Enter by the narrow gate . . . . Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life . . . —
Matthew 7:13-14
If we are going to live as disciples of Jesus, we have to remember that all efforts of worth and excellence are difficult. The Christian life is gloriously difficult, but its difficulty does not make us faint and cave in—it stirs us up to overcome. Do we appreciate the miraculous salvation of Jesus Christ enough to be our utmost for His highest—our best for His glory?
God saves people by His sovereign grace through the atonement of Jesus, and “it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). But we have to “work out” that salvation in our everyday, practical living (Philippians 2:12). If we will only start on the basis of His redemption to do what He commands, then we will find that we can do it. If we fail, it is because we have not yet put into practice what God has placed within us. But a crisis will reveal whether or not we have been putting it into practice. If we will obey the Spirit of God and practice in our physical life what God has placed within us by His Spirit, then when a crisis does come we will find that our own nature, as well as the grace of God, will stand by us.
Thank God that He does give us difficult things to do! His salvation is a joyous thing, but it is also something that requires bravery, courage, and holiness. 
It tests us for all we are worth. Jesus is “bringing many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10 , and God will not shield us from the requirements of sonship. God’s grace produces men and women with a strong family likeness to Jesus Christ, not pampered, spoiled weaklings. It takes a tremendous amount of discipline to live the worthy and excellent life of a disciple of Jesus in the realities of life. And it is always necessary for us to make an effort to live a life of worth and excellence.
__________________________________________________
July 7, 2011
Journal Entry for Today-JDV
Lord you know I don’t like the devotionals about how I must be well disciplined, and work hard to become the man you want me to become. The whole notion that I need to work hard at the Christian life smacks me right there in the “legalism and works” area and makes me remember my diversion from the Christian life because for years I thought I was not able to be a “good Christian”. Given a choice, I always responded to grace and mercy. However, it now occurs to me that the disciplined life is also a part of the development and we come to this training through our trials and circumstances. Given a choice, of course I would often run and hide from my circumstances, and the discipline required to overcome them. However, your grace, strength and courage are provision You make available in the right measure at all the right times. Thank you Lord.
I know you struggle with “legalism and works” and when you are confronted with these notions you push hard on the idea that you must “do the work”. Your reaction to this is not unusual as many of My children chafe under the heavy yoke of legalism and works. However, the work is essential and comes in the form of trials, and circumstances that I use to build your faith, strength and courage. My grace is always there because of course you will fail. It is not necessary that you always succeed; it is only necessary that you stay the course, and you now know you can only do this through Me; constantly accessing My oceans of grace and mercy.
July 7 Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
This lesson today from Oswald contains the “Book Naming” central phrase of his teaching. My Utmost for Your Highest. Affirming that goal mentally is no problem, Any Christian would do so. But finding the balance grace and striving is the area that we keep focusing on. Left to our own devices we can strive and get all stressed out … not the Christlike way. Or we can incorrectly appropriate grace and totally disregard our journey toward Christlikeness. It seems like what Solomon did in his later days. But at the end of all the wives, all the projects and all the wealth, he came back to where we are discussing right now.
Here it is in the Message:
Eccl 12: 12-13 But regarding anything beyond this, dear friend, go easy. There’s no end to the publishing of books, and constant study wears you out so you’re no good for anything else. The last and final word is this:
Fear God.
Do what he tells you.
14 And that’s it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it’s good or evil.
