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The gate to destruction is wide, but the gate to salvation is small. The Wide gate is the easiest to enter, thus people are easily deceived when it is presented to them. Why go through briars, when one can go through wide open green pastures? Rejoice when God gives you the bread of adversity, that means that God has chosen you to be one of his sons. With each decision you make, you'll come that much further to getting the prize of being with your creator, and gazing upon the eternal beauty of Christ Jesus, the son of God and the bright morning star!
Great post stephen! I think a lot of times when people go through great adversity they think it's because they did something wrong or they're not worthy or something like that when reality it might mean the exact opposite!
I think it's also good to remember how much power Satan has to tempt and try us and boy he sure will especially if we are striving to stay on the straight and narrow.
The gate to destruction is wide, but the gate to salvation is small. The Wide gate is the easiest to enter, thus people are easily deceived when it is presented to them. Why go through briars, when one can go through wide open green pastures? Rejoice when God gives you the bread of adversity, that means that God has chosen you to be one of his sons. With each decision you make, you'll come that much further to getting the prize of being with your creator, and gazing upon the eternal beauty of Christ Jesus, the son of God and the bright morning star!
In Christ,
Stephen
thank you for posting this! sometimes I forget that God is with me also when I go thru things, like a loving parent holding my hand and not letting go when the road gets rough.
I agree totally with Stephen, however, we also need to bear the following scripture in mind :
Matthew 7:21-23
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
We need to have relationship with our Father in order to enter into the narrow gate otherwise how will we knowHim and He know us? We need to allow Him to transform us, rather than us trying to change ourselves. By living a good clean life, we are being no better than the pharisees! By spending time in the Word and spending time in prayer, building relationship with Him, we will truly begin to know His will and desire to do His will simply because our whole desire is to please our Father God.
How awesome to be walking and talking with our Father on a daily basis, knowing that wherever we go, we go with His Glory and the power of the Holy Spirit! Without His power and strength, we will not get through those briars and adversities in order to reach the narrow gate. In our own strength we will become dispondent, discouraged and give up!!
So let's rise up in His power and strength and reach that narrow gate!
I may be mistaken, but I think the op is referring to the lack of obedience to the gospel as being the broad gate. All the watered down versions of what we must do to be saved......????
The gate to destruction is wide, but the gate to salvation is small. The Wide gate is the easiest to enter, thus people are easily deceived when it is presented to them. Why go through briars, when one can go through wide open green pastures? Rejoice when God gives you the bread of adversity, that means that God has chosen you to be one of his sons. With each decision you make, you'll come that much further to getting the prize of being with your creator, and gazing upon the eternal beauty of Christ Jesus, the son of God and the bright morning star!
In Christ,
Stephen
Mat 7:14 Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
These verses are really not about salvation, many are saved. The teaching is regarding immortallity, and overcoming.
Not all paths (gates) lead into heaven. There is only one way. This is what Jesus is saying.
How does Isaiah prophesy about that "path" Isaiah 35
Joy of the Redeemed
8 And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness.
The unclean will not journey on it;
it will be for those who walk in that Way;
wicked fools will not go about on it.
9 No lion will be there,
nor will any ferocious beast get up on it;
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there
10 and the ransomed of the LORD will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Do you understand what God is saying in the 4th and 5th sentences in verse 8?
Only those who walk in the way of Holiness will be found on the path. The wicked will not be allowed on the path. If you're getting on the path, you must be clean, be holy, be perfect. The unclean, will not be allowed on, even if you are trying "become" clean.
That is why Jesus said you are to BE perfect (clean) not BECOME perfect (clean).
This verse has nothing to do about trials, its is all about the path. Who are the wicked fools? Those who are "Doing all you can do", works righteousness.
How do we find ourself "Holy"?
Romans 10:10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
by faith.
Last edited by twin.spin; 06-23-2008 at 03:19 PM..
Everyone has sinned and no one is good enough to get to heaven on their own-- Romans 3:23
We can do nothing good to earn our way into heaven--Titus 3:5
"And this is the way to have eternal life - to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth"-- John 17:3
"We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this way, no matter who we are or what we have done" --Romans 3:22
And last but not least: Jesus says in John 14:6-- "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” --Acts 4:12
Everyone has sinned and no one is good enough to get to heaven on their own-- Romans 3:23
We can do nothing good to earn our way into heaven--Titus 3:5
"And this is the way to have eternal life - to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth"-- John 17:3
"We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this way, no matter who we are or what we have done" --Romans 3:22
And last but not least: Jesus says in John 14:6-- "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” --Acts 4:12
Everyone has sinned and no one is good enough to get to heaven on their own-- Romans 3:23
We can do nothing good to earn our way into heaven--Titus 3:5
"And this is the way to have eternal life - to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth"-- John 17:3
"We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this way, no matter who we are or what we have done" --Romans 3:22
And last but not least: Jesus says in John 14:6-- "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” --Acts 4:12
Your ignoring a lot of teaching in those snippets.
Faith is DEAD without works, dead faith never saved anyone.
godspeed,
freedom
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The narrow gate or the wide gate
