Pastor’s Pen: To choose Jesus is to choose life

By Rev Alan MillarYou have chosen wisely! These were the words spoken by the ancient Crusader Knight to Indiana Jones when he was decided which goblet known as Holy Grail to choose. Choosing wrongly meant death.
Rev Alan Millar.Rev Alan Millar.
Rev Alan Millar.

Moses told the people of Israel that he set before them the choice of life and death - “choose life,” he said.

Daily we make life and death choices, like not walking in front of oncoming traffic - that would be a bad choice of action. It would result in serious injury and disruption of many other lives. Such a choice might even mean death that would change the lives of many people forever.

Sometimes we may be distracted from realising the danger of stepping out into the road. Even though we know the danger, distraction may cause us to forget to make the right choice.

All this happens in the physical world around us and for the most part we have learned, through experience, how to avoid dangers by choosing wisely. But what about our spiritual lives, the eternal part of what God created, for we are physical and spiritual beings.

Making wrong spiritual choices is perhaps more dangerous for they deal with our eternal souls, that part of us that no man can destroy, only the One who created it.

The way to avoid poor spiritual choices is to be always living in the Spirit, perpetually follow the commandments of Jesus who has told us that we are to love one another with the same eternal love with which He loves us.

Choosing to love others is not always easy, and to be honest, some people try our patience. Nonetheless, it is only with the true humility of Jesus can we love ALL people.

Pride and contempt for others is a distraction given us by Satan. Seeing ourselves as more worthy of salvation than others has no place in the true spiritual life, for it leads to eternal death.

In Matthew 7:21 Jesus said: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” - and that is to love as He loves. Read 1 John 4:7-12.

To choose Jesus is to choose life, a life of unconditional love. Jesus’ love was a sacrificial love, it was not arrogant, boastful, rude or contemptuous of others. It was and is unconditional, freely given to all.

Choose wisely!

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