2Co 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ. [asv]

Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Ephesians 5:25-29 (nkjv)

25 . . . just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. . . . 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.

The title of this chapter, “No KINDS Of Christians” is probably unacceptable to some, as no doubt many statement made by Jesus to the Jews was unacceptable. But did Jesus speak the truth? Were they believers or were they not believers in Jesus as the exclusive savior of sinful men? The same question is posed to all of mankind today, are we or are we not, disciples of Jesus or not disciples. On one occasion Jesus was teaching in the temple to hostile Jews:

“I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:21-24).

The two choices were to believe in Him and be where He is and be saved, or not believe in Him and be lost. There is no “middle” ground. There was no other way other than Jesus.

I am sobered a bit when I consider statements such as that spoken by the Lord Himself, the only “way, truth and life,” and the only Savior the Almighty sent to do a universal work as important as providing for the salvation of sinful mankind. I have friends even today who believe that even without faith in Christ, the God of Heaven will weight the good deeds done against the bad things done and salvation is awarded the doer of good deeds. (A very good friend, an Air Force General, once told me that he was not sure about baptism but just to be on the safe side he submitted to it. Hardly a commendable reason, was it.)

“For what is a man profited (be benefitted), if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? . . . Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mat 16:26; Mar 8:37).

Not any of us will gain “the whole world,” and most of us will gain but a small part of it, but even this small part can become so important that we lose the ability to evaluate properly. A local attorney here in Paducah recently gave a lesson on the “accumulation of stuff,” the material things we acquire and treasure during a lifetime. I was both amused and sobered by his lesson. He urged each of us to take an inventory of our “stuff.”

Who will follow Jesus, Standing for the right, / Holding up his banner, In the thickest fight? / Lis-t’ning for His orders, Ready to obey, / Who will follow Jesus, Serving Him to-day? / Who will follow Jesus, Who will make reply, “I am on the Lord’s side, Master, here am I”?

I have on many occasions winced a bit as I sang that song,

enjoyed it, but felt a bit guilty. The Scriptures do talk about the two sides, but do not talk about a “middle.” And, the “middle” today with many seems to be a wide, wide, area between the two sides, and very comfortable in which to walk. Many years ago a Communist writer stated that if we Christians were as dedicated to Christ as they were to Communism, Christianity would take the world. I hear comments from Muslim leaders today saying the same thing about Islam. (My judgment is that if the Muslims could ever unite and get together the western world would be in dangerous times; I hope they never do!) But, are they telling the truth? Is our liberty in Christ causing us to take a lot too much for granted? Have we become over-confident? Are we developing a “casual” salvation philosophy? Was David Lipscomb right when he would tell his audiences of that era that a lot of “Church members” were simply playing with their religion!

A story told many years ago (maybe true, maybe not) that has stuck in my mind tells of a company of soldiers who were tested. Seems the Commander needed some brave men to do a very dangerous task. After explaining the dangers, he told his soldiers that he was going to close his eyes and he wanted 100 brave men to step forward if they had the courage to do the task. When he opened his eyes there seemed to be no apparent response, whereupon he began to berate the men for their cowardice. After the outburst one of his junior officers told him, “Sir, they all stepped forward!” One can only image what was said by the Commander in the next moment or two.

Most of us studied in school something about the powerful Roman army of the 1^st century that dominated the entire world for a while. Perhaps we also studied about the pride of the Roman soldier – as well as the demands made upon a soldier if he wanted to join the army and remain a soldier. Roman soldiers had to march at an ordinary pace of 20 Roman miles in 5 summer hours and at a fast military pace of 24 Roman miles in 5 summer hours carrying a 70 pound backpack. The soldier swore an oath of loyalty and implicit obedience to his commander. In war, a soldier who violated or failed to carry out the general's order could be punished by death, even if the action had been advantageous to the army.”

I recently saw a TV special concerning the American naval “SEAL.” Many join, but few finish (30%) because of the rigorous training required for their eventual demanding work for the defense of our country. Now we recognize that most everyone who is baptized into Christ could not possibly know everything that was to be expected of him (or her) as they pursue the life in Christ.

Many do grow to maturity; many drop out, as did many of the SEALS. But, in comparing the eventual rewards for being faithful to Jesus with those of the SEALS being faithful to their commitment to our country, there really is no comparison. Commitment to our country compared to serving the Lord Jesus? Thanking Him for what he has done for us? Is there really any comparison of that with anything? I think not!

God has always demanded a place of supreme importance over all other people or things – and if his people could only understand it was for their good. The references to Him being a jealous God are too many to mention again, but we don’t seem to understand that all his intentions are for our good. God did not intend for His People to be second rate people to ANYBODY! One of the more successful inspirational and motivational speakers in America (Zig Ziglar, but there are many others) bases his arguments for prosperity upon the claim that God made all the material treasures for His people, and they have a right to them! He rarely mentions that the real treasures are not material, but spiritual, and He DID provide these for his true people and for none others.

But, we maintain that IF God’s people live an unselfish life according to the principles of righteousness, success is inevitable. David stated:

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand. I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore. For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, And dwell in it forever” (Psa 37:23-29).

