Wednesday, May 4, 2016

The Narrow Gate

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." - Matthew 7:13-14 NASB

These are red letters. This is Jesus talking. Oh, How right this statement is. Believing the Gospel is the narrow gate.

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.' " - John 14:6-7 ESV

If we pass through this gate we will get to know the Father. There are other roads but none of them bring us to the Father.

I marvel at the simplicity of the message and I'm shocked at how powerful it is in my life and what happens to me when I choose the path that leaves little room for my baggage.

"'Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.' When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, 'Who then can be saved?' But Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.' " - Matthew 19:24-26 ESV

Many say that the 'eye of the needle' was an actual trade gate that was so small that traders had to take their goods off their camels before entering because the camels could not fit through the entrance. The gospel does make you do this in a way. The door Jesus creates for us is to small to for any of our vehicles. Only we can pass through. Not our past. Not our power. Not our methods. Not even our goodness. We come and believe the Gospel and pass from outside to inside but then we are rich and God moves. The Bible comes alive. We have words of mercy.

Today is a day to drop all our possessions at the door we have found and enter in the narrow way. We can look for a wider way that will accommodate our past and all the baggage that comes with it but that way will not lead to life even if the majority of humanity seem to be traveling that way.

With God all things are possible. God has made salvation possible by sending His Son to die on a cross and says, 'Only believe.' Believe that He died. Believe that He rose again and that He sits on a throne now in Heaven. Believe for the first time and God will move you to the other side. Believe again today and God will remind you of all that He has done because He only moves us once. Once is enough.

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