"Jesus taught that the majority of the multitudes wouldn't follow Him on the road that leads to life." - Life In The Spirit Study Bible
"Men choose large gates, broad ways, and much company. The flesh loves to walk at liberty, unconfined, and uncontrolled, and with a multitude to do evil: hence, Zion's ways are thin of passengers; a small number, comparatively speaking, walk thereto, and will be saved; a remnant, a little flock, a little city, and few men in it." - John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
Pay attention to the words that you just read from John Gill's commentary on Matthew 7:13-14. Let's read again what he said - "Men choose large gates, broad ways, and much company. The flesh loves to walk at liberty, unconfined, and uncontrolled, and with a multitude to do evil."
Never was there a time like now - when these words from John Gill could be counted as Gospel Truth.
Are you seeing what I am seeing?
I am seeing a "generation" of people who are "writing their own Bible" - so to speak. They are making up their own Christianity as they go along.
What is happening is that the "way" to Heaven is becoming "broader" and "broader," while the "way" to Hell is becoming "narrower" and "narrower." In other words, more than ever before, people are including anyone and anything into Heaven. And very few - if any - are ending up in Hell.
And, that is the reason for this message. For what is happening is in total contradiction to Jesus' very words as found in Matthew 7:13-14 which says - "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."
Please note that Jesus mentioned two (2) "gates," two (2) "ways," two (2) groups of travelers, and two (2) destinations. There is no indication of there being a "mixture" (a meshing of the two) or a "middle road" from which to choose. There is a "strait gate" and a "wide gate"...a "narrow way" and a "broad way"... "few" travelers and "many" travelers...ending up in the destination of "life" or"destruction."
Earlier, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus mentioned two (2) "trees," two (2) "fruit," two (2) "men," two (2) "builders," two "houses," two (2) "foundations," and two (2) outcomes. He made it crystal clear that you are either a "good tree" or a "corrupt tree"... producing "good fruit" or "corrupt fruit"...being a "wise man" or a "foolish man"..."hearing His sayings and doing them" or "hearing His sayings and not doing them"..."building your house on the rock" or "building your house on the sand"...and experiencing stability in the storm or great ruin.
Notice that Jesus never offered even a hint of the "blending" of two of anything! It was either one or the other.
Yet, today we have those who want to hold onto Jesus and love the world at the same time. They want to "gain the whole world" and still hold onto their eternal soul. They want to be called "good trees" yet produce "corrupt fruit." And they want to "hear God's words and not do them" and still escape eternal ruin.
In Matthew 7:13-14 and throughout the entire Sermon on the Mount, Jesus stressed one thing - act...decide... choose ...respond.
It is no surprise - for we find this "demand to make a decision now" throughout the entire Bible.
Deuteronomy 30:15 says -"See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil."
Joshua 24:15 says -"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve..."
1 Kings 18:21 says -"And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow Him..."
Jeremiah 21:8 says -"...Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death."
God has always offered two (2) choices. But like the disciples in John 6:60, "many" today are finding His teachings to be a "hard saying" and are questioning - "who can hear it?" Instead of conforming to His ways, they are making up their own ways - thus allowing for a "middle road" - a "blending" of the two (2).
There are two beliefs that are in view right now in the church - at least in America.
The one is the Christianity of the Bible whereby all are required to walk through the "strait gate" and the "narrow way" which requires -
...a new heart and spirit
...old things being passed away
...the bent of the soul being changed
...corrupt habits and customs being broken off
...swimming against the stream
...struggling with much opposition
...putting off the world and the old man
...being willing to forsake all for interest in Christ
...keeping the body under
...and denying self.
The other is the "middle road" constructed by those of a liberal mindset who want to -
...include all of their lusts and give no check to their appetites or passions
...walk in the way of their heart and eyes
...go with the crowd
...follow the path of ease and self-indulgence
...believe that they can come to Jesus without the need to repent from sin and obey His teachings
...believe also that whatever they do is good and pleasing to the Lord because He loves them
...and practice open profanness or closed hypocrisy - while calling themselves Christians and believing they will make it into heaven.
In closing, in Jeremiah 7:23, the Lord God said - "But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be My people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you."
The Prophet Isaiah prophesied of this "way" in Isaiah 35:8 - "And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it..."
And, in Matthew 7:14, Jesus referred to it in this way - "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."
There is "one way" to heaven. It is the "way of holiness." It is the "narrow" way.
No matter what those of the liberal mindset try to perpetrate - there is no middle ground.
May God Bless His Word,
Connie
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. (Isaiah 54:17)
© COPYRIGHT Connie Giordano - All Rights Reserved