Years ago, when the Betty Crocker Company first began selling their cake mixes, they offered a product which only needed water. All you had to do was add water to the mix which came in the box, and you would get a perfect, delicious cake every time.

It bombed. No one bought it and the company couldn’t understand why, so they commissioned a study which brought back a surprising answer. It seemed that people weren’t buying the cake mix because it was too easy. They didn’t want to be totally excluded from the work of preparing a cake; they wanted to feel that they were contributing something to it. So, Betty Crocker changed the formula and required the customer to add an egg in addition to water. Immediately, the new cake mix was a huge success.

Unfortunately, many religions make the same mistake when it comes to “packaging” or presenting Christianity. They try to make becoming a Christian, or living the Christian life, as easy as possible because they’re afraid people won’t “buy it” if it seems too hard. Sadly, many are buying into it. Many teach salvation by faith alone or grace alone. One preacher once said, “We cannot add one wit to our salvation.” Of course, these are false concepts (e.g. Mk. 16:16; Jam. 2:24). Friends, true religion contains two parts: 1) God’s part which is grace, and 2) man’s part which is obedience.

Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Mat. 7:13-14; ESV). The apostle Paul declared, “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12). “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).

Christianity without diligent effort on our part is no Christianity at all. What are you contributing to Christianity?

Think About It!