KEY VERSE:
“I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I if it be already kindled?” (LUKE 12:49).

Obedience to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ sets men free from the shackles of sin and Satan. It shows us the right thing to do and the steps to take to get to heaven. However, rejecting Christ and His offer of salvation, by substituting righteousness with artificial religious practices can only lead to eternal perdition. Everyone who follows this path will pay a price for their carnal pride and lust. Whoever rejects Christ is likened to someone who abandons the substance in preference for merely chasing shadows.

In our text, Jesus inferred that judgement was looming on the inhabitants of Jerusalem following their rejection of the Lord. Jesus had indicated that it was imperative for Him to face a gruesome death on the cross so that humanity would be left with no excuse for rejecting His offer of salvation. This He hoped, would pull man back from the vanity of chasing the shadows of religion and philosophies of men.

However, a natural man would reject Christ and His salvation plan. His utmost desire is to be free from every form of control, command and obligation. As the Scripture said about Judah and Samaria, “they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain…” (2 Kings 17:15). Some people, in their blindness, simply reject Christ for wealth, fame, popularity, academic success and power. These are mere shadows that will perish with time.

The Lord also issued a sober warning to unbelievers who have become perpetual rejecters of Christ. Such should turn away from sin, vain pursuits and empty religious practicges to escape the fearsome and fiery judgement to come on all who disobey God.

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