1. What Is The Least I Can Do And Still Get To Heaven? If you are asking this question, I can tell you that you won’t make it there. What Are The Bounds Of Christian Liberty? Trying To Get By

2. Introduction The question lacks a motivation to serve the Lord with the whole heart. The question indicates that you cannot let go of the world and put your trust in God. God warns us that we cannot love the world and still receive His blessings of eternal life.

3. Some Limitations James 4:4 “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God”. 2 John 9 “Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son”.

4. Some Limitations James 4:8 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded”. Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need”.

5. Limitations Of Liberty While we become free from sins through our obedience; We do not have freedom TO sin. Many teach that the grace of God (which is free) overlooks sin; So, if we have sin in our lives, God looks and sees Jesus and thus we can be saved because of the sacrifice of Jesus. It doesn’t work that way.

6. Here Is Our Problem People do not like restrictions placed upon them. God, by demanding obedience, is restricting what we want to do. That is not fair, in most people’s minds. Every religion has restrictions. The problem is that in each and every religion there are those who seek to lessen the severity of ignoring the restrictions.

7. Here Is Our Problem We also have double standards applied by man. A man cheats on his wife, “Oh, well!” A woman cheats on her husband “That hussy”. A white man does the same thing a black man does, but they are judged differently. People from different cultures allow their culture to dictate what is right and wrong, and not the Bible.

8. God Has Always Had Limitations. Genesis 2:16-17 “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for the in day that you eat from it you shall surely die”. Ten Commandments along with the whole Mosaic Law. Even with the freedom in Christ, we have limitations.

9. Some Questions Back to our title, some are still asking: What can I do, or not do, as a Christian, and still be pleasing to God? Wrong Attitude here. There are several questions we should consider. Am I a Christian in name only, or do I live like I am supposed to? Am I doing anything to bring glory to God?

10. Some Questions Do I want to go to heaven? Am I willing to give up all in order to go to heaven? Am I willing to grow and develop into a better Christian? Will my behavior demonstrate my love for God or friendship with the world?

11. Some Questions Do my friends know that I am a Christian? Can I produce any evidence that I am a Christian? Can my actions be pleasing to God? Or, will I bring reproach upon Christ or His church by my lifestyle? Have I made any effort to lead others to Christ?

12. Where We Need To Focus I am sure that we could ask many more probing questions. But these should be sufficient to make our point. The Christian has many responsibilities in our living to be acceptable to God. Some of these areas of duty are:

13. Our Focus Worship: Spirit and Truth? Following the commands and examples of the New Testament Or do I just occupy a pew and feel good about myself?

14. Our Focus Work: Is it honorable work? Does it allow me time to serve God? Play: Does it distract from serving God. Do I play with fairness towards all? Am I obsessed with it to the point of God taking second place?

15. Our Focus Speech: Does it build up or tear down? Is it wholesome? Would anyone find it offensive? (Granted: speaking the truth is offensive to those not willing to live by it) Dress: Modesty? Belong to the world, or to Christ?

16. Conclusion So many more things we could consider. Our associates, our places of recreation, our habits, and just about everything that people see as “you”. Serving God certainly has limitations in all these areas. Are you trying to serve God better than “well enough”?