“And to this people you shall say: ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. – Jeremiah 21:8

In a world that despises anything that approaches absolute clarity, God’s statement to his people is so refreshingly clear.  All of life boils down to two paths – life or death.  There is no complicated middle ground.  The life led by the Spirit leads to life that exceeds our ability to imagine its goodness.  The life that follows anything else is inherently corrupt.  At its core it is rotten and leads to horrible suffering and spiritual death.

I confess that in the past, in the name of tolerance and getting along, I have been overly patient and understanding of the other path.  The strongest insight that I have gained during my own 100 Day Challenge is that those on the path of death deserve to be warned with as much clarity as God gave to the people of Israel through Jeremiah.

Jesus was merciful and loving without sacrificing clarity.  The woman caught in adultery understood the depravity of her choices even more clearly through the mercy of Jesus than through the condemnation of the Pharisees.  We should be the same with those around us.  Jesus’ mercy exceeds every sin when we confess it and we are all guilty.

Since most people reading this are members of Christ’s church, let me make a plea to you.  Do not flirt with the world.  The only place you can flourish and grow is in the Church.  Don’t hang out on the periphery of the fellowship!  Move to the core where you have strong ties to the Way of life.  The Christian life should not be attempted solo.  Without our bonds of fellowship, we are easy prey!