path of following

Jesus listen to what Jesus said I am the

way the truth and the life no one comes

to the Father but by me oh they say that

that’s being narrow-minded it is it’s

very narrow-minded listen Jesus said I

am the way the truth and the life no one

comes to the Father but by me

somebody says well I don’t believe he’s

healing the way well let me ask you a

couple of questions number one if he’s

not the only way how you have who’s

going to deal with your sin you say well

my sins not so bad that’s your opinion

a holy God says your sins evil and

wicked and vile in his eyes what are you

going to do with your sin well I’m just

going to confess it did you know that

confessing sinned is not what removes

the penalty of sin from your life you

said I go to church and confess my sin

every week I’ll bet you confess the same

thing every week also confessing your

sin does not remove it watch this

carefully when Jesus came to this earth

is a virgin born son of God he came sent

by the father

he came sent by the father for the

primary purpose of laying down his life

on the cross shedding his blood as the

ultimate final sacrifice God prophesied

all the way back to the beginning of

time he laid down this life on the cross

in order for God to be able to forgive

you of your sin he paid your price the

Bible says that God said the soul that

sinneth it shall die if there’s no

crucifixion no of blood there’s

no payment for your sin this is why the

cross is so precious to all of us who

believe as we understand what it is it

is the symbol of God’s awesome love and

payment for the sin of mankind in order

for God to be just in order for God to

be truthful he had to pay our sin debt

himself Jesus Christ the Son of God laid

down his life on the cross that satisfy

the requirements of God for the penalty

of sin therefore when you trust him as

your personal Savior it’s more than just

confessing yeah I believe in Jesus when

you trust him as your personal Savior

you’re surrendering your life to him and

you are accepting his forgiveness not on

the basis that you’ve confessed that you

have accepted his forgiveness on the

basis Jesus died and paid the penalty

this is why confess confess confess

confess confess till the day you die and

it’s not younger you better get it until

you’re confessing that Jesus Christ is

the son of God the savior of the world

your only hope and he came as a

sacrifice in order for you to be

forgiven by Almighty God and on the

basis of that Jesus Christ being the son

of God Jesus Christ being God in the

flesh for those he 33 years he was on

the on the earth when you trust him as

your Savior that means you’re giving up

your own way you’re surrendering your

life to him that’s the narrow path

that’s the narrow gate that’s where that

you are because

most people want to have religion and

liberty they want freedom to do anything

they want to do and then go to their God

and say Lord and Jesus name I forgive me

or whoever they’re praying to so I ask

you a question when you confess your

sins to God do you simply say Lord I’m

asking you to forgive me

in Jesus name or however you say it amen

well why should he forgive you in other

words if you if you just have a guilty

feeling and you know you’re gonna do it

again tomorrow

that’s not confession that’s not

repentance in that what did Jesus say he

says he says except a man be born again

what does that imply what does that say

there’s got to be a change a new birth

is a new life and Paul says if any man

be in Christ trusted Christ as Savior

you’re a new creation old things have

passed away behold things have become

new because now you have Christ living

on the inside that you’re enabling you

showing you what is right and giving you

the power to live a godly life there are

only two paths and the path that you’re

living today will determine what happens

tomorrow and I don’t say any of these

things to be critical I’m saying because

you need to understand Jesus Christ the

Son of God will be the one every single

one of us stands before kneels before

stretch that before whatever when we

stand in the judgment all the stuff that

you hear people tell you what it’s going

to be like this he says it is appointed

unto men once to die and after this the

judgment there is no escape when you now

stand before him if we have been washed

in the blood of Jesus having trusted him

as our Savior surrendered our life to

him we’re gonna be able to stand before

him freely only the love of God will be

there if you reject the Son of God

listen to think about this you reject

the only hope you have you reject the

son of the Almighty God who created this

world and it’s atmospheres and

everything around us you reject him

whatever your reason for rejecting him

you will stand before God and give an

account and having heard the truth of

the gospel what will you say well you

know I would say people here’s here’s

I’m gonna sell tables you’re gonna say

nothing you’re not gonna say anything

listen we don’t any of us know how it’s

gonna be but when I think about before

Jesus I want to stretch up my face on

the floor and bury my nose in the carpet

just thinking about this lying before

righteousness holiness such a glory that

Jesus Christ if you listen if he hadn’t

laid aside his glory before he came

nobody would have seen him because the

radiance of the glory of perfect purity

and righteousness is so bright nobody

could have seen him nobody could have

touched him nobody could have felt him

nobody could have had the eyes would not

conceive of it sin is sin sin is

darkness and this is what do you say sin

is darkness and there are people who say

you know I just believe somehow that I’m

gonna get there and every once in a

while I’ll hear people say well I know

I’m not perfect and but I believe

somehow ultimately we are all going to

get to heaven let me just say this to

you there is not one single bit of a

reason let alone Scripture there is no

reason you mean to tell me you think

that you’re gonna get to heaven with

your sin and disobedience and rebellion

toward God that you’re living a sinful

life that you’re violating the one

principle after the other one

