Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?" And He said to them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. (vs22-24)
Our Lord tells us to strive to enter in (vs22-28). It is with great difficulty that sinners are saved, because we lust after evil and drink iniquity like water our whole life long (Job 15:16). God cursed us in the Garden WITH sin, so that the consequence of our rebellion includes a rebellious spirit that hates God's holy law. We hate good by nature, and even when born again, we still must war, for we do things that we DON'T want to do, and we don't do the things that we would (Rom 7:15). It is impossible with men, but all who are saved will STRIVE to enter in. It is GOD'S free gift, and like Jacob, we wrestle all night with the Angel, because we have grace and desire it more than anything. Don't think this is easy. Few are saved, not because God is unwilling, but because man is unwilling to come. Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! (vs34-35)”
Secondly, our striving is rewarded in the end (vs29-30). He said, “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. 'They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. 'And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last." In the end, those who have forsaken all and left all for Christ will be rewarded with bliss and peace, escaping wrath. We say “no” to the flesh in this world, but in the world coming, there'll be no more “no's” from God. We will have all that we want, all the time. There'll never be a moment that we won't have the fullness of pleasure, never a time to look upon the past as better, and never a single fear of the future, for nothing evil or dangerous shall enter the kingdom (Rev 21:27).
Hold on. Count your eternal soul precious, even though you must suffer. Do not fear and draw back because of the wrath of man. Do not be pushed off course. Be steadfast. God's purpose is done in our sufferings. The martyr's blood testifies of God's justice in wrath and mercy, and we will one day shine as the sun with Him. Revelations 6:10-11 says, “And they cried with a loud voice, saying, 'How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?' Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed”.
Thirdly, man's problem is unwillingness because of sin, and the remedy is GRACE because of Christ (Luke 14:1-6). Jesus asked, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” Indeed, He is the One who obeyed God perfectly, so that SINNERS can be saved by faith, doing nothing.
We don't work for the free gift. We say, “For Christ's sake, this is mine”. It is God who works by faith, so that BELIEVING on Him is how He saves in power by the Spirit. Faith is how He performs good in us, and it is right. It is right that God works in people His Son died to save. He purposed it, and He works by God's power and for His glory alone.
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