"... and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the Lord." Deuteronomy 1:36
Back to "Listen to God's Lessons"
The Old and New Testament are full of stories of real people and their relationships with God. These stories were written and preserved for us so that we could learn from others' mistakes.
"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." Romans 15:4
"Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." 1 Corinthians 10:11
We have to be very careful that when we share the gospel with others that we don't try to change the message, or try to suit it to what we think people want to hear. We have to be careful to teach what is in the gospel, nothing more, nothing less.
"For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:18, 19
With that being said, we must always be truthful with the gospel that we share concerning salvation. When the disciples asked Yeshua if only a few people would be saved, he responded in this way.
"Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." Luke 13:24
So, let us look at some examples of different periods of Bible history. They are our examples.
In the Garden of Eden there were two people -- a man and a woman, or, Adam and Eve. Percentage-wise, that group didn't do too well. Of the two, zero percent made it in paradise.
The next distinguishable group would be Noah and his family. Out of the entire world, eight people were saved, or, one family.
"By which also he [Yeshua] went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:" 1 Peter 3:19-21
Peter was comparing the water salvation of Noah to the water salvation today in baptism. The "saved" percentage had increased since Adam and Eve, but eight people out of an entire world is still a small amount of people that were saved.
Another example is the people of Israel, who left Egypt (a type of sin), crossed through the Red Sea (a type of baptism), and were all bound for the land of promise (a type of heaven). They were all given the opportunity to enter the promised land, but not all made it. Of all the accountable souls (anyone 20 years and older -- Numbers 32:11), only two men made it to the promised land. Those two men were Joshua (Yeshua) and Caleb. The reason that they made it and the others didn't is because they followed the Lord "wholly" (Deuteronomy 1:36). Here's another way that this "whole" committment was described in the word of God.
"But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day." Deuteronomy 4:4
"Cleave" is an old fashioned term. Today, it's better understood as "cling." The people that clinged to God were the ones that made it to the promised land. Knowing that makes me fall on my face daily and ask God that we may cling to him, that we may follow him wholly. I believe that a person can't get too close to God. When you are clinging to God, just think of that plastic wrap that clings around a melon. Or, think of those monkeys that cling to their mothers no matter how high she climbs in the tree. We want to cling to Him with all we've got. We want to give ourselves wholly to Him.
Don't you want to make it to His promised land? Here what the voice of the Lord says.
"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. " Matthew 7:13-14
Don't you want to find that straight and narrow path? Many are going to take the well-travelled highway that leads to distruction, according to the words of Yeshua. It should make us want to seek that much harder to find the straight and narrow path, to cleave unto Him, and to follow Him wholly with all we've got.
"...whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. " Matthew 7:24-27
Let's follow Him wholly! We're not playing a little church game. Showing up for church service and sitting on a pew isn't what serving the Lord is all about. It's a lifelong committment to doing His will and being completely devoted to Him in Spirit and in Truth. It's a straight and narrow path, and according to our Lord, there will be only a few who find it (just as in the dispensations before us).
Don't just follow the crowd. Seek out the Lord diligently and cling to Him with all you've got. Will it make you popular? Probably not. But, when you enter into the kingdom, it will be worth it all. Plus, hanging out with the Lord daily is better than all the shallow-hollow friends on earth.
This isn't written to hurt anyone or to rain on any parades. It's written so people will realize that the Lord meant what He said. It's written so people will seek their own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:11-13). If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? (1 Peter 4:18)
Let's follow Him wholly -- amen!