commandment after the other and that

somehow one of these days we’re just

gonna all get there because God is the

God of love let me tell you why you’re

not gonna get that yeah you know why

you’re not gonna get there because he is

a God of love if God allowed you to get

to heaven violating his law violating

his principles if he let you get by with

that that wouldn’t be love that would be

a falsehood on the part of God

everybody’s not going to heaven there’s

only one way according to the Word of

God and the reason we do our best to get

the gospel to the whole world we want

everybody to hear it we want everybody

to know the truth somebody says well

what about those folks who’ve never

heard I’m always listening to that let

me say one word first of all that’s not

your problem your problem is you’ve

heard it you hear it you know it that’s

the issue don’t shift it off to somebody

else and so all this reasoning that goes

on Jesus said I am the way the truth and

the life no one comes to the Father but

by me and I want you to listen to what

Jesus said in John 8:12 jesus said to

them I am the light of the world he who

follows me look at this are you

listening say man he who follows me will

not walk in darkness but will have the

light of Life

if you have following Jesus you’re not

gonna walk you’re not gonna be walking

the broad way you’re gonna walk the

narrow way as he says in the scriptures

here whether and he says to you there be

defined it

now in light of these two ways the broad

in an era how do we explain the carnally

minded Christian now what’s the

currently Amani Christian are currently

a minded Christian is what Paul says the

fleshly carnally minded means that for

example all of us have some bit of

naturalness in us that’s why you still

have the capacity to sin a person who’s

walking in the flesh a person who’s

walking in in the naturalness as a

person who’s doing what their desires

call for them to do and so every single

one of us have sinned and ask God to

forgive us and cleanses and he has and

all of us will sin at some point in

their life go to Galatians chapter 5 and

I got a couple of passages that what you

look at and all of us have the capacity

to sin against them but listen to what

Paul says in verse 16 of the fifth

chapter but I say walk by the spirit

follow the spirit be obedient to the

spirit who’s within you and you will not

carry out the desires of the flesh

there’s never going to be a time when

there’s no desire within you whatsoever

or when the desires are there for

example you and I can we can say no to

those desires it’s Satan throws against

us and told us we have the power

say no he says I said you walk by the

spirit and you’ll not carry out the

desires of the flesh for the flesh that

is that naturalness within us sets its

desire against the spirit and the spirit

against the flesh for these are in

opposition to one another so that you

may not do the things that you please

that is the flesh so we have the Spirit

of God within us to enable us to

overcome temptation and being a

disobedient to God now watch this

carefully I believe it’s not you nah

mate we may send here send there

something but an ya person who has given

themselves over to sin on an ongoing

continuing basis yes say well were they

saved well you had to ask that question

okay let’s go back to that passage we

read in the beginning the seventh

chapter of Matthew again and look if you

will in this twentieth verse back to

Matthew 7 verse 20 now I’ll tell you

something interesting when you and I’ll

fight for you who are listening the

wisest thing you could do is to take

your Bible with you when you sit down to

watch in touch or when you listen to

radio and a pastor whoever he may be

gives you a passage of Scripture watch

this carefully it’s one thing for you to

hear it it’s something entirely

different for you to see it listen to

what he says so then he says here’s how

you can know the difference between the

saved and the unsaved so then you will

know them by their fruits not everyone

who says to me Lord Lord will enter the

kingdom of heaven but he who does the

will of my father who is in heaven will

enter heaven many will say to me on that

day Lord Lord did we not prophesy in

your name and your name cast out demons

and in your name perform many miracles

very religious listen these are all

religious things going on so we cast out

demons we did this we did the other

exists all this in your name and perform

many miracles and then I will declare to

them I never knew you depart from me you

you who do what practice lawlessness

practice means to do something on an

ongoing and continuing basis so am I

asking a question is there any sin in

your life that you have accepted as a

way of life that you practice it’s

continually a part of your life you

don’t excuse it you don’t confess it in

the MOL it’s just a part of your life

and you’ve rationalized it and you’ve

accepted it as a part of your life I’m

telling you you need to ask yourself the

question have I ever really and truly

been saved with the grace of God then

let’s look at this idea of belief in

just a moment somebody says well I

believe in Jesus what does that mean

that used to bother me when I first got

in the ministry so I took my greek bible

i started in matthew i went all the way

through the new testament every time i

found the word belief or believed in the

greek i translated it to see what it

says every single time no exception to

believe is a word of action if i believe

in jesus christ that doesn’t mean i had

just given mentalists into it i believe

in act and what is that act i put my

life in his hands i trust him

i’ve repent of my sins i confess my sins

i repent of my sins I’ve surrendered my

life to Jesus Christ

you can believe a lot of things you can

believe about this and believe about

that and believe somebody says well I

believe in him what does that mean that

you put your trust in him oh well it can

mean a lot of things but when you say

you believe in Jesus Christ the new

testament word belief is a word of

action this is why he says believe on

the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be

saved and I would ask you do you really

and truly have you ever really and truly

surrendered your life to Jesus Christ

the Son of God whom he sent into this

world as the only means of satisfying

God’s requirement for a for paying a

penalty for sin you recall all those

sacrifices in the Old Testament they

were they were foreshadowing the coming

of Christ when he came

is the final sacrifice remember that the

veil in the temple was rent from top to

bottom and opened it all up the holy of

Holy’s why because you and I now have

access to God through His Son Jesus

Christ we don’t have to go through

anybody you don’t have to go through

anybody Jesus opened the door for you

and me to be able to have a personal

intimate relationship with God but

listen to me carefully when you say you

believe in Jesus you believe what about

Jesus do you believe that he’s the son

of God if you believe that you will

surrender your life to Him do you

believe he was just another man then

that is a belief that brings you nothing

but ultimate destruction Jesus Christ is

the son of God the sacrificial

substitutionary all sufficient sacrifice

for your sins and my sins therefore if

you want to get on the right path you

have to step on the right path by

placing your trust in Christ as the

crucified Savior asking God to forgive

you of your sins and surrendering your

life to him to follow him all the days

of your life and let me tell you

something else you can’t straddle the

fence on these two pathways well I’m

gonna walk over here and then I want to

walk over here no you can’t they’re two

paths you’ve chosen one already of what

you ever pet that is you say well how do

I get off this path I’ll tell ya if you

willing to acknowledge that Jesus Christ

is the son of God and you willing to

acknowledge the fact that God sent him

into this world for the purpose of dying

on the cross in order to shed his blood

to make the payment for your sin in the

sin of the world you willing to believe

that Jesus Christ crucified was a

sacrificial substitutionary death and

which it was for us you willing to

believe that he’s the son of God in the

Savior

you willing to ask him to forgive you of

your sins and to repent of those sins to

turn away from them by the strength and

the help and the guidance of the Holy

Spirit you willing to turn away from

that you willing to surrender your life

to him totally and believe in that

surrendered that confession that Jesus

Christ is forgiving you of your sins

you’re accepting that forgiveness and

accepting that he has a brand new life

for you and you choosing to walk in that

he’s takes you right off that old path

puts you on the new path because now you

become a new person in Christ my friend

believe me if there were any other way I

would tell you I I would tell you if

there’s any other way I would tell you

but you have to decide whether you

believe the Word of God or you do not so

let me just ask you this you say well

you know something about this Bible that

bothers me

and so let me ask you this if for some

reason the Bible bothers you if you

don’t live by this what are you gonna

live by I’ll tell you about a question

that if you don’t die by this what are

you gonna die by and where are you gonna

spend eternity in Jesus name I trust

that you’ll be wise enough right now

wherever you are to ask God to forgive

you of your sins forgive you for your

unbelief forgive you for walking the

path you’ve been walking but give you

for the sin in your life forgive you for

all the excuses you’ve made and all the

attempts you’ve made the quad in your

own stinging conscience and tell him

that you’re surrendering your life to

Him and today you want to become a child

of God right now you can this is the

only way

and the God who wrote this Bible will be

the God who judges you and me one of

these days that’s why you better stick

with the book father how grateful we are

for your love for us I think about how

many people order traveling a path

that’s a path of destruction they have

lots of encouragement to keep following

that path but I pray that the gospel of

Jesus also penetrate their hearts they

can no longer even live with themselves

following in that path and they’ll make

the decision to step across the path

that you have fought it’s narrow won’t

be as many people there but it’s the way

of eternal life and we praise you for it

in Jesus name Amen

following the path of Jesus Christ

requires discipline through the strength

of the Holy Spirit believers have the

power to say no to sin at intouch.org

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come on guys let’s go we’re gonna be

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I picked somebody took the dog out

that’s okay

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we tried the drill I’m with you buddy

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well God is not only holy but he is an

awesomely creative God then reveals

himself in different ways and most

Sunday’s I’ll show you a photograph not

every Sunday and the one I want to show

you today it was so cold and we were

dressed very very warm it was so cold we

got back in the vehicle it’s about two

or three times and it rained on us and

we got back in got back out and we sort

of wanted to leave but I thought no we

can’t leave every time I’ve ever left I

was sorry so I just said lord help us to

be able to stay here and all of a sudden

this is what we saw the heavens declare

what the glory of God and you know

oftentimes people will leave just before

the glory shines that’s why you have to

be patient maybe a patient with God

facing with ourselves patient with

others and supplementation with nature

and so I thought you might like that

this morning and I’ll tell you just

encourage me Oh naturally that does

because when I’m photographing I mean

you can mark this down I got you in mind

because I like to show them not to say

look at me but to see what God’s up to

leading people worldwide into a growing

relationship with Jesus Christ and

strengthening the local church in touch

with dr. Charles Stanley is a

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