Striding Edge in Helvellyn described as narrow road each Christian must take. But often times, as it can seen vividly in this photograph of the ridge, the gravity of either swaying to the left or to the right is not truly appreciated. Unlike our modern highways which have an emergency lane on either side, the Christian road has razor-sharp cliffs on either side. The book of Galatians (which I'm currently studying out) compares the one cliff to Christian legalism.
Fellow Christians that were once saved only by grace, have reverted back to a religion simply stated 'faith with works' saves you. The mistake (which i make more often than not) of feeling my relationship with God 'slip away' because of the things i should be doing which i haven't done such as: evangelize, quiet time, confess my sins, tithe, attend church etc... There's a thing in you that says that 'God isn't happy with you' which induces fear to approach God with any sort of confidence or assurance of his love. You're stuck in a cage of doubt and insecurities about your relationship with God and it shows through you being 'up and down' spiritually. You are motivated on how you 'feel' about your relationship with God. You are trapped by Christian legalism.
On the other hand (the other cliff to be more exact), you tumbling down the rabbit hole or sensual desires driven by your sinful nature. You have lost all self-control when it comes to living a life "that's worthy of the Gospel'. You're struggling to have a life of righteousness and holiness. Sin no longer crouches at your door but it's in commune with you. How you feel goes. You're not bound by any form of spiritual discipline except by a constant pursuit to satisfy your sinful desires (often this pursuit is subconscious). You may even have a sense of Godliness (i.e. praying, teaching, evangelizing) but the power of the Spirit which enables you live a faithful, Spirit-filled life is evident in you. You have become free FROM Christ instead of free IN Chrirst. You are stuck in Christian liberalism.
Ultimately, the road in narrow. Through time we can begin to slip into either of these cliffs and often without even realizing it. Fighting for our salvation with 'fear and trembling' is not something we want to talk about but it's much needed. The set truths about the Gospel cannot be diluted or confused. "Faith in Christ Jesus" is still the only the way for God to justify our lives. The fruit of the Spirit (and all it's flavours) cannot come and it's power demonstrated in our lives unless we died and Christ lives in us: we have the gift of the Spirit. The crux of the matter: we need to remind ourselves that we are a new creation through our faith in Christ Jesus. Our culture, traditions and principles are no longer our own. We need to continuously beg God to understand his will for our lives, to be mature in our faith and fully assured in his love, made complete by the grace of our salvation.
Amen
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