⚓ Floatie: A Fork in the Road
Luke 9:23 And He said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”(ESV)
There are two roads in the Christian life, and many people don’t know which one they’re walking. One is entered by confession. The other is forged by fire. Jesus offered salvation freely to all—but He also gave a call that not everyone understands. If you confuse the two roads, you will either carry a weight you were never meant to bear, or you will lay down a cross you were commanded to carry.
✒️ Forge: Two Roads, One King
Romans 10:13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”(ESV)
This is the first road. Simple, eternal, purchased entirely by blood. No work earns it. No effort secures it. This is the road of salvation.
But Luke 9:23 speaks of another road—the road of discipleship. It is not the requirement for salvation, but the result of following Jesus deeper. Not all believers are called to become teachers, but all believers are called to be conformed to Christ’s character. And for those who are called to lead, to teach, to shepherd, or to build—there is a weight that comes with that call.
James 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.(ESV)
The road of salvation is entered by belief. The road of discipleship is marked by scars.
⚒️ Anvil: When Testimony Becomes Trial
New believers often overflow with joy. It’s a marvelous and wonderful thing. They tell strangers about Jesus. They shine bright and loud—and they draw attention. That attention brings questions. And those questions can be the fire that either forges a disciple or burns down a faith that was never grounded.
Some believers press in. They realize they don’t have the answers and begin to study. They are humbled, forged, and eventually strengthened.
But others—those who thought salvation came with all the answers—collapse under the pressure. Doubt creeps in. Fear of inadequacy grows. They meet people who don’t just ask questions, but weaponize them.
People like who I used to be.
There are former believers out there who were burned by shallow churches, or, as in my case, circumstances that only God could have predicted. They felt betrayed or abandoned. So they sharpened rocks to throw at anything that looked like the Church. I was one of them. I had walked away with open wounds and came back with weapons. Not honest questions—malice.
And I wasn’t alone.
Some of the fiercest enemies of new believers aren’t atheists. They’re ex-disciples. The ones who felt abandoned. The ones who were hurt in the name of God. And when a zealous new believer runs into one of these former warriors, it can destroy them unless they have someone standing nearby to explain the truth behind the questions.
🔥 Ember: The Menace and the Mandate
I was a menace. I don’t say that to shock—I say it because it’s true. I wasn’t just skeptical. I was strategic. I knew what to ask to make people doubt their faith. I didn’t want to dismantle Christianity. I wanted to crush the faith of anyone naïve enough to believe it still worked. I actively looked for fights and even enjoyed seeing the doubt creep in when they couldn’t answer one of my unanswerable questions. I threw stones. I enjoyed sharing the pain I felt. I was calloused in how I threw those stones. I didn’t care who got hurt. I’m sure my amazing wife can still show some of the scars she has left over from those years.
But God…
God took my anger and hollowed it out. He let me chase my pain until it had no fuel left. And then He called me back—not to the road I was on, but to the road I had mocked.
And now? I had my own “road to Damascus” moment standing outside of a hospital after staring death in the face for months on end. So, I now stand where I once threw stones.
I answer the questions I used to ask.
And I guard new believers from the very kind of man I used to be.
🌿 Covenant Triumph: The Fire Is the Road
There are two roads in the Kingdom:
- One is entered by grace.
- The other is walked by fire.
Salvation is a gift. Discipleship is a journey.
Not everyone is called to teach. Not everyone is ready to lead. But every believer will face the question: Will you follow when the fire comes?
If you’ve ever destroyed faith—your own or someone else’s—but now find yourself defending the truth you once attacked…
Welcome to the forge.
You’re not disqualified. You’re being prepared.
You’re finally on the right road.
[⚓ Floatie] [✒️ Forge] [⚒️ Anvil] [🔥 Ember] [🌿 Covenant Triumph]
This post follows the Forge Baseline Rule—layered truth for the discerning remnant.
Walking With Christ 
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