You probably never thought that the man sitting next to you in the church could be a robber. But the Bible is clear: anyone who is trying to enter Heaven through a door other than Jesus is a robber. And unless you watch out for robbers in church, they will attempt to influence you.
Jesus Alerts On The Robbers In Church
If you do not know that Jesus said that He is the doorway to heaven, you will miss your alert about the robbers in church. Therefore, we spend some time on just what Jesus was trying to convey in that teaching. We shall later identify the other doorways that churches manufacture to try and gain entrance into eternal life. For now, we examine what Jesus said.
Those in His audience who heard this illustration did not understand the things He spoke to them. It is therefore quite possible that most of us will not understand this illustration until someone explains it. But that is okay; it is why we are here now. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.”
Whenever Jesus starts His parable with ‘most assuredly’, He wants you to pay particular attention.
Was He here talking of the animals a shepherd keeps? Or was He using this illustration for something – or someone – more significant? You may already know of the efficiency of Jesus’ words. And that would lead you to recognize that He was using this illustration on our behalf. In an earlier post, we identified that when He spoke of wine, His concern was truly not for the brew.
The Robber In Church Rejects Jesus
His illustration here speaks of anyone who is trying to get to Heaven by a path other than the recommended door. For the avoidance of doubt, He then said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” And in case some were still thinking of animals, Jesus added another sentence. “If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved.” Ha! Now, there can be no doubt in their, and our, minds that Jesus is here speaking about people.
These are people who try to become saved by some means other than by Jesus, the door. They reject Jesus. Jesus says that such people attempt to climb in some other way. They want to break into Heaven, no less. Naturally, if a man or woman breaks into your home, you will call 9-1-1. Your report will be that a robber is trying to gain entrance into your home. If, however, the same person rings the bell, you will not likely call the cops. He is prepared to come in through the door.
Identify And Avoid Robbers In Church
The person in the church who rejects Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life is a thief. Watch out for such robbers in the church, even if they are in the pulpit! Now, you may wonder how robbers got into the church. And what they are doing there. They are quite busy actually, with good works. If good works or the law could get us into Heaven, do you think God would have subjected His son to death? And such a gruesome death on the cross. The answer is no.
Morality, commendable as it is, cannot get anyone into Heaven. You will know the robbers in the church by their self-righteousness, aka holier than thou. They are at every church program, they pay the heaviest sums of money into church coffers. They are extremely religious. And we have not started to talk of other religions, just those in the church who are trying to break into Heaven. Jesus says that they are thieves and robbers. Please watch out for robbers in church before you look into other religions. You could be sitting next to a robber and you may not know it.
They could even be trying to influence you, rendering them more pernicious than a practitioner of a different religion. With those other robbers, you will at least know when they try to convert you. But in church, your guards are down. Which is why it is particularly important to watch out for these thieves in church.
Robbers In Church Trust In Works
Although the bible clearly says cursed is the man who trusts in man, there are those in church who trust in themselves. They are depending on the works of their hands to take them to Heaven. How sad. Paul says of them that they reject the righteousness of God, aka Jesus. They then set up their own synthetic righteousness. If it was not so tragic, it would be comical.
The doorway of grace is standing ajar. Nevertheless, we ignore it and attempt to enter Heaven by our efforts. Why work for something that is already provided? Why attempt to earn that which is a gift? I don’t have a ready answer for such an attitude even as I acknowledge that it is extremely common. More’s the pity. And that is the reason why Jesus said, “ broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.”
Some In Your Church Are On Their Way To Destruction
Some of those are in your church. They are thieves and robbers, going in by the broad way that leads to destruction. Jesus further enjoins us to ensure that we go in by the narrow way instead. That narrow way is Jesus. Unfortunately, He also observes that very few are ever going to find that way. What a pity!
Our part is to ensure that each of us finds and travels by the narrow path to Heaven. His name is Jesus. Do not let His death be in vain in your life.
Maranatha!
