TWO KINDS OF CHRISTIANS

In a sermon entitled The More Excellent Way, John Wesley shares a provocative contrast between high road and low road Christians.  It’s worth sharing in this blog.  He writes,

“One ancient writer observed there have been from the beginning two kinds of Christians.  One kind lived an innocent life, conforming to the customs and fashions of the world in all things not sinful, doing many good works, abstaining from gross evils, and following the commandments of God.  He tried to keep a clear conscience, but did not air at any particular strictness, being in most things like his neighbors.  The other not only kept  from all appearance of evil, he was diligent in good works of every kind, and kept the commandments of God.  He also worked to attain the whole mind of Christ, and to be as much like Jesus as possible.  In order to do this, he walked a constant course of universal self-denial, trampling on every pleasure he was not divinely sure was pleasing to God.  He took up his cross daily, and tried unceasingly to enter in at the straight gate.  He spared no pains to arrive at the summit of Christian holiness, leaving the first principles of the doctrine of Christ to go on to perfection, to know completely the love of God that passes knowledge, and to be filled with all the fullness of God.”

 

To paraphrase John Wesley, we always have a choice.  We can choose to walk either path. God’s calling of course is the more excellent way.  While it is often the narrower path, nevertheless it leads to higher heights and deeper depths of holiness.  The lower path is still a good way and on that path God can be served in a fashion.  Mercy can be found at the end of life.  Those on that path are not going to hell.  They just won’t have as high a place in heaven as they would if they chose the higher path.  In nearly everything we do, there is a more excellent way.  So, choose the higher path and keep going on the more excellent way, the way of obedient love.