Global Positioning System
(GPS) is used by nearly everyone these days. Did you
know that it is used to
assist those who are deaf or blind? We all saw how accurate it can be during
Desert Storm. It is said that it answers five questions simultaneously:
1.
Where am I?
2.
Where am I going?
3.
Where are you?
4.
What’s the best
way to get there?
5.
When will I get
there?
GPS works in three ways. They
are:
1.
Space: 28
satellites orbit the earth twice a day, each in its own orbit 11,000 nautical miles
above the earth.
2.
User: Receivers
can be held in our hands or mounted, for example, in our cars.
3.
Control: Five
ground stations around the world make sure the satellites work properly.
For traveling purposes,
folded maps, which we have all probably used at one time, are no longer
necessary. Just key in your destination on the receiver, and off you go.
Obviously, there are many, many other uses for GPS, but for my purpose in
writing this article, this is all I need to say.
I was thinking about the
Bible the other day in relationship to the GPS service we all know and love. It
occurred to me that the Bible is the spiritual GPS for everyone on earth. It
tells us where we are, where we are going and how to get there. It provides
answers for the same five questions that GPS answers.
WHERE AM I?
The Bible says, “for all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23)
It also says, “whoever does
not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name
of God’s one and only Son. This is the
verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of
light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light,
and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.”
(John 3:18b-20)
These and many other verses
in the Bible let us know that we are all sinners before God. Our position in
this world is as sinners standing before a Holy God. If we do not come before
God placing our faith in His Son Jesus, we remain in the position of “stands
condemned.”
Where am I? I’m standing
alone, condemned and without excuse.
WHERE AM I GOING?
“But I will show you whom you
should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to
throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” (Luke 12:5)
“Then death and Hades were
thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone
whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake
of fire.” (Revelation 20:14-15)
If we stand condemned before
God our destination is hell, which is then thrown into the lake of fire on
judgment day.
HOW DO I GET THERE?
Now that’s a good question.
Do we have to curse God or publicly deny Jesus to arrive in hell? Do we have to
be a bad person, or even a really, really bad person? Actually, anyone can
arrive in hell after leaving this world by simply doing nothing. That’s right.
Getting a free all-expense paid trip to hell is so easy anybody can go; bad
people, good people, even religious people.
Don’t forget, God said in
John 3:18, “…whoever does not believe stands condemned already.” So it really
doesn’t matter if you never said “No,” because you have said “No” to Jesus by
simply saying nothing, trying to remain neutral. In the same verse God goes on
to explain by saying, “because they have not believed in the name of God’s one
and only Son.”
Therefore, if I really prefer
to go to hell (perish the thought), I don’t have to do anything. It will all be
made available for me upon my death.
So now we have the route to
take, and the route is the broad way of destruction.
“…For wide is the gate and
broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.”
(Matthew 7:13b)
NOW WAIT JUST A MINUTE!!!
Oh, I’m sorry, I almost forgot.
What about those who want to go to Heaven instead? Okay, let’s start over.
WHERE AM I?
Nothing has changed. We all
are leaving from the same place; i.e. “stands condemned.”
“There is no one righteous,
not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All
have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does
good, not even one.” “Their throats are
open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their
lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing
and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark
their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.”
“There is no fear of God
before their eyes.” (Romans 3:10-18)
So what hope is there for
those who want to have Jesus in their lives and live with Him forever in
Heaven? There must be a different way, than the highway to hell. There is one
way. Not many take it, because it is so narrow.
HOW DO I GET THERE?
Notice I skipped “Where Am I
Going” since we have already decided to change the destination from hell to
Heaven. So how do I get to Heaven?
“If you declare with your
mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the
dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
In other words, “For it is by
grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is
the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
By trusting wholly upon Jesus
Christ, putting our faith in Him alone, our destination is changed for
eternity, but we must act. We cannot be neutral about Jesus. We are either for
Him or against Him. If we say nothing, we are just as much against Him as those
who curse Him, but if we ask Him to save us, He will.
“But our citizenship is in
heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,”
(Philippians 3:20)
“But you have come to Mount
Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to
thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the
firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge
of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of
a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the
blood of Abel.” (Hebrews 12:22-24)
We now have a new route. It
is the only route that goes directly to the cross of Christ and the empty tomb
He left behind. This is the narrow path and the narrow gate that few choose to
travel, but it is the only way to God.
“Jesus answered, “I am the
way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
(John 14:6)
BUT THAT’S NOT ALL
By asking Jesus to save us we
now are at peace with God.
“Therefore, since we have
been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we
now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2)
Also, we will never ever be
condemned by God because Jesus took our condemnation upon Himself, for us.
“Therefore, there is now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus
the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and
death.” (Romans 8:1-2)
And also we will never ever
be separated from our Savior and Lord. We are His for ever and ever.
“For I am convinced that
neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the
future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ
Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
Yes, the Word of God, the
Bible, is the GPS for every individual on this earth; all those in the past,
present and future. The Bible is the most important document mankind will ever
have because it speaks the words of God. Those who take it lightly will suffer
for it, but those who listen will be blessed.
Jesus said to the seven
churches in Revelation, “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says
to the churches.” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22)
The churches and all mankind
need to listen to His words. They speak truthfully, loudly, clearly and
emphatically in this precious book called the Bible.
I will close by mentioning
one more matter. For those who choose the GPS route of the narrow way, what do
we do about the many road hazards Satan throws in our way? I think King David
said it best.
“The LORD is my shepherd, I
lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green
pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul. He
guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through
the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your
staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love
will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the
LORD forever.” (Psalms 23)
Grant Phillips
Email: Phillip5769@twc.com
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
Rapture Ready: http://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html
