The Lord Jesus declared there are only two roads that lead to eternity, but only a few will find the narrow way that leads to life. Everyone else will travel the broad way that leads to death (Matt. 7:13-14). The many people who are on the broad way will take comfort in knowing they are doing and believing what everyone else does and believes. They need to know, as far as salvation is concerned, there is no security in numbers. Anyone entering the narrow gate must enter alone with empty hands of faith, trusting Christ alone.
Why are there only a few who find the narrow way? It is because false prophets, dressed in sheep's clothing, are constantly directing people to the broad way (Matt. 7:15). These ravenous wolves are successful because the broad way seems right to man, but its end is death (Prov. 14:12). This is why Jesus said, "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able" (Luke 13:24). Jesus is pleading with people to strive to enter God's Kingdom and be set free from a fallen world that is held captive by Satan to do his will (2 Tim. 2:26). Only the truth will set captives free, and only when they abide in God's Word will they know the truth (John 8:31-32). Then they will be able to discern truth from error and the narrow gate from the wide gate.
Many gullible people fall prey to false teachers because of their deceptive appearance. As servants of Satan, they "disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds" (2 Cor. 11:15). Like anything that is counterfeit, their goal is to fool people. False teachers mask their deceptive lies with an air of religious authority. They hide their fatal gospel under a thin veneer of truth, such that the outer shell is believable, but what's inside is deadly poison. They often hide their blasphemies and heresies with illogical arguments and traditions of men. They have no fear of God and twist and distort His word to their own destruction (2 Pet. 3:16). They are not interested in saving souls, only in gaining more followers. They are not interested in building the Lord's church, but a church of their own.
Tragically, there are many who never take the time to consider on which road to eternity they are traveling. It is the responsibility of everyone on the narrow way to warn those who are in peril on the broad way. Let us encourage them to consider the many contrasts between the narrow way and the broad way before it is too late:
*One is guided by pure truth (1 Jn 2:21); the other by truth mixed with error (Gal. 1:6-7)
*One is directed by the infallible Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16); the other by the fallible traditions of men (Mark 7:7-8)
*One follows Jesus, the true Shepherd (John 10:3, 14:6); the other follows anyone else (Matt. 7:15)
*One is by grace and totally undeserved (Eph. 2:8-9); the other is by trying to merit God's favor (Titus 3:5)
*One is entered by repenting and believing the Gospel (Mark 1:15); the other by rituals and self-righteousness (Rom. 10:3).
*One is entered by divine accomplishment (Hebrews 7:25); the other by human achievement (Luke 18:9)
*One is traveled by the humble who know they deserve hell (Eph. 2:1-5); the other by the proud who think they deserve heaven (Luke 18:11-14)
*One group will arrive expectantly because of God's promises (1 John 5:13); the other will be tragically surprised (Matt. 7:23)
Both ways do have one thing in common; they both lead people to the Lord Jesus Christ. Many will meet Him as a sin-avenging Judge and hear Him say, "Depart from me, I never knew you" (Mat. 7:23). Others will stand before Him as their gracious and merciful Savior and sing His praises throughout eternity!
Mike Gendron, Proclaiming the Gospel email, 11/1/18
2 comments:
This is good reading and worth a comment. In the face of such possibility of being under the influence of false teachers, we can take heart that as Jesus taugh in the text below.
BTW. John Bunyan has a whole little book on topic Mike writes about.
The Strait Gate,
or, Great difficulty of going to heaven.
John Bunyan 48 pages
Published twelve years before John Bunyan died in 1688.
"The Lord awaken poor sinners by my little book." - Excerpt 1676
https://acacia.pairsite.com/Acacia.John.Bunyan/Sermons.Allegories/The.Strait.Gate/index.html
But take heart.....
Joh 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Joh 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
Joh 6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
Joh 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Joh 6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
Joh 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
Joh 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Joh 6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Joh 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
Joh 6:69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
You have to admit that the words uttered by Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23 are scary. What if a person just so happened to believe they were serving God with all their hearts and they end up rejected by Him on that dreadful day?
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