Making Choices

Many choices in life are trivial, like choosing between the red shirt or the blue shirt.  Perhaps there is a choice of one thing among many reasonable options.  But the choices that matter in eternity are always between two options – binary choices.  For example, we recently looked at one important choice everyone must make: 

Matt 7:13-14 – Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. 

In this scenario of the gate, we can choose to follow the crowd in a depraved world through that wide gate.  After all, we were born into this world.  We grew up in this world.  Almost everything we know is from this world.  We would have a hard time perceiving anything different than what this depraved world has to offer.  Yet we are told we must not love the world.  Therefore, our choice boils down to this: 

Deuteronomy 30:19 – I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So, choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants. 

The trouble is, we see many choices as trivial because of our worldly outlook.  “What difference does it make?”, we say.  Nadab and Abihu had a choice between holy fire and ordinary fire.  What difference did it make?  It’s a trivial distinction.  The physics of the two fires were identical. 

The Bible records many big choices.  Joshua, for example, made a choice when he said this: 

Joshua 24:14-15 – Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 

Or Elijah on Mount Carmel offered a similar binary choice: 

1 Kings 18:21 – How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. 

Sometimes it seems that the big choices are the easiest.  Choosing between serving God or serving an idol, on the surface, does not seem like a hard choice for us today.  Choosing to rob a bank or not to rob a bank is pretty straightforward.  But it’s the small choices that trip us up.  The little neglects, the little deficiencies, the little dishonesties, the little departures from principle that are often tough.  Life is made up, not of great sacrifices and of wonderful achievements, but of little things. 

Many today have veils upon their faces, thinking that because they go to church and don’t rob banks they are fit to be translated when Jesus comes.  These veils on our faces are sympathy with the customs and practices of the world.  The small acts of rebellion, of failing to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, are what separate us from God.  Let His Spirit work on your heart now on what choices you need to make. 

2 Cor 13:5 – Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. 

We need to make a clear distinction from the customs and practices of the world.  The degree of distinction should be pronounced, not just a little above the world's standard. 

Romans 12:2 – Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 

I encourage all today to choose to enter God’s kingdom, including all the ramifications that are implied in our daily lives.  It is accessed through that strait gate that we discussed in an earlier message.  Our most important choice is to examine ourselves and choose the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, while dying daily to the choices the world offers.