[SIZE=10pt]Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJV)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]that leads to destruction (#684), and there are many who go in by it. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life (#2222), [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]and there are few who find it.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“destruction”[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] (Strong’s #684) “of persons, signifying their [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]spiritual and eternal perdition, Matthew 7:13” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“life”[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] (Strong’s[/SIZE] #2222) “Eternal life …it has moral associations
[SIZE=10pt]which are inseparable from it, as of holiness and righteousness”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]<<from Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words>>[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]No other passage attacks today’s easy-believism with as much force as the above![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]It amounts to the Savior’s own presentation of the way of salvation …[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]and it brings the Sermon on the Mount to a powerful climax.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]2 gates -- narrow & wide[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]2 paths -- difficult & broad [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]2 destinations -- heaven & hell[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]2 participants -- few & many[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Also in Matthew 7 …[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]2 trees/fruit: good & bad --- 2 builders: wise & foolish --- 2 foundations: rock & sand [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“Jesus himself stands at the crux of each person’s destiny and demands [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]a deliberate choice of life or death, heaven or hell … the Lord requires that [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]each person choose between following the world on the easy, well-travelled [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]road, or following him on the difficult road. … The choices are clear-cut. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]He demands a decision, We are all at the crossroads, and each individual [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]must choose which way he or she will go. … The message of Jesus cannot [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]be made to accommodate any kind of cheap grace or easy-believism.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt](John MacArthur, The Gospel according to Jesus, Zondervan, 1994)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Each person inevitably must make a choice … and God has always presented choices![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]• “I have set before you today life and good, death and evil … I have set before you [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]life and death, the blessing and cursing; therefore choose life …” (Deut 30:15-19)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]• “I set before you the way of life and the way of death.’ ” (Jeremiah 21:8)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Both gates are marked, “Heaven”, but one of the gates does NOT lead to heaven![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]The narrow gate is like a turnstile: only one person can pass through at a time.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Another passage which annihialates today’s easy-believism …[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“Then one said to Him, ‘Lord, are there few who are saved (#4982)?’ [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]And He said to them, ‘Strive (#75) to enter through the narrow gate, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.’ ” (Luke 13:23-24)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“strive”[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] (Strong’s #75) “agonizamai”: “to contend (Eng. “agonize”), KJV “laboring fervently”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]<<from Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words>>[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“violent men take it (the kingdom of heaven) by force” (Matthew 11:12)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“everyone is forcing his way into it (the kingdom)” (Luke 16:16)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]The broad way is the natural choice, from a human point of view. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]People prefer sin over righteousness.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Some believers fight the narrow road to the very death … they just refuse to acknowledge it.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Some believers are devastated by the truth of the narrow road, and fall away from the faith.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]This gives a whole new meaning to “the terrible twos”.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]that leads to destruction (#684), and there are many who go in by it. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life (#2222), [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]and there are few who find it.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“destruction”[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] (Strong’s #684) “of persons, signifying their [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]spiritual and eternal perdition, Matthew 7:13” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“life”[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] (Strong’s[/SIZE] #2222) “Eternal life …it has moral associations
[SIZE=10pt]which are inseparable from it, as of holiness and righteousness”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]<<from Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words>>[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]No other passage attacks today’s easy-believism with as much force as the above![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]It amounts to the Savior’s own presentation of the way of salvation …[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]and it brings the Sermon on the Mount to a powerful climax.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]2 gates -- narrow & wide[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]2 paths -- difficult & broad [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]2 destinations -- heaven & hell[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]2 participants -- few & many[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Also in Matthew 7 …[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]2 trees/fruit: good & bad --- 2 builders: wise & foolish --- 2 foundations: rock & sand [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“Jesus himself stands at the crux of each person’s destiny and demands [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]a deliberate choice of life or death, heaven or hell … the Lord requires that [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]each person choose between following the world on the easy, well-travelled [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]road, or following him on the difficult road. … The choices are clear-cut. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]He demands a decision, We are all at the crossroads, and each individual [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]must choose which way he or she will go. … The message of Jesus cannot [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]be made to accommodate any kind of cheap grace or easy-believism.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt](John MacArthur, The Gospel according to Jesus, Zondervan, 1994)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Each person inevitably must make a choice … and God has always presented choices![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]• “I have set before you today life and good, death and evil … I have set before you [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]life and death, the blessing and cursing; therefore choose life …” (Deut 30:15-19)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]• “I set before you the way of life and the way of death.’ ” (Jeremiah 21:8)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Both gates are marked, “Heaven”, but one of the gates does NOT lead to heaven![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]The narrow gate is like a turnstile: only one person can pass through at a time.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Another passage which annihialates today’s easy-believism …[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“Then one said to Him, ‘Lord, are there few who are saved (#4982)?’ [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]And He said to them, ‘Strive (#75) to enter through the narrow gate, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.’ ” (Luke 13:23-24)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“strive”[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] (Strong’s #75) “agonizamai”: “to contend (Eng. “agonize”), KJV “laboring fervently”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]<<from Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words>>[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“violent men take it (the kingdom of heaven) by force” (Matthew 11:12)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“everyone is forcing his way into it (the kingdom)” (Luke 16:16)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]The broad way is the natural choice, from a human point of view. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]People prefer sin over righteousness.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Some believers fight the narrow road to the very death … they just refuse to acknowledge it.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Some believers are devastated by the truth of the narrow road, and fall away from the faith.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]This gives a whole new meaning to “the terrible twos”.[/SIZE]
