Life's Climb

You know, life is kind of like free solo climbing. They’re both unpredictable and dangerous. Every day we live, each step we take, we don’t know what’s going to happen—it may be our last. “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” James 4:14 “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” Psalm 90:10 During our life, though, we humans aren’t satisfied and are always looking for the next big thing, the next challenge. For climbers or hikers, that translates to the next hill or rock face. There is one hill, though, that we can’t climb on our own. “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart;” Psalm 24:3-4a It’s like someone who can barely climb a 5.8 trying to climb a 5.14. Why? Our hearts and hands aren’t as clean as we think they are. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9 “He [Jesus] said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” Mark 7:20-23 “I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire…. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Matthew 5:20-22,27-28 Why this is a bad thing is because one of these days, we are going to be judged. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Hebrews 9:27 “I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:10 The Bible talks about this judgment quite a bit. “I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:12-15 But because God loves us so much (John 3:16) and “is not willing to that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9), God did something very special on another hill called Golgotha or Calvary. “As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” John 10:15-18 “When they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.” Luke 23:33 The special thing about this is that Jesus didn’t die for His sins, but for ours. “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us … according to the will of God and our Father:” Galatians 1:4 “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit” 1 Peter 3:18 “We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” Hebrews 2:9 Jesus, the perfect Son of God, gave His life that the penalty for our sin might be paid. But Jesus didn’t stay dead! “I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 Because of what Jesus has done, God has a haul line available to “whosoever will” and if we will acknowledge our condition and need, turn to Christ in surrender (clip in/knot in) and allow Jesus to save us from our sin, He will. This is His promise! “The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17 “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37 “They themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;” 1 Thessalonians 1:9 So we all have a choice: we can choose our own way, struggle and suffer the consequences, or clip in to God’s haul line and allow Him to save us. “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” John 1:12 “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9-10