This certainly could be a Bible study, but I am putting it here as more of a warning for our times.
Jesus was wrapping up His Sermon on The Mount given before those who were at that time following Him, but the words are to "everyone"--that is "everyone who says to [Him] 'Lord, Lord'--meaning everyone who would call themselves "Christian." (I have made bold some of the key points.) And the shocking statement He made, is "many"--in the Church--will be "cut down and throne in the fire!"
Many!
If that doesn't cause you some discomfort--it should. In other words, the "few" rightly on "the narrow way" that leads to life everlasting--is not the few in society who go to church--it's the few in the church who "find" that narrow way within the church, among many who don't. Many don't!
Within Jesus' difficult, even shocking, statement that He says will be a surprise to many--the key that is given is--it's "difficult." It's a difficult saying, and the key is that much of what leads to finding that narrow way, is.
Jesus said many things that were difficult. He said many parables as examples of difficult issues, some of which afterward He had to explain, because they were "difficult." He said things like you must eat His flesh and drink His blood, and many found it too difficult and just walked away, leaving the few.
Today, the terms are the same, even if the circumstances seem to have changed. Meaning, it will likely be just as hard and just as much of a surprise to find out we perhaps missed the mark. Remember, those turned away at the gate are those who were doing good things, seemingly doing everything right. Or so they thought. And that is were we need to even now, drop everything and get right with what many seemingly good men of God had gotten so wrong that Jesus unloaded on them.
So...what was easy then and what is easy now, and what was "difficult" then and is "difficult" now? Are you on the comfortable and easy path, or the difficult path? Since Jesus was speaking of His words, a good place to start questioning, is doctrine. Did the Priests and the Pharisees have it easy, were they comfortable doing what they thought were good works, was their doctrine right on? How about you?
Each person should examine themselves.
Matthew 7:13-23
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Jesus was wrapping up His Sermon on The Mount given before those who were at that time following Him, but the words are to "everyone"--that is "everyone who says to [Him] 'Lord, Lord'--meaning everyone who would call themselves "Christian." (I have made bold some of the key points.) And the shocking statement He made, is "many"--in the Church--will be "cut down and throne in the fire!"
Many!
If that doesn't cause you some discomfort--it should. In other words, the "few" rightly on "the narrow way" that leads to life everlasting--is not the few in society who go to church--it's the few in the church who "find" that narrow way within the church, among many who don't. Many don't!
Within Jesus' difficult, even shocking, statement that He says will be a surprise to many--the key that is given is--it's "difficult." It's a difficult saying, and the key is that much of what leads to finding that narrow way, is.
Jesus said many things that were difficult. He said many parables as examples of difficult issues, some of which afterward He had to explain, because they were "difficult." He said things like you must eat His flesh and drink His blood, and many found it too difficult and just walked away, leaving the few.
Today, the terms are the same, even if the circumstances seem to have changed. Meaning, it will likely be just as hard and just as much of a surprise to find out we perhaps missed the mark. Remember, those turned away at the gate are those who were doing good things, seemingly doing everything right. Or so they thought. And that is were we need to even now, drop everything and get right with what many seemingly good men of God had gotten so wrong that Jesus unloaded on them.
So...what was easy then and what is easy now, and what was "difficult" then and is "difficult" now? Are you on the comfortable and easy path, or the difficult path? Since Jesus was speaking of His words, a good place to start questioning, is doctrine. Did the Priests and the Pharisees have it easy, were they comfortable doing what they thought were good works, was their doctrine right on? How about you?
Each person should examine themselves.
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