NARROW IS THE WAY THAT LEADS TO ETERNAL LIFE

Proclamation:

“Someone asked Him, ‘Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?’  He said to them, ‘Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and not be able to.  Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading,’ ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ But He will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’  Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with You, and You taught in our streets.’  But He will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.  Away from Me, all you evildoers!’  …”  Luke 13:23-30 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, as recorded by Luke, the physician, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Luke began this chapter by quoting the warning which Jesus gave to the people to repent or parish. (Luke 13:1-5)  Then Jesus told them the parable of the fig tree. (Luke 13:6-9)  Afterwards, Jesus healed a crippled woman on the Sabbath in the synagogue and again angered the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. (Luke 13:10-17)  Later, in response to the question asked by someone in the crowd that was following Him as He headed towards Jerusalem, Jesus replied, make sure that you enter through the narrow door.  He said, wide is the gate and broad is the well-travelled road that leads to destruction.  But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)  Everyone in the crowd following Jesus was not a believer.

Application:

Unfortunately, not everyone who attends church worship services are saved believers.  Some people are in the crowd for other reasons.  When the time comes, they will be told to depart from Him because He does not know them.  Actually, He knows their hearts and knows that they are evil doers and workers of iniquity. (Luke 13:27)  There will be some people in heaven who we will be surprised to see, and there will be others who we expected to see who will not be there. (Luke 13:28)  Let us repent, confess, and believe, (Romans 10:9) and make sure that our names are written in the book of life. (Revelation 20:15)