The Narrow Gate to the Narrow Way
In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus brought the multitude who came to hear him a new message about the kingdom of God. He wrapped up his teaching In Matthew 7 with several illustrations about the way of God’s Kingdom versus the kingdoms of the world.
In order to enter into the Lord’s Kingdom, we must first be broken of our pride and approach his throne of grace with humility and meekness. When we perceive our poverty of spirit, when we mourn over the sin that separated our hearts from God’s heart, then he will give us a hunger and thirst after righteousness. This hunger is an acquired taste… it is acquired by following in the footsteps of our Lord… then we will acquire a taste for the word of truth. As Jeremiah said, I found thy words and I did eat them and they were unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.
The crowds who flocked to hear Jesus’ message thought that he had come to overthrow the kingdoms of this world, especially the wicked oppressive rulers of the Roman Empire. Many people said to Jesus, we want to make you our king. Jesus said, my kingdom is not of this world. They asked him, then what’s your plan? Jesus pointed to a hated tax collector and some lowly fishermen from Galilee. He said, those guys over there, they are the plan.
God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. The kingdom of God turns the kingdoms of the world upside down… the truth of the Word of God is the opposite of the doctrines of this world.
Jesus said in Matthew 7, there is a narrow gate that leads to the narrow way to the Heavenly Father. It starts with turning from self and unto the Lord. The value system of the Kingdom of God is diametrically opposed to the value system of this world.
To follow Jesus Christ is to forsake the world. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father except by me. When we turn our eyes upon Jesus… when we fix our eyes steadfast upon him, the things of this world will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.
Apart from Christ living in us, we cannot live the Christian life. The world demands that we bow down to unjust worldly ways, worldly secular laws, and worldly leaders that oppose the righteousness of God. Jesus said, when you follow me, the world will hate you because it hated me. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake, for great is your reward in heaven.
Without Jesus Christ, The wold cannot understand Him in whom we live and move and have our being. Even though the world will oppose the followers of Christ, the Apostle Peter said, we who are in Christ are a chosen generation, an holy nation, a peculiar people, a royal priesthood that ye would show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
God is holy and those he has chosen are sanctified…. set apart from this world for His purpose…. to proclaim, to show forth, to witness, and to testify of the excellency of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We who were once in darkness, God by his grace and mercy has called as the light of the world… to reflect the light of Christ. For we have this treasure, the gift of His Holy Spirit in an earthen jar of clay, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. Therefore, let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father which. Is in heaven.
For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, God has called us to be witnesses… living testimonies of his grace, mercy, peace, and love.
Jesus said, you can recognize false prophets by their fruit. An evil tree produces rotten and corrupt fruit. However, a good tree produces good fruit. Psalm 91:1-2 says, He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Some fruit can only be produced in the shade… in the shadow of the Almighty. Some things you can only learn through trial, tribulation, and the fire of the Lord’s refinement. In the midst of the storm we learn that our prayer is not, Lord deliver me from the storm, but rather, deliver me through the storm. He alone is our strength, our power, our refuge and our sufficiency.
The devil appeals to the prideful nature we inherited from Adam’s fall. The devil’s worldly doctrine says that the God of self is supreme. The kingdom of self is heavily defended territory. To forsake the world is to turn away from self and to turn our eyes upon Jesus…. The author and finisher of our faith. To approach God’s throne of grace with a heart of meekness and humility is to be broken of our pride. As King David prayed, search my heart O God and see if there is any wicked way in me. Purge me with hyssop, cleanse me from my sin and lead me into the path of thy righteousness. Create in me a clean heart O Lord that I may glorify you.
In the rodeo of this world, the wild bull of our flesh will try to buck us off the path of righteousness. When we’re tied down and secured with the tie that binds us to Jesus Christ and his power, count it all joy when the world buffets, bucks, beats, and berates us. According to Romans 8:18 God will teach us through the tribulation that the suffering of this present moment is not to be compared with the glory that shall follow.
The thief cometh not but for to steal, to kill and to destroy. However Jesus said, I am come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly. The abundance of life is in the joy of the Lord. Despite the trials, tribulation, suffering, and persecution of this world, the abundance of life is in the fruit of the spirit…. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness and self control…. Against these things there is no law. Joy is not the absence of pain… Joy is in the Lord…
…. That in the abundance of life in Christ, we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael
