Are you on the way in or out?

[Jacob]

Some of us are pressing on to get to know Jesus better, to walk more
closely with Him, to do His will more perfectly, to bring honour and
glory to His name, etc. These are the ones who have had their hearts
sprinkled clean with the blood and have boldness to enter into the
holy of holies, who are seeking to enter more deeply into the heart of
God (He.10:19-22). Having been brought in by grace into the kingdom of
God they are striving to 'enter' more deeply in every sense of the
word (Lk.13:24).

Some of us, who also have entered into the kingdom through the same
grace as the others, are actually moving towards the way out. We may
not recognise it or acknowledge it, but we are getting farther away
from the centre of the kingdom as time goes on. We have lost the
initial thrill, things have become routine, other things have begun to
occupy prime time in our mind, we have become a little weary of having
to deny ourselves daily and we feel that we need to be able to indulge
ourselves a bit now and then, etc. We are on the way out.

Some of us like to think that even though we are not actually pressing
on towards the centre, we are more or less stable in our routines and
that there is no need for alarm. But here we are fooling ourselves. If
we are not actively moving in the direction of God, we are really on
the way out, whether we know it or not (Re.3:15,16). Pressures are
mounting up in this world. Even ordinary life is beginning to become a
fight for survival. On top of that Satan and his demons are on the
lookout to see how they can make us fall (1Pe.5:8). It is becoming
increasingly difficult to live in this world as Christians (2Ti.3:1
LB). Jesus warns us that we should watch and pray at all times if we
are to be able to 'escape' and 'stand' before Him at the end (Lk.
21:36).

There is no such thing as a complacent, easy going Christian life.
Those who think that they are 'saved' and 'headed for heaven' and
begin to take things easy and enjoy the (transient) pleasures of this
life as if everything is safe are going in for a rude shock. Without
the grace of God we will not have the strength to face the pressures
that are coming, and we will become an easy prey for the devil. It is
a myth to think that we can have a level, plateau like path once we
climb the small hill of repentance and faith and get 'saved.' No, what
we have come to is not salvation in its full sense but just
forgiveness of our sins and justification before God. There is a long
path ahead through battle zones, where we are going to have to deal
with the lusts in our flesh that try to pull us back into the old life
and attacks from Satan who tries to pull us away from God. This again
is an upward journey, and any time we think we can pause and take a
nap, we begin our slide downwards (1Co.10:12).

If we don't believe this, experience will teach us. But it is not so
pleasant to learn it the hard way, is it? And hopefully it won't be
too late.