Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
On one occasion, the apostle Paul told the people, "Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1, King James Version).
Seriously, would you want to "follow" Paul? You wouldn't be "lukewarm" in your devotion if you did! In fact, Paul's devotion illustrates precisely that of the "144,000" who will "finish" God's work in the earth and be prepared to welcome the Son of God when He returns in glory.
Does God have "classes" that you can choose--that is, can you go to heaven as Paul's "follower," "first class" like Paul in his burning zeal? Or if that is distasteful to you, can you choose to go "business class," a little lower level of devotion but get there just the same? And then finally, if you just want to be a "faithful" church member and remain lukewarm, pay your tithe and offerings, and go to church once a week or so, can you go to heaven "economy class"? As long as you get there at last, what real difference will it make?
Such an idea may be Satan's last and most skillful deception. The truth is that those who welcome Jesus at His return will not be selfishly thinking of their getting to heaven and getting a reward. They will be concerned for Jesus, for His honor, for His vindication, for Him getting His reward. The plane that gets through is not going to have different classes of seats! In fact, every passenger will be a crew member.
But how does a lukewarm, half-worldly, half-cold half-hot person get to be "on fire" like Paul?
The answer is the Book of Galatians. Your human soul can be ignited and catch fire just like Paul's if only you can see what Paul saw. It would be worth a period of fasting and prayer to learn to understand and love Galatians. For sure, such a prayer is one that God would absolutely love to answer!
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: June 10, 1998.
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