The Narrow Way

Scripture

“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able.

~Luke 13:24 {CSB}

Quote

Jesus is not a way to heaven: He is THE way to heaven.

~Ya’akov {a million others}

I read Luke 13 yesterday and was a bit disturbed so I got out my commentaries. Verses 26-27 disturbed me the most…“Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ “But he will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you’re from. Get away from me, all you evildoers! ’Since I am a sinner, an evil doer, was Jesus speaking to me? The hyper Calvinist thought of divine initiative and sovereign grace came to mind: does God arbitrarily appoint some to heaven and others to hell. If you press the analogy further, you have poor repentant souls pounding on the door of mercy, begging for salvation and the answer they get from the other side is...go away, you are not part of the elect. It is amazing how the devil works. Once I read the commentary, everything cleared up. Jesus begins Luke 13 with His firm teaching that everyone [no exception] must repent. Then he heals the woman with the crooked spine on the sabbath and has to deal with the ire of the Jewish religious establishment who claimed He was breaking the law of Moses. Jesus is in route to Jerusalem and evidently this group of Jewish religious traditionalist are dogging his steps. Someone asks Jesus this question: “Are only a few people going to be saved?” Remember, the Jewish traditionalist firmly believed they were guaranteed a place in the kingdom and that sinners and Gentiles would be excluded.

Luke, who was a Gentile, does not tell us who ask the question but I am assuming it was one of the Jewish religious leaders. This would certainly fit the context of the following passage. Understand this: the Jews {Pharisees, Scribes, Priest, Sadducees, all those who believed in the tradition of the elders and keeping the law of Moses} had assurance that they, a small minority, were going into the kingdom and that the masses were excluded. These people knew, that they knew, that they knew they were going to heaven. Jesus told them emphatically, “You are mistaken, you are not going to heaven because you have rejected Me and the Narrow Door which gives entrance to My Father’s kingdom.” {JEV} The Narrow Door in verse 24 is Jesus. He is not narrow in scope or size: billions can enter the door. The word narrow refers to the fact that there is only one door or way into the Kingdom. A lot of people think they are going to heaven because of the life they live or the religion they are committed to but these things are not going to work. Only one thing works–Repentance toward God and faith in the LORD Jesus Christ. Our present culture is screaming to the top of their lungs…”this is narrow, bigoted…you Christians are narrow-minded”...To which we say, “You are right: it is Narrow, Jesus said so Himself.” We owe them no apology: it is what it is and it is narrow.

When I got to verse 27–“Get away from me, all you evildoers! ” I took that personally because I consider myself an evil doer. If sin is evil, I am an evil doer. Trent Butler of the Holman Commentary sees a distinction between the attitude of the Jewish Religion Leaders and sinners like the tax collector in Luke 18, Mary Magdalene and myself. We know we are sinners and in need of forgiveness. To us Jesus is a SAVIOR in every sense of the word. We have a desperate need for HIM and we admit it. The Jews that Jesus is speaking to in Luke 13 did not see themselves as sinners and they certainly did not see Jesus as the Savior. If you never have a doubt about your salvation, I am fairly certain that you are lost. Your faith is in your own religious system, your doctrine or interpretation of scripture. This is why Satan never tempts you with doubt. Why should Satan tempt those who are deceived? If you understand that you are evil by nature and prone to sin and in desperate need of a Savior, and have called on Christ for salvation–I believe you are saved. I know one thing: My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. I don’t trust my best day or my best days combined. All my eggs are in one basket: Jesus!

  • Small Groups this Sunday Night.
  • Speaking of sin and making mistakes, I wore a Nike shirt to church last night and didn’t even know it. Some one called me on and I was thrilled. Grace Point is with me on this one. June has found two and I am saving them for a Nike bonfire. There is more to the Nike thing than meets the eye. Nike has become a left wing political machine intent on destroying the president. They are huge supporters of BLACK LIVES MATTER and they give no support to police, military or first responders. They are also huge contributors to Kaepernick’s radical anti-american organization. Check it out: I was astounded. We are going to show this bunch of liberals who the CONQUERORS are.
  • They also agree on Larry Culpepper. We have to do something folks. One member told me last night that he tried to watch the confirmation hearings and had to turn his TV off: He said the democrats were acting like idiots. Maybe they were not acting!
  • We’ve got a lot of sick folks: Madison Widner is back of oxygen. Her numbers are going the wrong direction. Pray for Don, Terri and family. Don Murphy’s step mother {98} is in ICU at DGH. We had close to 20 names come up last night in prayer meeting. I visited Mrs. Edith Long yesterday and she said Marla was about the same. Let’s all pray for Marla.  By the way, we had three professions of faith after the prayer meeting: Praise Jesus, amen.
  • Some body take the lead and organize us a Nike bonfire: you have my full support.
  • Thank God for the clouds. The rain reminds me of God’s MERCY, the clouds HIS PROTECTION and GRACE. Without the clouds, it would have been 98* yesterday.

https://youtu.be/LkTZ5GiBigk

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