Matthew 7:13-14 ESV
“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.”
The Wide Gate
There are many people out there in the world and in the
gatherings of what is called “church” who are teaching what is false and who
are leading many people astray. Many of these people are well renowned politicians,
pastors, religious rulers and leaders, family members of famous preachers, and “Christian”
book authors. And so many people assume that if they say something that it must
be the truth, but that is a lie of Satan.
These people are teaching or they were teaching the wide
gate and the easy way that leads to destruction, and many people are following
them and their false teaching because they are not testing what they are
hearing against the Scriptures (in context). But the Scriptures give us many
warnings against false teachers and wolves in sheep’s clothing, and so we need
to heed those warnings and we need to test what we are hearing and reading.
Some of these
teachers are part of a global ecumenical movement toward a one world religion
who are pushing for the people of the world to break down everything which
divides us as the people of the world and to all unite as one people with one
voice and with one mind. All of this is preparation towards the rule of the
beast of Revelation and a one world order which will be a totalitarian regime
the likes of Hitler’s regime only on a global scale.
Only the persecuted
in this case are followers of Jesus Christ. And it is the gospel of Jesus
Christ which is greatly under attack right now from many of these prominent
people in our society and in the world and in the church (institutional) who
have large followings of people. The gospel of Christ is being demonized while
the teachings of these false teachers are being raised up to acceptable status,
and the masses are following them.
What is under
attack are these critical elements of the gospel message: Repentance, the
forsaking of our sins, obedience to God and to his commands (New Covenant), and
submission to Christ as Lord and Master of our lives. But Jesus said that if
anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily (daily
die to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. And the Scriptures teach that
Jesus died that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his
righteousness (Lu 9:23-26; 1 Pet 2:24).
The false gospel
(wide gate) many are teaching is totally absent of repentance, obedience, and
submission to Christ as Lord. In fact, many are vilifying these by calling them
“works salvation.” And so they are even discouraging their adherents from repenting
of their sins and from walking in obedience to their Lord and from honoring
Christ as Lord (Master) of their lives. And they are giving them carte blanche
to continue in deliberate and habitual sin by telling them that God’s grace covers
it all.
To them, their
faith in Jesus Christ is more like fire insurance so that they can escape hell
and be guaranteed heaven when they die regardless of how they live their lives
on this earth. Their faith is more like an acknowledgement of who Jesus is and of
what he did for us on that cross, only they are only getting half the reason he
died for us. It is an outward profession of faith which makes no requirements
for repentance, obedience, or submission to Christ as Lord. So it is fake, not
genuine faith.
But those who
follow this wide gate and path, which is easy, will find out the truth one day
that it does indeed lead to destruction and death and not to eternal life.
Those who follow it will not inherit eternal life with God because they are
still in bondage to their sin, still habitually and deliberately sinning
against the Lord and against other humans while refusing to forsake their sins
and to follow him in obedience and to honor him as Lord (Master).
The Narrow Gate
But the narrow gate is the one we are to enter. And the gate
is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few
because the masses are entering through the wide gate that promises eternal
life with God but which is a lie and which leads to destruction. For Jesus said
if anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily
(daily die to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him (Luke 9:23-26).
In Romans 6 we read that by faith in Jesus Christ we are
crucified with Christ in death to sin and we are raised with Christ to walk in
newness of life in him (not like our old lives). Our old self is crucified with
him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we will
no longer be enslaved to sin but to God and to his righteousness. For sin is to
have no more dominion over our lives. Thus, we are to not let sin reign in our
mortal bodies, to make us obey its passions but we are to obey Christ Jesus.
In Romans 8 we read that the righteous requirement of the
law is fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh but according to the
Spirit, for if we live according to the flesh it will end in death, not in life
everlasting. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it
does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh
cannot please God. But if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of
the body, we will live.
And in Ephesians 4 we read that we are to no longer live
like the ungodly. We are not to give ourselves up to sensuality, greedy to
practice every kind of impurity. For that is not the way we should have learned
Christ. The truth in Christ Jesus we should have learned teaches us to put off
your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt
through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and
to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness
and holiness.
In 1 John 1 we read that if we say we have fellowship with
God while we walk (in conduct, in practice) in darkness (sin, wickedness), we
lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as God is in
the light, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. And in 1 John 2 we read
that if we say we know God, but we do not obey his commandments (New Covenant),
we are liars and the truth is not in us.
And then we read in 1 John 3 that whoever practices
righteousness (the righteousness of God) is righteous as God is righteous. But
whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for no one born of God
makes a practice of sinning. Therefore, whoever does not practice righteousness
is not of God. And we read in Gal 5:16-21, Eph 5:3-6, 1 Co 6:9-10, 2 Co 5:10,
etc. that if sin is what we practice that we will not inherit eternal life with
God.
So, we need to take this all to heart. The narrow road
instructs us to say “No!” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts (passions) and to
live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s
return (Tit 2:11-14). And the narrow road teaches that we must turn from our
sins and follow Jesus in obedience and honor him as Lord of our lives or we don’t
have eternal life with God. For Jesus died on that cross to deliver us from our
slavery to sin so that we might now walk in his holiness and righteousness.
[Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom
6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Co 6:19-20; 2 Co 5:15,21; Tit
2:11-14; Jas 1:22-25; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Rom 12:1-2; Eph 2:8-10; Heb 12:1-2; Jn 6:44;
2 Pet 1:1; 1 Co 15:58; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:21-23; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13]
For
Our Nation
An
Original Work / September 11, 2012
Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.
Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Men deceiving: we’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.
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