The Kingdom of God is Earned

The Christian faith is spreading like a fire and we can confidently say that at least half the world’s population is converted. The faith is founded on teachings that Jesus Christ, the son of God, died and was resurrected to give Eternal Life to whosoever believes in Him. The aspect of resurrection introduced by Jesus comforts people and has caused many to turn to Christianity in hope of escaping the earthly turmoil and securing themselves a place in Heaven among other motives. However the path to the Kingdom of Heaven may not be as easy as some think. In fact when Jesus Christ dwelt on earth He emphasised by his words and actions that the way of the cross was not luxurious but took commitment, hard work and perseverance. He launched His ministry with a 40 day prayer and fasting period and thereafter endured the devil’s temptations with great courage (Luke 4:1-13). One would think that being the son of God, He would be exempted from various temptations and suffering. But being mandated with a difficult mission (to bring salvation to mankind) He faced things that would have been impossible in the flesh but overcame because He was spiritually alert. Christians today associate their faith with the church they go to and the religious rituals they go through. Few make a personal decision to follow Jesus and fewer take that decision seriously. The cares of this world engulf our minds living no room for God or His appeal for our reconciliation with Him through Jesus Christ. The churches are more concerned with their projects than the hearts of people. Very few preachers want to ruffle people’s feathers by teaching on repentance and selfless pursue of the Kingdom hence Heaven remains a theory even to those in church. However Jesus forecasted the situation saying that it was harder for the rich to enter Heaven than for a camel to enter a needle’s eye. This is true of this generation as everybody’s ambition is to become rich and more effort is invested in this area than in seeking God’s kingdom. The Lord also warned His followers of a wide luxurious path leading to destruction and a narrow difficult one leading to salvation. Obviously many Christians are on the wide path compromising with the world and ignoring clear biblical warnings. The narrow path demands us to set priority between spiritual matters and the worldly things of the wide path. It is no wonder Jesus said in Mathew 11:12 that the Kingdom of God would henceforth be taken by violence. Contact: jidgas@gmail.com