Strive to Enter the Narrow Door.

     The question was asked of Jesus, "Lord, are there just a few who are being saved (Luke 13:23)?"
     We tend to view salvation as a very simple concept; something that is easily obtained. If one were to ask a number of individuals if they were Christians, the number of people who responded in the affirmative would probably be quite high. This does not agree with the words of Jesus however. Look at His response to this question,

     "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able."
                                         Luke 13:24 NASB

     Does this answer shock you? Jesus is saying that many will seek to enter the path to life, but will be unable to. This agrees with what He tells us in Matthew's gospel as well. There will be few on the narrow road to life, while the broad path to destruction will be full (Matthew 7:13-14). What about the vast number of people today who claim to be Christians? Are they saved or not? Either Jesus is wrong in this instance, or we are! I do not doubt the words of Jesus, so the fact remains: Few find the way to life! Something is wrong. There are multitudes of souls who are deceived about the state of their salvation.
     Jesus tells us that we must be born again. There is no entering the kingdom without experiencing the new birth (John 3:3-7); without being regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). We must become a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:17), redeemed from lawlessness, and purified for His possession and use (Titus 2:14).
     Once again, multitudes are deceived on this question of salvation. They consider themselves Christians, basing this on various reasons, but false reasons nonetheless.
     1. Heritage. Many people grow up in "Christian" homes. They have godly parents, grandparent, and so on. They go to church, and even have good morals. These people will tell you that they are "Christians", but this is a deadly error.
     2. Religious traditions. There are those who have been baptized as infants, partake of communion, been confirmed, are members in good standing, and regularly attend church. These people would also consider themselves "Christians", but they too are on the broad road to destruction. The religion of many never rises higher than outward forms and traditions. It is all external, void of the inner change of heart that only Christ can bring.
     3. Belief. Faith is essential to the salvation of one's soul. Sadly, for many, faith is nothing more than agreement with creeds or historical facts about Jesus. Saving faith is much more than believing some facts about Christ, it will move you to action. The bible tells us that even the devils believe and tremble. Faith will, by its very nature, compel you to act upon your beliefs (James 2:14-26).
    4. "Confession" of sin. In a moment of emotion or guilt, many individuals will say a prayer, confess a sin, go to confession, even ask Jesus into their hearts. For some, they are sincere, and do indeed surrender their lives to Christ, and receive new life. However, many have no real intention of serving Christ. They are content to say a prayer, hoping to be forgiven, but not desiring to give up sin. They may follow a routine of daily confession, but once again it is nothing more than a ritual, allowing them to feel comfortable in sin.
     5. Good works. Many people consider themselves to be basically good. They look at the good things they do, and trust that these things will gain favor with God. People tend to overlook the sin in their lives, believing that somehow the good in their lives will outweigh the bad in God's standard of judgment. It's funny how we can recognize injustice in our human court systems, but yet expect that God will somehow let us off the hook based upon our performance.
     6. Giving up sinful habits. Many individuals will give up a sinful habit in hopes that God will show them mercy. The problem with this is that the heart is still evil. To give up something in hopes that God will do something for us is selfish. It shows no regard for the God whom we have offended by our sin. It only shows that the heart of man is wicked, selfish in its very core. It is impossible for us to atone for our sin by cleaning up our lives. Once again, we are quick to point out injustice, but somehow expect God to be unjust on our account?
     No doubt there are many more ways in which people are deceived into believing they are Christians when in fact they are not. People may make professions of faith, say a sinners prayer, go to an altar, repent over and over again, and be baptized in water, but if the life is not changed, the heart has not been changed, nothing has happened.
     The problem is found in the heart of man. It is deceitful; desperately sick beyond cure (Jeremiah 17:9) Out is this evil heart flows every manner of sin and wickedness (Matthew 12:33-35; Mark 7:20-23). The word of God tells us that only the pure in heart will see God, and enjoy fellowship in His presence (Psalm 24:3-4; Matthew 5:8). Where are we to get a pure heart, when ours are defiled and dirty? We will never find a pure heart through all of our attempts to please God through religious traditions, good works, and empty resolutions. A change of heart is beyond us. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. We must be born again (John 3:6-7).
