Upon seeing this chart, I asked my self the question: Which of these categories is the most difficult? It seems obvious to me that the author of this chart thinks “Obedient until death” because of the size of the font attributed to the category. And, at first glance I agreed with that observation. But, is it really?
Well, if one measures difficulty by the measuring stick of time, I suppose it is. But, if a persons environment has made it difficult to accept any of the other categories, then isn’t the hardest category really specific to the person?
In all fairness, I though it would be appropriate to read the Scriptures before making up one’s mind, so here are the Scriptures listed in the chart...
Acts 3 ( World English Bible )
22 For Moses indeed said to the fathers, ‘The Lord God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him in all things whatever he says to you.
John 12 ( WEB )
48 "He who rejects me, and doesn’t receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke, the same will judge him in the last day. "
Romans 10 ( WEB )
17 So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10 ( WEB )
9 that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Acts 8 ( YLT ) note: The WEB and ASV omit this verse
37 And Philip said, `If thou dost believe out of all the heart, it is lawful;' and he answering said, `I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God;'
John 3 ( WEB )
16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. "
Mark 16 ( WEB )
16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned. "
Ephesians 2 ( WEB )
8 for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
John 8 ( WEB )
24 "I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am" * "he, you will die in your sins.” "
Acts 3 ( WEB )
19 “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord,
Luke 13 ( WEB )
3 "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way. "
Romans 10 ( WEB )
9 that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Matthew 10 ( WEB )
32 "Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. "
33 "But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven."
1 Corinthians 12 ( WEB )
13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all given to drink into one Spirit.
Ephesians 5 ( WEB )
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it;
26 that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word,
Romans 6 ( WEB )
3 Or don’t you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4 We were buried therefore with him through baptism to death, that just like Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.
Acts 2 ( WEB )
41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls.
47 praising God, and having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the assembly day by day those who were being saved.
Acts 22 ( WEB )
16 Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
1 Corinthians 6 ( WEB )
11 Such were some of you, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God.
Galatians 3 ( WEB )
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Acts 2 ( WEB )
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Mark 16 ( WEB )
16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned. "
Titus 3 ( WEB )
5 not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
1 Peter 3 ( WEB )
21 This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Revelation 2 ( WEB )
10 "Don’t be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested; and you will have oppression for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life. "
Matthew 24 ( WEB )
13 "But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved. "
Hebrews 5 ( WEB )
9 Having been made perfect, he became to all of those who obey him the author of eternal salvation,
Matthew 7 ( WEB )
21 "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. "
Romans 6 ( WEB )
16 Don’t you know that to whom you present yourselves as servants to obedience, his servants you are whom you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?
17 But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were delivered.
After reading all these verses, have you made up your mind? My most difficult concept and it is not among all these quotations and categories. For me, it is not about the “doing”, but rather the person. The most difficult part of Christianity for me was at the very beginning of what I call my pre-spiritual life. Before I even heard about Jesus and what he did for me, I had to realize that there was a God and that he cared for me. My observations of the heavens taught me how much the creator of everything cared for what he had made, because of the sheer complexity of his work. Certainly, such a creator would care for me as well. When I heard about Jesus, I loved him because he loved me enough to die for me. One member of my childhood family really did love me enough to sacrifice for me, but not one of them were willing to die for me.
If you really, truly, love Jesus- then that love will overcome any obstacle! Categories become irrelevant!
Believe this, for it is true!
If you really, truly, love Jesus- then that love will overcome any obstacle! Categories become irrelevant!
Believe this, for it is true!