Coffee With The Lord

You’ve got a decision to make… You’re at a fork in life’s road… There is a way that most have gone – well traveled – marked with glitzy billboards and an inviting entrance. And another… clearly not chosen as often, modest by comparison, a single sign… “The way of truth – the way of life – the way of righteousness” or simply “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” signed, “Jesus!” (John 14:6)

I know…It seems counterintuitive to take the road less traveled. But I have chosen to take it! And in the words of Robert Frost in his little poem, “It has made all the difference!” I’ve listened to the travelers who chose the other road – I’ve seen the sad results of their choices – I tell you, I have no regrets! Jesus put it this way, “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. But the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13–14 ESV)

Two verses adapted from “The Road Not Taken”

BY ROBERT FROST

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth…

“I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I TOOK THE ONE LESS TRAVELED BY,

AND THAT HAS MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE!”

I love clear, direct, unambiguous statements! When I ask a question it’s nice to get a clear-cut, straightforward answer… No messing around! No hedging the truth! No evasion!

Well, Apostle Paul, does just that for us in Romans 10:9-13! In a clear, unambiguous way he tells us how a person can experience salvation from sin and its consequences…

“If you CONFESS (i.e. acknowledge) with your mouth THAT JESUS IS LORD and BELIEVE in your heart that God raised him from the dead, YOU WILL BE SAVED! For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation. For the scripture says, “EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME!” (Isaiah 28:16) FOR THERE IS NO DISTINCTION… the same Lord is Lord of all, and richly blesses ALL who call on him. For EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED! (Joel 2:32) (quoted from Romans 10:9–13 NET Bible)

Does it work? Yes, I’ve seen that answer to the question “How can I be saved?” work over and over again… Life transforming stuff, I tell you! I’ve tried it personally and it works! Thanks Apostle Paul for a straightforward, truthful answer to the question!

You just can’t lose if Christ is your Savior, you’ve experienced His life transforming love, and you’re following Him… You just can’t lose!!! (In fact, you’re a winner, regardless of what comes your way!!)  That’s the wonderful message of Romans 8:31-39.  I read it again this morning and have posted it for you to reflect upon, revel in, rejoice greatly over!  I did!!

“What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  Indeed, He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?  Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.  Who is the one who will condemn? Christ is the one who died (and more than that, He was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us. ³⁵ Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? …  No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us!  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Romans 8:31–39 NET)