     Once again, there is the issue of sin. We are told in the word of God, that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). People understand in an abstract way, that they have done wrong, but once again, many think that they are not that bad. Again, the good outweighs the bad in the minds of many people. What does the law of God say to us about the condition of our hearts?
     1. No other gods (Exodus 20:3).
     2. Idols are forbidden (Exodus 20:4-5).
     3. Misuse of God's name is forbidden (Exodus 20:7).
     4. Keep the Sabbath holy (Exodus 20:8-11).
     5. Honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12).
     6. Murder is forbidden (Exodus 20:13).
     7. No adultery (Exodus 20:14).
     8. Theft is wrong (Exodus 20:15).
     9. Lying is sin (Exodus 20:16).
     10. Coveting is forbidden (Exodus 20:17).
     Do you want to know what your heart is like? Do you think that you are a good person in the eyes of God? Look at these commandments and see how many of them that you have broken. Jesus tells us that one does not need to physically commit adultery, but to entertain dirty thoughts makes you just as guilty (Matthew 5:28). Divorce and remarriage fall under this category as well, in the teaching of Jesus (Matthew 5:31-32; Mark 10:2-12). Murder begins in the heart as well, and words spoken in anger, will place us under God's judgment (Matthew 5:21-26).
     We can now see that in the eyes of God we are indeed sinful. All of our self righteousness crumbles away when we are confronted with our true condition. None of us can say that we have never lied, or used the name of Jesus as a curse word, or disobeyed our parents. What about idolatry? We worship wealth and possessions, we lust and covet, we are all guilty before a holy God, who will judge us according to our deeds (Romans 2:6, 3:19; 2 Cor 5:10; Rev 20:12-13, 22:12).  As fallen man, we are enemies of God, refusing to submit to Him (Romans 8:7). The wages of sin is death, eternal separation from God, in everlasting torment (Romans 2:5, 6:23; Rev 20:14-15).
      There is a promise of a new heart, one upon which the law is written, a soft heart submitted to the will of God; the Holy Spirit living in us, directing us into obedience to the law of God (Jeremiah 31:33-34; Ezekiel 36:25-27; Hebrews 10:16-17). Imagine desiring to obey Christ instead of hating His law? This is the transformation that occurs in the individual heart by the new birth. If any one is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old way of sin is gone, and the new way of living for Christ has come. It is a radical change that begins in the heart, and flows out into the life of the individual (2 Cor 5:17).
     Jesus Christ gave His life to save you from sin and self. By His sacrifice on the cross; His death and resurrection from the dead, you can have new life in Him. You can be forgiven for your sinful past, and be empowered to overcome sin; to rise above this evil age, and live a triumphant life of service to Him, the one who died for you.
     It is your sin that has separated you from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). At the root of sinful behavior lies pride. The proud heart declares that it will not submit to God; it will do whatever it pleases, not caring who it hurts, whether God or our fellow man (Psalm 36:1-4). This is what must die; our prideful hearts.  God is opposed to the proud. There is no grace given to a proud individual. It is the humble who receive grace (James 4:6). David understood that it was a broken and contrite heart that God desired (Psalm 51:17). We are told in Isaiah 57:15 that the holy God dwells with the contrite and lowly in spirit. This is why Jesus tells us that we must be converted and become as little children. We must humble ourselves. It is not all about us, but about the God we have spurned (Matthew 18:3-4). James tells us submit to God, to draw near to Him, and to cleanse our hands. That is, to repent. We must weep and mourn over our sin, humbling ourselves before the Lord (James 4:7-10).
     Repentance is something that is largely neglected in modern versions of the gospel, yet there is no salvation without it. This is why so many are on the broad road to destruction. Few individuals will humble themselves, give up their pride, and turn from their sin. Many desire forgiveness, and the promise of heaven, but desire to run their lives apart from God while on this earth. However, Jesus stressed the need for repentance (Matt 4:17; Luke 13:1-5), as did the apostles (Acts 2:38, 20:21, 26:20).  Remember, "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
     To repent is to change one's mind about sin. Proper repentance goes even deeper than acts of sin, to the very root of sin, which is pride. In other words, a repentant individual understands that he has been in stubborn rebellion against God. He has lived life for himself, not caring about God or His law, not caring if it offended God, or hurt others. A repentant individual understands that he is an evil person, and that his actions and attitude of heart are an offense to God. The truly repentant grieves over this. He is filled with sorrow at the thought that he has stubbornly resisted God. He turns from his sin and rebellion, not because he is afraid of punishment, but because he no longer desires to fight God. He desires to submit and obey. Many are sorry for sin because they have been caught. They desire to get out of the consequences. Godly sorrow however is based upon the souls grief that it has offended God (2 Cor 7:10).