We recall the incident when Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, and the people rebelled and made a golden calf and were worshiping it. God would have destroyed them all but for the plea of Moses. When Moses came down, the Record states:

Exo 32:26 Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. 27 And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. 28 And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. 29 For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.

One of the most beautiful stories concerned Joshua after Moses’ death. The Record states:

Jos 24:15 ¶ And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. 16 And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;

Both Matthew and Luke records this statement by Jesus. (Mat 12:30; Luk 11:23) Concerning serving masters Jesus states, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Mt 6:24).

Matthew records the instructions Jesus gave to his disciples before he sent them out under what we refer to as the “limited commission.” These were selected servants for a special mission, and they needed to be trained, and tested. Note the demands given them:

“Therefore, everyone who will own me before men I will own before my Father in heaven, but anyone who disowns me before men I will disown before my Father in heaven. "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man’s enemies will be members of his own family. Anybody who loves father or mother more than he loves me is not worthy of me, and nobody is worthy of me who does not take up his cross and follow me. Anybody who gains his lower life will lose the higher life, and anybody who loses his lower life for my sake will gain the higher life. Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes Him who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive the same reward as a prophet, and whoever welcomes an upright man as such will receive the same reward as the upright man. And I solemnly say to you, no one who gives a cup of cold water to one of the least of my disciples, because he is a disciple, will ever fail to get his reward" (Mat 10:32-42, Williams).

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Mat 16:24; See also Mar 8:34; Luk 9:23; etc).

Do each of God’s People have a cross to take up? The answer is, “Most Certainly.” That cross would be different from the cross carried by a fellow soldier, but there would be a cross.

Must Jesus bear the cross alone, . . . And all the world go free? / No, . . . there’s a cross for every one, And there’s a cross for me. / The consecrated cross I’ll bear, Till death shall set me free, / And then go home my crown to wear, For there’s a crown for me.

O precious cross! O glorious crown! O resurrection day! / Ye angels from the stars come down, And bear my soul away.

“one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God” (Mar 12:28-34).

There are many commands in the Scriptures that seem at times demanding, but comparing what the Lord went through to be our acceptable sacrifice, we might pause and think of John’s statement, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” (1Jo 5:3). Suffering for the Saviour in a righteous cause is always an opportunity to show our gratitude and thankfulness.

James writes, “My brethren, count it all joy, when you fall into diverse trials; knowing that the proof of your faith works out patience. Let patience, therefore, have a perfect effect, that you may be perfect and complete, deficient in nothing (1:2,4, LO).

Rom 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

Rom 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. . . . Rom 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.

1Co 10:24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth (well being).

Tit 3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

The Barna Research Institute is probably the premiere religious research and polling facility in the USA. Recently we read: “It is not surprising that 55 percent of Americans believe ‘a good person can earn his way to heaven,’ but an alarmingly high percentage of professing Christians believe the same thing. Recent studies by George Barna show 40 percent of those in America who say they have committed their life to Jesus Christ agree with the statement, ‘If you are a good person or do enough good things for others, you can earn a place in heaven.’” No serious Scripture student would ever come to believe that anyone could do enough “good works” to EARN his salvation. But the Scriptures do teach that “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luk 12:34).

Jesus Christ is the only world leader of religious thought who seeks to control human behavior by changing the hearts of the people. Proverbs 4:23 says, "Keep (or guard) your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Others may scorn the idea, but it has merit. Jesus says in Luke 6:43ff.

“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

Who can deny the truthfulness of Jesus' statement. One of the reasons He is recognized as the Master Teacher is because of the simplicity with which He spoke. We don't gather figs from thorn bushes or grapes from bramble bushes; do we now? Learned men, educators and philosophers may deny the existence of absolute truth if they like until they turn blue in the face from exhaustion, but that, my friend, is an absolute truth. It is that way now; it has always been that way; and it will always be that way. And it follows with equal force that "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil of his heart brings forth that which is evil..." So we must guard our hearts.

The wise among us will be careful and cautious and guarded about what is permitted to enter into our hearts. As the wise man said, "Keep (or guard) your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Pro 4:23). As we learn to control our thoughts, and subsequently our hearts, will determine whether we are fit to be with The Almighty God and the saints made perfect. Let’s form the habit of not letting evil people dump their intellectual trash into our heart. Let’s put a guard on our heart so as to not be indoctrinated by them.

Are there “kinds” of Christians? Or, just Christians. The real Christians are those who have made a decision, and with them there is no longer a choice to be made. Mistakes will be made, for all sin, but then we repent and are renewed. That’s what we are striving to be, not a “kind” of Christian, but “just” a Christian, now and every day, until Jesus comes.

As a parting and personal thought, I am glad that it will be our Lord Jesus who will judge me. I know that I have pleased some people in my preaching ministry, and displeased many others at times. I’ve met brethren who I judged to be saints who turned out bad, and those I considered unproductive for the Cause of Christ, who may well be sitting among the elect after judgment. There is a story that has floated around for a long, long time, about who will be in Heaven. Seems that when “I” got there I was shocked to see many who I had not judged to be worthy. But the real shock was on the face of many of the others who were very surprised to see me there!