When one wants to attend college there is a word that is used quite often in preparation for ones academic career; that word is “prerequisite”! The Webster’s dictionary defines prerequisite as: “something that is necessary to an end or to the carrying out of a function”. The Cambridge dictionary defines it as: “something that must exist or happen before something else can exist or happen: ie Introductory physics is a prerequisite for any of the advanced courses in physics.” Prerequisites lay the ground work or foundation that prepares you for future courses.

I took a web site design class a few years ago of which I had requested the prerequisite be waived as I had already designed this website so I felt I must have had enough knowledge to be able to successfully complete the desired class. Using a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) software program does not prepare one for HTML code writing. I wasn’t a month into that class when my professor asked me if I had taken the prerequisite for this class. He could tell from all my questions and areas of struggle that I could not have had the foundational basics under my belt.

When I worked in our Health Sciences department of our local community college, we offered programs whose prerequisites ranged from taking a basic English and math test at our testing center for our PCT program to holding a Bachelors Degree for our Physician’s Assistant program; and don’t even consider applying if you don’t have a 3.0 GPA or higher. Why so stringent? Inquiring students often ask, “I have a 2.9 isn’t that good enough”? I feel bad when I have to tell them, “I’m sorry, but they have set this level of educational requirement in order to best prepare the student for what was to come.

I don’t want to get into a long, drawn-out, theological dissertation here, but wouldn’t you think that understanding the earthly mandates and requirements for education or employment might make us more accepting and understanding of God’s heavenly prerequisites as well? Too many people have their own ideas of how to commune with God and the requirements for entrance into His heavenly realm when we depart this earth. If there is a God, and you recognize you are not Him; doesn’t it make sense that He would not only have prerequisites for attaining relationship with Him and acceptance into His Heavenly kingdom, but that He would also go to great lengths to share with us what they are to help make us better prepared? Colleges and universities go to great lengths and expense to inform students of what is required in order to complete his or her course of study. There are credit schedule magazines, thick extensive catalogs, program admission booklets, webpages, as well as advisors to guide and direct someone onto their proper path.

Our heavenly Father God has provided His Word, the Bible, to guide and direct each of us into relationship with Him. He has provided His Son as our foundation to knowing the Father, (John 14:9) and entering His Heavenly Kingdom (Matthew 10: 32-33). He has provided the Holy Spirit as our advisor and guidance counselor, (Psalms 25:5 & John 16:13). These are God’s prerequisites. I had a young lady say to me just recently, “Why do you have to make it so difficult to get into this class?” I told her it might seem difficult but these were the necessary steps she had to complete in order for her to succeed!” Like me in my website design class, people always want the easy, most self-gratifying way to their wants and desires, but we are doing ourselves a disservice if we place ourselves on a path for which we are not properly prepared. It’s the same in our spiritual walk. Something inside us seeks God. We have this hole that only He can fill, but we run headlong asking for requirements to be waived because, “I’m a good person” or “have a sincere heart for a higher power.” We grant ourselves a waiver that neither permits personal relationship with God nor prepares us for entering His heaven. Believing and trusting in Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is only the beginning as if having registered as a student and been accepted into His universe…ity! As we progress on this path of faith and knowledge our Heavenly Father will graciously allow joys and successes, as well as, difficult and painful times to come into our lives as part of continued “prerequisites” in preparation for all He would have us do in our love and service to Him! He provides a ‘complete program’ in our character building and genuine relationship with Him. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) This sounds like a pretty stringent prerequisite to me! You may want to reconsider your “higher power” and be sure he/she/it truly allows you into the presence of the true God of the universe. He is a loving God but He has set his required prerequisites in place and there is just no getting into His univers…ity without them!

Does your idea of being “good enough” for God match up with His? This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.

There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.— (Romans 3:22-25 NIV)

It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. (John 6:45, 46 NIV)

How do you love and stay committed to a god fashioned according to your will? God has set his standard, he set in place his prerequisites. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. (Romans 8:10, 11 NIV)

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:18, 19, 21 NIV)

ROMAN ROAD TO SALVATION:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. (Romans 1:16 NIV) …for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 NIV)

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 NIV)

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:9, 10, 13 NIV)

Jesus said, if you have seen me you have seen the Father! If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:6, 7 NIV)

Whoever hates me hates my Father also. (John 15:23 ESV)

But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. (John 16:7 NIV)

But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 4:29 ESV)

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. (Proverbs 8:17 ESV)

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33 ESV)

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 ESV)

In obedience you are to be baptized: Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:16 NIV)