A hungry lion is stalking a herd of wilder beasts.  It notices a newborn  limping behind its mother struggling to keep up with the movement of the herd.  The lion’s instincts jump into stalking mode.  It follows the herd for over a day waiting for the right moment to attack.  Finally, the young wilder beast falls behind the herd; the lion attacks, kills and eats the young animal.

Is God angry with the lion for behaving in such a manner?  Is the lion guilty of murder?  Will God hold the lion accountable and judge it according to its actions?  No, of course not.  Why? Because the lion was simply acting according to its God-created instincts for self-survival.  It had no choice but to act in such a way.  Therefore, God does not hold the lion responsible for its deadly deed.

I think we all understand that.  I can’t think of a single incident where God has held an animal accountable for acting in a certain way, mainly because animals have NO CHOICE.

However, when we “flip that coin over,” from the very beginning of time, we see God holding human beings accountable for their actions.  That can only mean that we have a choice!  If, like the lion and other animals, we had no choice, then God would not hold us accountable for the way we live our lives.

God held Adam and Eve accountable for the sin of eating the forbidden fruit; therefore, they had a choice.  God held Cain accountable for committing the first homicide; therefore, Cain had a choice whether or not to commit murder.  God warned Jeroboam that if he would obey Him, he would prosper in the Northern kingdom of Israel.  Jeroboam had the choice whether to obey God or not.  However, he made the decision to do things his own way, and God held him responsible and overthrew the kingdom.

Literally hundreds of similar Biblical examples could be given.  The necessary conclusion is that we are responsible for the choices we make!  Animals have no choice how to act, *we do,* and we will be held accountable (Romans 14:12;  2Corinthians 5:10).  Whether or not you “strive to enter into the narrow way” (Luke 13:24), is your choice.  But, you will be held accountable for the choice you make because you are not an animal!  You are a precious soul created in God’s own image!  The only way you can know whether or not you are making the right choices in life is by studying your New Testament.  So,  STAY HUNGRY (Matt. 5:6) 

 –Toby Miller

“DO YOU LOVE ME?”

Peter was a red-hot disciple. Only he had the faith to jump out of the boat and walk toward Jesus on the water (Matthew 14:29). Only Peter, single handedly, challenged the mob who came to arrest Jesus (John 18:10). Peter was the first to go into the empty tomb (John 20:6). Peter could not even wait for the boat to get to shore when he realized that Jesus was on the shore, so he jumped into the water and swims! (John 21:7). We think, “What faith! What zeal! What daring! What energy he had for Jesus!” But, when Peter got to shore Jesus asked him, “Do you love Me?” In fact, Jesus asked the question three times! (John 21:15-17). Peter was grieved. Jesus could have patted Peter on the shoulder and said, “You’re OK, everything is going to be alright, just hang in there and you’ll make it to Heaven.” But the truth was, Peter was not OK — everything was not alright, and Jesus knew it.

What if Jesus should stand at the back door of the auditorium after services, shake your hand as you left, and asked you, “Do you love Me?” How would you respond? Would you say something like, “Hey, I come to church about every Sunday!” You start to leave but He hangs on to your hand and asks a second time, “Do you love Me?” You don’t look Him in the eye, but say, “Of course I do, but there are times when other things are more important than meeting with you and my eternal family.” You try once again to leave, but He holds on to your hand and asks a third time, “Do your love Me?” Would you be a little grieved? Would you wonder why He kept asking that question, or would you already know?

There are thousands of people who enter all kinds of church buildings every week and go through precise, designated forms of worship services, but have no real love for Christ. If what they see and hear pleases them, they are satisfied and content, but love for the person of Jesus, the Son of God, does not occur to them. “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.” (Matthew 15:8). Such results in “vain worship” (verse 9). Does not Jesus teach us to pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10)? Do you think God would tolerate “vain worship” in Heaven?

You cannot love Jesus if you don’t know Him. You can’t know Him apart from the pages of the New Testament. Many know about Jesus, but don’t truly know Him. They hear a multitude of contradicting voices from which they form their own ideas, set them in concrete, and consider themselves to be saved without ever opening the New Testament. Have you ever wondered why the Holy Spirit had Paul to write: “Study to show thyself approved unto God…rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15)?

–by Toby Miller