     The repentant soul also realizes the pain and harm he has caused others by his actions. The truly repentant individual will do what he can to make offenses right with his fellow man. It might involve apology for past hurts, or restitution for property taken. A thief who will not restore what he has taken, is still a thief, untouched by the grace of God (Leviticus 6:2-7; Luke 19:8-9).
     Humility and repentance are hard for the proud heart. This is indeed a reason why so few are able to enter through the narrow door. It is hard to squeeze through a tight space; it hurts. It hurts our pride to humble ourselves and admit we are wicked individuals, but this is what we must do if we would truly confess our sin to God. A repentant individual will not excuse his sin, or try to justify his actions, because he is brokenhearted. It is hard for the arrogant to truly repent in godly sorrow; to make wrongs right with those who have been hurt.
     Understand that a selfish individual will not repent by themselves, at the drop of a hat. It is not that simple. We are so selfish, apart from Christ, that we will not do this. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin (John 16:8). He shows us our great wickedness, and brings us to a place where we either harden our hearts even more, or submit to God. For every sinner who turns to God and finds grace, how many more violate their conscience, resisting the work of the Spirit in their hearts, and put off their soul's salvation? 
     Submission to God flows out of this repentance. The soul who comes to Christ with a broken heart will submit to Him, and His will for their life. It is a surrender, a turning from disobedience to obedience, from rebellion to submission. Self is no longer on the throne, Christ is. Jesus tells us that we cannot serve two masters, one or the other has to go, and if we would follow Jesus, self must give way to His rule over our lives (Matt 6:24). It is hard to give up our right to ourselves. Jesus teaches us to count the cost. It is high, and few are willing to pay it (Luke 14:27-33). We are not our own however, we have been bought with a price, the blood of Jesus (1 Cor 6:19-20; 1 Peter 1:18-19).
     Submission and faith go hand in hand as well. The very idea of faith is that of taking on a cause. In this case, it is recognizing Who Jesus Christ really is, understanding that He rose from the dead, and is alive forevermore. What are we to do about this fact, knowing He calls us to live for Him? Indeed, faith in the atoning work of Christ on our behalf is expressed as we come to Him for pardon. However true faith implies also that we trust in Him to not only to forgive us, but to cleanse us from our sin. It is the seeking of a new heart, believing that He will transform us from the inside out. This is the new birth that Jesus says we must experience. I mentioned the taking on of a cause. When we recognize that Jesus has called us to follow Him in a life of obedience to His will, by faith, we take on the cause of Christ. This is what it means to believe on Him. If we believe that He is God come in the flesh, crucified, risen, and seated at the right hand of God, it will cause us to act on that belief. Faith will follow Jesus! Most miss this, and settle for mere head knowledge; empty belief that never moves them to act on what they believe. Jesus replied to those who wanted to do the works of God, to "Believe in Him whom He has sent (John 6:28-29). He was saying that if we believe in Him with biblical faith, it will move us to act. We will follow Him, by faith. We will take on His cause as the mainspring of our lives. I heard a definition of faith that went like this, "Forsaking All, I Take Him. This sums it up well, for we are called to forsake all for His sake, including ourselves.
     We must go public with our faith. We are to be baptized upon our confession of faith (Acts 2:38). We confess with the mouth and believe with the heart unto salvation (Romans 10:9-10). Too many are embarrassed to publicly confess Christ. We are often called upon to slip up a hand quickly with all eyes closed, so that we will not "embarrass" anyone. If one cannot publicly confess Christ, one will never follow Him either. Many forfeit their souls because of this. It is nothing but pride, and God opposes it.
     It is a narrow gate, and a narrow path. Few find it, because few will humble themselves. Few are willing to pay the price of absolute surrender; of forsaking all. Strive to enter the narrow door. There is no other way.