God Loves… Himself

Mat 7:13 “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. 14 “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell– and great was its fall.”

There are very many in the world who are almost and yet but almost Christians…A second proof of it is that of the parable of the virgins in St. Matthew. See what a progress they make, how far they go in a profession of Christ.

The reason that people must go through the narrow gate is because of three things. One, the gate is wide that leads to destruction. Two, the way is broad that leads to destruction. Three, there are many who enter through that wide gate. (from Sobering Thoughts 10)

It appears from the verses above that it is not just that there are few in the entire population of humanity who enter through the narrow gate, but that there are few of those who are of the Christian religion who enter through that narrow gate. The narrow gate is meant to give us a picture of something that is hard to see and hard to enter, though it may be hard to enter because few even want to enter through something that narrow. We may be loathe to enter the narrow gain because there is no room going through that gate for self and pride. The Rich Young Ruler found that the gate was too narrow for him to enter with his riches.

What we must be faced with is that that this narrow gate is too narrow to enter with anything in our hands. We cannot hold on to various lusts and loves. We cannot hold on to various things of the world. The gate is so narrow that we have to die to self and offer up self to be crucified in order to enter that narrow gate. It may be that we will have to suffer shame in order to enter that gate. It may be that we will have to give up all that we have in terms of respect of the world or financial things to enter the gate. This is a narrow gate and we must deny self and all the things of self if we are to enter.

In Matthew 18 we are told that we must be turned and become like children to enter the kingdom. We must lose all of our rights (so to speak) and be humbled into the dust where we receive all things as do very small children. Very small children do not worry about riches and honor, they just hold out their hands and quite apart from merit they are trusting in they receive. The simply receive all based on who their parents are. That narrow gate must be entered because the wide gate leads to destruction. The wide gate has enough room for some pride and some of self and some of religion in it. The wide gate may appear quite narrow to some and so they repent of many things, but there is still some room for them to enter with a few things.

It may be impossible to overstate the importance of nothing that the wide gate may appear small and yet it is far easier than the narrow gate. The narrow gate allows a person through with absolutely nothing. The wide gate will allow a few things to many things, though there may be some requirement. The wide gate is quite consistent with the things of religion, even orthodox religion and even a very stringent morality. The wide gate will allow enough pride and self through to damn a person, but perhaps not enough through so that pride and self can be easily seen. The wide gate is just wide enough to allow the things that the heart cherishes and wants to hide. The wide gate is just wide enough to allow many religious people in so that they will not have to truly and fully repent.

Mat 7:13 “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. 14 “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell– and great was its fall.”

There are very many in the world who are almost and yet but almost Christians…A second proof of it is that of the parable of the virgins in St. Matthew. See what a progress they make, how far they go in a profession of Christ.

People are commanded and/or urged to enter through the narrow gate. This sounds bad because no one likes to be narrow in thinking or in what they do. We think of narrow in several ways, but all of them are negative. A gate that is narrow makes it sound like one can hardly fit there and if one has a phobia of tight places, it sounds so negative. What we must think of, however, is that Jesus had His reasons for saying this and it is vital that we deal with what He said. If there is only one way and it is a narrow gate, then we must go through the narrow gate. In that case going through the narrow gate is a very positive thing.

Why are people to go through the narrow gate? It is because, Jesus said, “the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.” This is a massively weighty statement that we cannot take too seriously. The reason that people must go through the narrow gate is because of three things. One, the gate is wide that leads to destruction. Two, the way is broad that leads to destruction. Three, there are many who enter through that wide gate.

When Jesus, who was and is Truth Himself, spoke in such serious ways, we should listen and listen carefully. We should enter through the narrow gate because there is a wide gate and that gate leads to destruction. He tells us about this narrow gate because He wants to show us the right way and warn us about the false way. It is not that He was speaking of the whole world here and so we can think that the numbers are on our side, but He was speaking of those who think of themselves as on the way to heaven. In other words, of all those who think that they are on the way to heaven, the vast majority enter through the wide gate and it is the gate that leads to destruction.

This alone should strike us with a lot of weight and cause us to search the Scriptures and our own hearts. If there are vast numbers of people who think that they are going to heaven and yet they are on the road to destruction, then we have to take this into serious consideration and be concerned. If any person has not truly entered through the narrow gate, then that person is one the way to destruction whether or not s/he knows it or not. Jesus did not say that all those who are sincere are on the path that leads to life, but He said that only those who entered through the narrow gate are on the path that leads to life.

This is jolting and disturbing, but no one should just stand back and not take the words of Jesus seriously. One can imagine some saying that they walked the aisle and other saying that they have prayed the prayer. Others will say that they have the right theology. Still others will say that they are living a good life. Many in our day will say that they have believed. In the time of Jesus many believed, but were not converted. Jesus never said anything about the list of things in this paragraph being enough. We must not be deceived and we must search our hearts.

Mat 7:13 “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. 14 “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell– and great was its fall.”

There are very many in the world who are almost and yet but almost Christians…A second proof of it is that of the parable of the virgins in St. Matthew. See what a progress they make, how far they go in a profession of Christ.

It should provoke people to examine their hearts when they read verses like the ones above, but for those who are deceived they may remain deceived. It is easy enough to read those verses and just assume that I have read and heard these verses before and simply go on with life. Legalist will assume that because they are so stringent that this passage cannot be talking about them. Those who have taken up with easy believism will dismiss this passage as being the spirit of the Old Testament. However, the words of Christ should penetrate to the depths of our soul and we must know that His words can never fall to the ground. His words are absolute truth!

