I’ve been seeing and hearing a lot of different views on this - especially within the last year and was drawn back to the Bible to see what Jesus had to say about the path (or gate) that leads to life with Him in heaven. He says in Matthew 7:13, ‘Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.’ And in the 21st verse of Matthew 7 through verse 24 He continues, ‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform may miracles?” Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.’
There’s a lot of people who will tell us what/who they think Jesus is and what/who Jesus is or isn’t - how we can get to Him and how we can’t - the way to know for sure is to check it out for yourself - from the Bible and the Bible only. John 14:6 says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus is very specific on what is sin and how His children should live (those who have Jesus as their Lord and Saviour). We cannot pick and choose or alter what sin really is to fit our opinions and/or preferences so we can live the way we want to - justifying our actions. Being a true disciple of Jesus demands sacrifice, surrender, daily obedience to Jesus and His Word, daily spending time in His Word and in prayer (throughout the day), standing firm on absolute truth from Jesus and His Word - no matter what the world may say or do against us (if God is for us, who can be against us?) and living out the Great Commission He gave to us before ascending to heaven - making disciples who in turn, make disciples.
I have in no way, shape or form, succeeded in this or have come even close or halfway. Salvation from Jesus is a one-time event, but sanctification is a lifelong event - I’ll always be in process until Jesus calls me Home. I hope that this will encourage, give hope to and even challenge some people to dig deeper as to what it means to have a close, personal walk with Jesus on a daily basis.
God bless you guys and live for Jesus in such a way that people will experience His life in you as you interact with people that come across your way.
In His Service,
Dav
Posted on
Wed, April 1, 2009
by Dav Kott