The map that God has provided for us not only offers guidance for the daily aspects of our life, but also contains instructions for our lifelong Christian journey. Decisions like who to marry, how to raise our children, how to behave in the workplace, how to treat our employers, our employees, and our fellow workers are also covered in its pages. The Bible instructs us on how we are to operate our family and business finances and the manner of how we are to present our tithes, offerings, and gifts to God. It tells us the divine order of how we are to prioritize our lives – beginning with our personal relationship with God through our duties and obligations to our community and nation.
The Bible, as our divine map, even teaches us that we must be that watchman warning others about the dangers they face – But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand. So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me (Ezekiel 33:6-7). God expects us to warn others – the saved and the lost – of the dangers that unrepentant sin brings into their lives and the real dangers faced when we decide to live our lives according to our own understanding of morality, justice, and holiness.
All it takes is an evening watching the news or even visiting the local grocery store to see that there are people – lost and saved – who are hurting. Instead of using the map offered by God, they instead turn to the maps offered by the world. God warns us of the paths contained within these maps. Nothing is further than the truth than that old tired cliche, “all paths lead to God.” This is a lie straight from the pits of hell and hand-crafted by Satan himself. God warns us that his “map” or plan for our lives is designed to deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked (Proverbs 2:12-14). Not only does God warn us about the wrong paths, He warns us, through the imagery of the harlot in Proverbs: For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life (Proverbs 2:18-19). During his earthly ministry, even Jesus warned us of the false paths and about the path of righteousness: 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 (Mathew 7:13-14). Even during the earthly ministry of Jesus we know that Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:5-6). In that very moment, Jesus provided every believer from the disciples to the Christian believer today that He is the only way. There is no other path to redemption.
We often forget that God, through his servant Moses, has told us to Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God (Leviticus 20:7). This is not only an Old Testament principle, but is reiterated for us in the New Testament writings of the apostle Peter: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy (I Peter 1:15-16). While in our fleshly bodies we can never be perfectly holy but through our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we demonstrate what the apostle Paul meant when he wrote, For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness… But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness (Romans 4:3 & 5).
For every Christian, we should have the same desire as the apostle Paul; as we stand at the edge of mortality we can with all confidence say I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith (II Timothy 4:7) and to hear those most precious words from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord (Matthew 25:21).
