Five Decisions We Must Make as Christians: A Call to Radical Faith
Every person, throughout their life, makes countless decisions – some small, some monumental. These choices, whether good or bad, inevitably mark our lives and shape our destinies. But as Christians, we are called to make a specific set of decisions, choices that transcend the temporal and profoundly impact our eternal destiny.
Our guiding text this morning comes from Joshua 24:15, where Joshua, at the end of his life, laid out a clear challenge to the people of Israel: "But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."
Joshua presented a stark choice, a fundamental decision that defines allegiance. Today, we will explore five such critical decisions that every follower of Christ must make, decisions that reflect our commitment to God and ultimately determine our eternal destination.
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I. WE MUST DECIDE TO SERVE GOD AND NOT IDOLS
The first crucial decision for every Christian is to wholeheartedly serve the one true God, unequivocally rejecting all forms of idolatry.
A. Our Base Text: 1 Thessalonians 1:9 beautifully illustrates this decision: "for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God." The Thessalonian believers made a clear break from their past, turning away from lifeless idols to embrace the living God.
This is a fundamental principle of the Kingdom: You cannot serve two masters. As Jesus Himself said in Luke 16:13: "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." While Jesus specifically mentions money here, the principle applies to anything that competes for our ultimate loyalty and affection.
Serving God requires denying ourselves. Jesus taught in Matthew 16:24: "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'" It means putting God's will above our own desires, ambitions, and comforts. John 12:26 adds: "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." And Romans 6:6 reminds us that "we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin." True service to God involves breaking free from the slavery of sin and self.
Conversely, serving idols is serving Satan. 1 Corinthians 10:20-21 warns us: "No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s Table and the table of demons." Any devotion given to created things – money, power, pleasure, self, or even good things elevated to ultimate things – diverts our allegiance from God and, ultimately, aligns us with the spiritual forces of darkness.
B. This decision is ours. No one can make it for us. Like the faithful Thessalonians, we must consciously and consistently choose to abandon all idols and serve the living and true God alone.
II. WE MUST DECIDE TO OBEY GOD AND NOT MEN
The second crucial decision involves our ultimate authority: are we primarily seeking to obey God or human beings?
A. Our Base Texts: Acts 4:19 and 5:29 provide powerful examples of this conviction. When commanded by the religious authorities not to speak in the name of Jesus, Peter and John boldly declared in Acts 4:19: "But Peter and John replied, 'Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!'" And later, after being miraculously released from jail, they again stated in Acts 5:29: "Peter and the other apostles replied: 'We must obey God rather than human beings!'" Like the apostles, we must cultivate courage, standing firm on the principle that God's commands always take precedence.
God demands our obedience. Romans 6:17 states, "But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance." Our salvation leads to a life of obedience.
Let us not fear men, their opinions, or their threats. Matthew 10:28 reminds us: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Our ultimate fear should be reserved for God alone.
B. Obeying men instead of God leads to condemnation. When human decrees, cultural norms, or personal relationships compel us to act contrary to God’s explicit will, we are choosing a path that leads to spiritual compromise and, ultimately, divine disapproval. We must constantly discern whose voice we are listening to and whose commands we are prioritizing.
III. WE MUST DECIDE TO HONOR GOD AND NOT THE WORLD
The third vital decision is where we direct our reverence and esteem. Will it be towards God or towards the passing trends and values of the world?
A. God deserves our honor:
• Because He is our Creator. Psalm 100:3 declares: "Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture." And Jesus teaches in Matthew 22:37: "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’" Our very existence and our highest affection belong to Him.
• Because He is worthy of all glory. 1 Timothy 6:16 describes Him as "God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen." And the heavenly beings in Revelation 5:12 cry out, "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" Our honor is due to Him alone.
• Because the world is passing away. 1 John 2:15-17 gives a stern warning: "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever." The world, with its allure, its systems, and its pleasures, is transient. It offers temporary satisfaction but ultimately leads to spiritual emptiness.
B. Therefore, let us honor God with all that we are and have. Proverbs 3:9 commands us: "Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops." This principle extends beyond our finances to every aspect of our being: our time, talents, relationships, and aspirations. Our lives should be a living testimony to His honor and glory.
IV. WE MUST DECIDE TO PARTAKE IN THE THINGS OF GOD AND NOT OF THE WORLD
The fourth decision is about where we choose to invest ourselves, what we pursue, and what we consider truly valuable.
A. What belongs to God is eternal; the world is temporary. We are called to participate in something far grander and more enduring than the fleeting pleasures and pursuits of this world.
• We participate in a heavenly calling (Hebrews 3:1): "Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest." Our citizenship is in heaven, and our calling is divine.
• We participate in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:3): "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." Through Christ, we are given a share in His very nature, enabling us to live godly lives.
• We will be heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17): "Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." Imagine! Co-heirs with the Son of God!
B. Conversely, participation in the world often leads to eternal loss. Jesus asked in Matthew 16:26: "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" Clinging to the things of the world, prioritizing worldly achievements and possessions, can cost us our very souls.
V. WE MUST DECIDE TO INHERIT HEAVEN AND NOT HELL
The fifth and final decision is the most critical, shaping our eternal destiny.
A. There is only one way to heaven. Jesus declared unequivocally in John 14:6: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." There are not multiple paths, diverse routes, or alternative spiritual journeys. Only through Christ can we enter into God's presence. Jesus also warned in Matthew 7:13-14: "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." This decision is about choosing the narrow path.
B. Our eternity depends on our choice. The decision we make regarding Jesus Christ determines our eternal destination. Jesus speaks of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:34: "Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.’" And to those on His left, a different fate.
C. Let us make the best decision today: heaven with God. There is no greater inheritance, no greater joy, no greater peace than to spend eternity in the presence of our loving God. This is the ultimate treasure, far surpassing any earthly gain.
- How to Be an Exemplary Young Christian Acts 16:1-3; 2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15
- Why Should People Fear God?
- Why Shouldn't We Love the World?
Conclusion
My dear brothers and sisters, our lives are a summation of the decisions we make. But as Christians, we are called to make a unique set of choices, spiritual decisions that will ultimately define our eternity.
Will we choose to serve God alone, or will we continue to cling to idols? Will we choose to obey God above all men, or will we yield to worldly pressures? Will we choose to honor God above all else, or will we give our reverence to the fleeting world? Will we choose to partake in the eternal things of God, or will we invest our lives in what is temporary? And most fundamentally, will we choose the narrow path to heaven with God, or the broad road to destruction?
As Joshua declared to Israel, I say to you today, using his timeless words: "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."
You only have one life, one opportunity to make these crucial decisions. Don't waste it clinging to earthly things that will perish. Don't waste it in indecision. To reject Christ is to lose everything. To follow Him, to make these five decisions wholeheartedly, is to gain everything—eternal life, purpose, and unimaginable treasure in the presence of God.
May God grant us the grace and courage to make these decisions firmly and faithfully, for His glory alone. Amen.