The urgent words of Christ are that we should enter through the narrow gate. Oh how hard this is for the self-willed person to hear. How hard this is for the person who loves his own will to hear. How hard this is for all those who want to be like God (like the devil) and follow their own wisdom and find their own way. Oh, we think, I am not like those people. I am more religious and my morality is better than those people. That is really nothing less than to have the spirit of the Pharisee that Jesus condemned in Luke 18. “God, I thank you that I am not like other people” (Luke 18:11).

We must get it into our heads and then cry out to the Lord to drive this into our hearts that the gate is narrow and the words of Christ are urgent. It is not just that He is describing a gate to them as such, but He is urging them to enter at the narrow gate. He did not tell them that the gate is narrow and then tell them to be sure and enter it before they die at an old age, He is urging them to enter it now. No one has the guarantee of a long life and no one has the guarantee that s/he will be allowed to live another moment. We simply have no idea when we will die and we should urgently seek to enter at the narrow gate at the earliest possible moment and that is this very moment. We must not put this off as there is nothing more important.

Each person must know that there is a coming judgment day. Each person will die and each person will be judged before the living God. This is not some story that has been concocted to control the behavior of people, it has been revealed by God and each person must know that s/he will die and will be judged by the all-seeing and all-knowing God. This God is also all-present and all-powerful, so there is no escape from Him. He is the living God who upholds each being as He pleases and He is the One that gives each one his or her every breath at His mere pleasure. He has sent His Beloved Son who is Truth Himself and His Son commands and urges people to enter at through the narrow gate. That means that there is a narrow gate and that means that what Christ says about destruction is also true. There is no avoiding judgment and there is no avoiding the fact that there is a narrow gate and there are many who do not enter there. All those who do not enter at the narrow gate are on the road to destruction and they will perish in hell forever. This is that serious and it is that urgent.

Mat 7:13 “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. 14 “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell– and great was its fall.”

There are very many in the world who are almost and yet but almost Christians…A second proof of it is that of the parable of the virgins in St. Matthew. See what a progress they make, how far they go in a profession of Christ.
1. They are called “virgins.” Now this is a name given in the Scripture, both in the Old Testament and the New, to the saints of Christ. “The virgins love Thee”; so in the Revelation, the “one hundred forty and four thousand” that stood with the Lamb on Mount Zion are called “virgins.” They are called virgins because they are not defiled with the corruptions that are in the world through lust. Now, these here seem to be of that sort, for they are called virgins.
2. They take their lamps, that is, they make a profession of Christ.
3. They had some kind of oil in their lamps; they had some convictions and some faith, though not the faith of God’s elect, to keep their profession alive, to keep the lamp burning.
4. They went. Their profession as not an idle profession. They performed duties, frequented ordinances, and did many things commanded. They made a progress—they went.
5. They went forth. They went and went out; they left many behind them. This speaks of their separation from the world.
6. They went with the “wise virgins.” They joined themselves to those who had joined themselves to the Lord, and where companions of them who were companions of Christ.
7. They went “forth to meet the bridegroom.” This speaks of their owning and seeking Christ.
8. When they heard the cry of the bridegroom coming, “they arose and trimmed their lamps.” They professed Christ more highly, hoping now to do in with the bridegroom.
9. They sought for true grace. Now, do not we say that the desires of grace are grace? And so they are, if true and timely, if sound and seasonable. Why, here is a desire of grace in these virgins, “Give us of your oil.”

It was a desire of true grace, but it was not a true desire of grace. It was not true because not timely; unsound, as being unseasonable; it was too late. Their folly was in not taking oil when they took their lamps. Their time of seeking grace was when they came to Christ. It was too late to seek it when Christ came to them. They should have sought for that when they took up their profession. It was too late to seek it at the coming of the Bridegroom. And, therefore, they were shut out; and though they cried for entrance, “Lord, Lord, open to us,” yet the Lord Christ told them, “I know you not.

You who are professors of the gospel of Christ, stand and tremble. If they who have gone beyond us fall short of heaven, what shall become of us who fall short of them? If they who are virgins, who profess Christ, who have some faith in their profession, such as it is, who have some fruit in their faith, who outstrip others who seek Christ, who improve their profession and suit themselves to their profession—nay, who seek grace; if such as these are but almost Christians, Lord, what are we?  (Matthew Meade, The Almost Christian Discovered, International Outreach)

While some may quarrel with some of the ways that the author interpreted the Parable just above, the points he makes can still be made from other Scriptures. These are indeed very sobering words. What we see is that there are many who are professors of Christ and think that they are okay, but the reality is that they are not. They were satisfied with their preparations and they were satisfied with their convictions and they were satisfied with their religion and their religious actions. These people knew enough of religion to know that they needed grace, so they sought grace in some way. But they did not realize that they needed grace alone and that they needed grace to change their hearts and make them new creatures in Christ.

It certainly appeared to them and to others that they were seeking Christ (the Bridegroom), but they were not seeking Him with a whole heart and they were not seeking Him in truth and love. They were seeking Him in accordance with their own desires and in accordance with their own ability and works. While they thought they were seeking grace and even true grace, they were not seeking it at the appointed time. Religious professors in the modern day should take this to heart as well. Are we satisfied with the things of religion rather than Christ Himself? Are we satisfied with seeking Christ to some degree and yet not seeking Him with all of our being? Are we satisfied with seeking a form of grace and yet seeking it as we please? When Christ speaks the words “I know you not,” it will be over. Let us take this to heart and seek the Lord.