THE STRAIT GATE

Years ago, before I retired from the place where I had worked for 42 years, a co-worker and I were walking down a long aisle toward the time clock to punch out for the day.  As we came to the end of this long aisle there was a door with a sign on it that read, “Do Not Enter, Authorized Personnel Only.”  As we approached the door, I thought to tell my friend that “at the end of life’s long pathway, there is a door that says ‘Do Not Enter, Authorized Personnel Only.’ Do you know if you have been authorized to enter in?”

 

It is a question that we must all ask ourselves at some point in our lifetime.  So, what does authorize us to enter into heaven?  The answer is simple.  Jesus said, “I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture” (John 10:9).  The door to heaven is a who, and not a what!  Many are convinced that if their good works outweigh their bad, then they will make it in; but if the opposite is true, they won’t.  Things like Bible reading, prayer, church attendance, charitable giving, volunteering our time, or even serving in a ministry will have no bearing on whether we get into heaven if we have not first formed a personal relationship with the Savior, Jesus Christ.  St. Peter is not going to be meeting us at the gate with a questionnaire to fill out asking about all the good and bad things we did in our lifetime.  Peter will not be the one we stand before in that day at all; it is going to be the Lord Jesus Himself we must face (Matthew 25:31-33).  The questions we will be asking ourselves in that day are, “Have I known the Savior as my close friend through life,” and “Have I loved Him and served Him by loving and serving others?”  Jesus must be at the heart of our salvation because He is our salvation.  He told His disciples, “He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber” (John 10:1).  Works of course play an important role in the life of every believer, but only as they are born out of our love and obedience to the One Who gave His life for us.  Then all that we do will be done, not out of duty, but out of devotion to the One we love, and as a by-product of the faith that we have placed in the Words that He speaks to us.

 

Jesus said, “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” (Matthew 7:13, 14).  It doesn’t seem like following Jesus would be that difficult to do, but there were only 12 men who initially accepted the call to discipleship.  Later, there were 70 who the Lord sent out to preach and heal, but that too seems like a very small number.  Following Jesus requires more than just a profession, or church membership: it requires devotion.  It isn’t always convenient to follow the Lord, it isn’t always comfortable to serve Him, and it certainly isn’t always acceptable to society in general.  It is a strait and narrow way that we have been called to walk.  The broad way that Jesus refers to is not just filled with a lot of sinners – it is full of many “religious” people also.

 

My wife and I were in the Netherlands once during Queen’s Day which is a lot like the 4^th of July in the states.  We had walked to the town center in the city of Utrecht with my son to get some food and view the festivities.  The streets were very crowded as we walked deeper into the heart of the town, but it was quite broad where we were walking so there was plenty of room to comfortably accommodate the number of people.  As we walked, however, I noticed that everyone was getting closer and closer to each other the further we went, and I then saw that the street ahead narrowed for about a block or more as it passed beside a canal.  Before long, the crowd was packed together so tightly that we were compressed body to body on every side.  By the time we realized what was going on, it was impossible to turn around and go against the press of bodies.  I put my wife in front of me and held her tightly from behind to keep her close, and also so that she would not fall.  All anyone could do was take small shuffling steps to slowly advance forward.  It was extremely awkward, uncomfortable, and claustrophobic.  We wanted to be anywhere but where we were in that sea of bodies, but we could only move at a snail’s pace and hope for it to come to an end soon.  Eventually, the street broadened again, and the crowd was able to spread out and have some breathing room.  Since that experience, when I think of the strait way, my mind goes to that night in Utrecht.  It was indeed uncomfortable, but it was the only way to get where we were going.  The big difference here is that the narrow way that Jesus told about is not going to be very packed, “because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

 

While we were in Europe I noticed that often in a large gate leading into a city or castle there would often be a much smaller door.  I learned that this door was called a wicket and was no larger than what a single person could walk through.  If someone was on horseback, or had a cart or wagon to take into the city or castle the large gates would have to be opened; but if they were on foot, they could easily slip through the wicket door into the city.  It makes me think that in order to enter the strait gate I need to pack light and leave all my baggage behind.

 

The Lord tells us to do three things in order to overcome in this life and walk the strait and narrow path.  “Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24). 

 

We are all very selfish creatures with a carnal nature that is constantly obsessed with Me, Me, Me.  When we accept Christ, He begins to deal with this Old Man that is so used to having his way.  The Holy Spirit speaks to us in subtle yet deliberate ways, asking that we deny our selfish inclinations and learn to prefer others before ourselves.  Not just those we like, however, but even our enemies, for if we only love those who love us, what reward can we expect from God?  Even sinners do that much!  This is where the golden rule comes into play.  “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.  For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.  And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.  And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.  But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil” (Luke 6:31-35).  The lusts of our flesh will tempt us to do many things that only gratify our baser nature, and can even hurt others, but the Lord asks us to lay down our lives and be transformed more and more into His nature.  The promises of God are given to us so that we can be overcomers in this life by faith in His Word.  “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4).

 

The second thing that we must learn to do is to take up our cross.  One of the gospels adds the word “daily.”  We must take up our cross daily.  Just what is a cross, though, and how can we recognize it when it is placed before us?  Simply put, it is that thing that we agree to bear when we pray, “Not my will, but Thine be done.”  Not every trial, trouble, or difficulty in life is a cross, contrary to what many may believe.  A cross is something that the Lord Himself presents to us and asks us to bear so that He might be glorified and His kingdom advanced.  Once we have learned to deny ourselves, then we are prepared to take up our cross.  Each day offers us opportunities to die to our old nature and allow the life of Jesus to be manifest in our mortal flesh.  A cross, after all, is an instrument of death; but because of Jesus’ victory on the cross, it carries with it the idea of resurrection from the dead as well.  It is in pouring out our life for others that the world can see the love of God for them and ultimately be saved.  “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul” (Matthew 16:25, 26)?

 

The third thing that we must learn is to follow the Lord.  We think that we are capable of making our own decisions and choosing our own way in this life.  This is just not the case.  If we rely on our own intellect, morality, and strength of will to guide us through the many hurdles and pitfalls of life, we will find ourselves walking on the broad way that Jesus says leads to destruction.  Instead, we must learn to rely on the Lord’s guidance through every issue of life, both the big things and the small.  Solomon, who was the wisest man who ever lived said, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5, 6).  When Jesus asked the apostles to follow Him, they dropped what they were doing and just followed.  Again, it is part of the progression and part of the process of losing our lives for Jesus' sake.  Many contemporary Christians have somehow lost sight of what the early church taught and exemplified.  Rather than laying down their lives and following Jesus, they expect to live their lives as they choose and think that God will bless their every choice. 

 

Oh, how we have fallen from the devotion and passion that the early believers exhibited to the world.  We can return there easily enough, however.  We simply need to believe the Word of God once more and embrace the promises that He has given to us.  Instead of changing the Word to suit our tastes, we must change our lives to reflect His will.  Then we will find ourselves walking on the narrow way and entering the strait gate.