What is the "straight Gate"

[Behold]

Obviously those who go to heaven obey Jesus'?

You have not obeyed the laws and commandment, Robert.
You've sinned.
So, what now?
You've broken the commandments, and most of the laws.

What now Robert?

Keep pretending you're good enough for God to accept?
Is that all you can do?

God does not accept you Robert.. You are a commandment breaking sinner.
And if you deny it, you lied, and now you have that sin.
So, how many is that?

You better go to the Cross, Robert, and Let God save you from your sin with the Blood of Jesus.
Its why Jesus died for you.

Its up to you.
You decide, Robert.

 

[quietthinker]

What is the "straight Gate"
The one not sagging on its hinges.

 

[Ernest T. Bass]

Luke 13:24
"Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."

Strive - agōnizomai - agonize

Strong's:

-to enter a contest: contend in the gymnastic games

-to contend with adversaries, fight

-metaph. to contend, struggle, with difficulties and dangers

-to endeavour with strenuous zeal, strive: to obtain something

No one can enter the strait gate by sitting idle. Many will seek other ways to enter into heaven apart from striving to enter in through the strait gate. Many will seek to enter at a time that is too late.

 

[Robert Gwin]

You have not obeyed the laws and commandment, Robert.
You've sinned.
So, what now?
You've broken the commandments, and most of the laws.

What now Robert?

Keep pretending you're good enough for God to accept?
Is that all you can do?

God does not accept you Robert.. You are a commandment breaking sinner.
And if you deny it, you lied, and now you have that sin.
So, how many is that?

You better go to the Cross, Robert, and Let God save you from your sin with the Blood of Jesus.
Its why Jesus died for you.

Its up to you.
You decide, Robert.

If you observe me violating the Law of the Christ sir, it might be best to reveal it, I don't get mad, and of course I want to obey my God in all avenues of life. We are not always the best judges of ourselves, and the Bible points out that all of us think we are righteous, so perhaps I am not seeing what you do, so where is it that you feel I am falling short on?

 

[Ferris Bueller]

Noone goes to heaven by obeying any "law".

And, yet, no one who is lawless will go to heaven.
And that's not because works of righteousness earns one's place in the kingdom, but rather the person who has no works of righteousness is showing themselves to not be born again.

"9Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God" 1 John 3:9-10

"...a man is justified (shown to be righteous) by his deeds and not by faith alone." James 2:24​

 

[quietthinker]

And, yet, no one who is lawless will go to heaven.

Kind of odd to hear you say this particularly since you argued vehemently against the Sabbath as laid out in the law in another thread.
It is a consistent pattern ie, bringing oneself undone with ones own words

 

[Pearl]

Kind of odd to hear you say this particularly since you argued vehemently against the Sabbath as laid out in the law in another thread.
It is a consistent pattern ie, bringing oneself undone with ones own words

It isn't by keeping the law that we get through the narrow gate. The only way is through Jesus.

 

[Ferris Bueller]

Kind of odd to hear you say this particularly since you argued vehemently against the Sabbath as laid out in the law in another thread.

Not keeping the literal Mosaic sabbath does not constitute lawlessness. Various laws have 'disappeared' from the law now that the fulfilment has occurred (Matthew 5:17-18).

 

[Ferris Bueller]

Correct. This corresponds to what Christ has said about Himself: I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (John 10:7,9) And Jesus also said that He is the Way (John 14:6). So when you bring these truths together, it is Christ Himself who is the strait (narrow) gate and the narrow way. Therefore Scripture says this: Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12).

Look at what Jesus said in the passage you quoted:

"...and shall go in AND OUT, and find pasture." (John 10:9)​

It's certainly true that Christ is the 'door' through which a person enters into salvation, but that's not the main point Jesus is addressing in this passage. He's talking about eternal life as a quality of life, now, in this age. Like the life a sheep has in the tender care of the good shepherd being led in and out of good pastures. That's the life that Jesus said he came to give us:

"10I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness." (John 10:10)​

And I think that's what Jesus is talking about in Matthew 7:14. The straight and narrow road that few find and walk on that Jesus is talking about is the quality of abundant life that Christ gives those who obey him in all the things that he just got done talking about in his Sermon on the Mount. Few find it. I can testify to this. I've only met a handful of believers who have truly found the road few find and travel. It's not just a salvation road. It's an abundant life road...the abundant 'zoe' life that Christ died to give God's people. It does in fact seem that most most Christians live agitated and irritated, grasping, defensive, joyless lives and never enter into the abundance of peace and joy that Christ died to give them.

"...righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men." Romans 14:17-18​