“All this I have told you so that you will not go astray.’ John 16:1 (NIV)
Jesus uses encouragements, guidelines, fulfilled prophecy and warnings to teach us. He gives us colorful, life-like illustrations that help us bridge the gap between God-sized thinking and our lower experience and capabilities. Like a shepherd He leads us forward. He cares and concerns Himself with each one. He even tells us how many people will take His teachings. He shows us where many will go wrong. He tries to give us every chance to see that He knows what He is talking about. He tries to help us stay with Him through all that we must still endure. He comes right out and tells us that His very words are to help us so that we do not go astray. Is this what we do with the Bible? Is this what we are doing with what Jesus teaches us today?
Before we can draw any real conclusions of whether or not our faith is strong, we must first look at what Jesus is talking about. Could Jesus´ encouragement of not going astray mean that we do not skip church? Is our Saviour telling us not to fall into temptation and steal a car? Is He letting us know that we could run into differences of opinion with our denomination and set out to find another one that suits us more? Is He warning us of the dangers of walking away from Christianity altogether? Or could Jesus speak of going astray in more subtle yet more eternally perilous ways? Could He be, as He always has been, gently shepherding us away from the dangers that inhibit or harm our relationship with God?
That the more visual dangers exist, no man would argue. Trouble is ready and waiting for any Christian who would seek a true and intimate walk with the Lord. The dark powers that be are tuned to look for this kind of honest follower of Christ and are prepared to make it difficult for them to attain any real progress. Nothing would please Satan more than to have our churches full of Christians who do not know God nor walk with His Son Jesus Christ.
Therefore we should expect our peril to come in ways we would not think of. We tend to look for the big final result of sin, but the condition which brought us to that end is what kills us. Anything that reduces our walk with the Lord is leading us astray. A man may plan to rob a store. He may go on to carry through with his dark plan. But the evil started far before the night of the offense. Many small choices, thoughts and selfish desires had to be present to bring him to commit that crime. So it is with us. Way before we fall in to temptation and commit an offense to God, there has been some straying inside our hearts. We need to walk so close to Jesus that any wandering of our interests will be painfully evident. We need that nearness of heart that comes when we are standing directly in His Light. We will only notice when our interests begin to wander from God, if it is that closeness which we are desperately seeking. Who could we turn to now to see if we might be going astray?
Dear Jesus,
The warnings, the teachings and Your Word bring us again to You. They bring us to consider how close we are following You. Are we taking each step right by Your side? Please show us where we may let our interests wander from You. Let us know how and when we might leave Your side. Let no distance ever separate us from You. Closer to You is our prayer! Right where You are is the only place we will not be going astray! Help us draw nearer now, please!
Amen
Searching For Christ 