Author’s note: If you’d like to know more about my path as a Christian, may I suggest you read articles 23.01 through 23.09 (can be found in the header menu). Consider how I misunderstood Christianity and misunderstand Jesus Christ and the Gospel. Now, I am impassioned by Jesus Christ’s teaching of the “narrow gate” (Matthew 7:13-14) and, in love, my posts are focused on flagging your attention to that critical truth and pathway to eternal salvation.
*
One of Jesus’ teachings concerned the “Narrow Way” or the “Narrow Gate” which emphasizes the Gospel’s way of achieving Salvation, that is, by Repentance from sin under the fear of divine wrath and Faith alone in the work on the Cross of the Risen and Living Lord Jesus Christ. Then through the action of trusting the Lord at the center of your life, the miracle of transformation can continue through your act of faith. This is the way defined by God and conveyed in the Bible. It is unique among all religions and, for those who believe, leaves little to doubt.
Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
It makes you wonder why “few … find it.”
Could it be the many who do not find it would rather believe in instructions from man rather than directly from God? Are they part of the group who would rather make life rules up because that would be an exercise of intellect, an ability to reason? Would staking one’s eternal life depend on how smart someone is?
Here is another reason but it is a big one. Every other religion introduces plenty of doubt because they expect everyone to work their way to salvation or, in some cases, to declare themselves as righteous in an anything-goes philosophy.
As humans, we are creatures of habit, and we become afraid to venture away from the status quo. One may not understand it as fear or status quo but people find comfort in the familiar, even if it is actually temporary or wrong.
Why am I writing to you this way? You owe me nothing, you may not even know me, but I share the concern of God to spread His message of mercy so that you may be saved by His grace.
Belief systems aside from biblical Christianity presumes the redeeming work of the sinless Son of God was not adequate, that the supernatural gift of God Almighty was not a gift at all.
Unfortunately, the revelations God has provided in the Bible remains subject to being manipulated by the minds, ways and expectations from well-meaning religious people as well as faith organizations, on one hand, to outright haters of the Bible, opportunists and charlatans everywhere on the other. Indeed, broad is the way that leads to destruction.
Your freedom from death has been already paid for IN FULL but it requires your accepting God’s mercy directly through His Son, not through an organization or sect requiring dues dues created by man. Virtually every other religion will have you working towards becoming “saved” often causing converts to be uncertain of their destiny up to the point of death. Jesus taught about the Kingdom of Heaven and He described his burden being light in regards to salvation – not to be manipulated by man.
In Matthew 11:28-30 is written: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you may find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
The other big aspect of Christianity that professing Christians commonly do not understand is the purpose of the Law and how judgment falls under the realm of God’s justice and wrath. It is through the Law we are convicted and understand the need for a Savior.
If you have not been convicted by the law, you have not read and understood the Law and you do not have a sense of the true nature of God and how we stand separated by the Law from God. A Christian humbly arrives to the reality that it is futile to achieve acceptance from a Holy, Righteous and Just God by “working” towards Salvation – and a Christian is especially joyful, unspeakably joyful, to accept by faith the salvation that was already provided to humanity by the complete and perfect work of Christ.
We are convicted by the Law until we accept and trust in Christ. Christ suffered for our sins, accepting God’s wrath for my sin and for yours.
This divine gift that must be humbly accepted, believed and trusted by individuals. This transformation does not occur merely by being a member of a congregation or religion, it does not occur because you work in order to be “good enough” to achieve God’s acceptance, it does not occur because you are related to or are friends with Christians.
Christianity as God intends, is a personal relationship covenant – hence the Narrow Way allows one person through at a time because each person must decide.
Yet there are few who find it.
Behind you lays your dead old self ruled by sin in a world corrupted by evil.
Ahead of you is your new life protected by Christ’s righteousness and in the kingdom where He is Lord. It begins now if you would repent and give your life in living trust to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Seek the Narrow Gate. Wide is the path to destruction.
CKY
***
Copyright © 2023 ChallenYee.com All Rights Reserved