Jesus says, “Anyone who isn’t with Me opposes Me, and anyone who isn’t working with Me is actually working against Me” (Matt. 12:30).
 
On February 6, 1968, I enlisted with the Royal Australian Airforce for six-years of military service (later extending my contract to twelve years). I was aged 18 when I enlisted, and 30 when discharged.
 
At present, the Australian Defence Force (ADF), comprising of Army, Air Force, and Navy, totals approximately 59,000 full-time, plus 29,000 part-time personnel. The full-time personnel refer to the part-timers as Weekend Warriors who get paid good money to ‘play’ the game.
 
In times of war, the Australian government has authority to bolster its number of active personnel through conscription… forcing select civilians into military service. Australia’s military might would then be comprised of enlisted and conscripted full-time personnel… no Weekend Warriors!  
 
As Australia is not presently at war, its combat-ready force comprises of enlisted full-time personnel and part-time Weekend Warriors… No conscripts!
 
Are you aware that when you decided to follower Jesus Christ with your life, you signed-up for full-time military service… engaged 24/7 in an all-out spiritual war against Satan and his diabolical forces? Paul says to us from the Book of Ephesians… “Put on all of God’s armour so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (6:11-12).
 
Friends, unlike the ADF, God’s Army is solely made up of enlisted full-time personnel… No conscripts… No Weekend Warriors!
 
The only way a person can find themselves in God’s Army is by their free-will decision to enlist. The period of enlistment being the duration of their earthly lives… AND, their enlistment is strictly an ‘all of me, all the time’ affair!
 
In New Testament times, 60-70% of the population of the Roman Empire was made up of three classes of slaves – Conscripted full-time, Enlisted part-time, and Doulos full-time. This word Doulos is found at least 127 times in the New Testament. Doulos is the Greek word that means a ‘bond slave.’ It literally means to willingly be owned by someone without will or question for a lifetime… having no rights or privileges, no wants or desires, only the commands of the master.
 
Paul began his letter to the Philippian church with these words, “This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus” (1:1 NLT). Everyone at the time understood that Paul was testifying that he had freely given himself to Christ as a full-time, life-time Doulos. A Doulos would submit themselves to their owner for ear-piercing with a stud as a public sign of their chosen, submissive life of service. Paul gladly lived and died for Christ because Christ gladly lived and died for him.
 
This is what the Sacrament of the Holy Communion reminds us each time we observe it; firstly, Christ lived and died for each one of us, that we may live and never die!… and secondly, we now live as Christ’s Doulos, until we die!  
 
In his letter to the church at Rome, Paul appealed to believers for an all-always commitment in their service to Christ.  Paul said to them, “Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. (12:1). Simply stated, acceptable worship is offering everything of yourself to God in life and service, all the time!
 
In the Book of Luke, Jesus said to the crowd of people that were attracted to Him, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow Me” (9:23).
 
Friends, unless you are living a surrendered life to Jesus, taking up your cross daily… and unless you are following Him with unquestioning obedience, Scripture disqualifies you from being in His army. Jesus says, “Anyone who isn’t with Me opposes Me, and anyone who isn’t working with Me is actually against Me” (Matt. 12:30).
 
When it comes to God’s army, there is no fence-sitting… you are either ‘in,’ or ‘out’… you are either ‘for’ Jesus, or ‘against’ Him. If you are not working ‘with’ Jesus, you are working ‘against’ Him… it’s as simple as that.
 
God’s army is not made up of part-timers or Weekend Warriors, His army is strictly made up of all-always, frontline Doulos warriors! Jesus says, “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it” (Matt. 16:25).
 
Yes, following Jesus is strictly an ‘all or nothing’ affair.
 
Bill
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