By the Numbers

Thursday, March 17, 2011

I Want Things My Way

I Want Things My Way

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The popular American singer, Frank Sinatra, had a hit tune entitled, “I Want It My Way.” Aren’t we all inclined to want things our way? But while this may make us feel like kings or queens, could there be some disadvantages to this. Let’s think about it for a while.
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Could my way ever be childish and ignorant? Babies always want their way. They cry when needing change, when hungry, when uncomfortable, when parents need a night’s sleep, and when they have a dozen other things needing immediate attention. Of course, babies are helpless and do need special attention and care. But doesn’t growth and maturity enable them to understand parents and others have needs and a life as well?
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Could my way make me insensitive, demanding, and arrogant toward others that I need as friends and associates? Don’t other human beings like me have rights too? Is disrespect, intimidation, and manipulation the way to show respect, win friends, and influence people, or the opposite? How do we feel when others treat us this way? What would be the consequences if everyone insisted on their way?
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Could my way be the right way when it comes to God, spiritual things, morality, and the afterlife? Tobacco, alcohol, drugs, and sex parties may seem like fun but indulgence can cause physical, mental, and emotional problems, diseases and a million later regrets. Do we know there is no God we must face one day and give account of our lives? If no God exists, then we are either soulless dirt as atheists claim, or recycled energy, as pantheist philosophers and religions believe. Do things just pop into being by chance without cause? Does life come from non-life? Are we just evolving animals without purpose whose only law is limited survival no matter how? This is not the way of true objective science.
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There is another way offered us besides our own way. It’s called the good news of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). If we know nothing about Jesus or only here say opinions and have never inquired about him, we really have no basis to affirm or deny anything about him.  No other worldview is quite like biblical Christianity. No other religious writing has a basis to claim its benefits. It gives us the assurance that there is life after death because Jesus arose from the dead. It was predicted of him centuries earlier in a book called the Bible (Ps 69:10; Acts 2:27). He in fact predicted details about it impossible for persons to know—Judas’ betrayal, Peter’s denial, his crucifixion, arising from the dead three days later.
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Only God could know and do such things. Jesus, in fact claimed to be our eternal Creator come from Heaven, who walked among us, accepted worship, lived a perfect life, forgave sins, died on a cross to take our punishment for sin against God and show his love for us.
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As free responsible human beings, he offers us a life after death with him where there will be no more death, pain, sorrow, or evil. But in love and respect for our dignity, he cannot force us to trust him and enter a forever love-trust relationship. We can reject the Light and lose all the good things of life to live apart from God in darkness and torment because of choosing our way instead of our maker’s way as God planned.
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Won’t you say, Lord Jesus, “Come into my life and be my Savior,  Lord and Guide from this day and forever?”  It's our most crucial issue of life and eternity. His love, forgiveness and Heaven, or the disgrace, torment, guilt of eternal Hell. Friend, I pray you will choose Jesus.
  

2 comments:

  1. There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:12

    God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son (unique sinless God-man), that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

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  2. Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.Let the wicked forsake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways My ways, says the Lord. Isaiah 55:6-7.

    He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him. John 3:36

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