No story today, I want to go back to Matthew 7:13-29. This has to be one of the most important but mistaught passages in all of the gospels. Go with me on a journey if you will. Jesus, one of the greatest teachers of our time has been walking around doing miracles, teaching the jews of His day. His teachings were none like anyone before Him, and yet they carried the same doctrine as the law of the old testament. Most of the people of His time were too blind to see this however. Because of His teachings, miracles, and authority by which He taught, He had worked up quite a following. He was like a modern day celebrity with many people flocking after Him trailing behind whereever He went. Many times He had to lose them so that He could get away with His disciples privately.
Imagine, that you were one of those followers. In fact, if you profess to be a Christian you are one of those followers. You who profess to be a Christian are one who follows Christ. One day, Christ in one of His many great teachings turned to those "following" Him and said “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." Why would Jesus say this to a people who were already following Him? It's a deep and poingnant question that sets the basis for this devotional. We need to understand that this passsage isn't directed to the whole world. This passage doesn't give the difference between those who profess to be Christians and those who call themselves athiests, or worshippers of other gods. This passage takes a sword and divides the people who follow Christ. This is not to say that there are some who are saved that will go to heaven and some who are saved who will lose their salvation and be headed for destruction. This simply points out that there are many...many...many people who profess to follow Christ, but are really following their own desires. In verse 15 it's no coincidence that He begins to warn His followers about false teachers. He gives this warning because many false teachers have and will creep into His flock of followers and lead them astray. There are many people today who call themselves Christian and serve in ministry who are not even truly saved. They "follow" Christ but their hearts are far from Him.
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!’-Matthew 7:21-23
If this is the case, it is no wonder that many that we think are true believers are really headed for destruction. Jesus said that BROAD was that gate...this is broad in the number of those who "follow" Christ. That means that only a small portion of those who follow Christ will truly follow Him into Eternity. Why do I give this warning? Because when I look among you, I see the very thing that Christ was talking about. So " Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith." Many of those who fill our churches, especially the young ones think they're following Christ, but if you examine their fruit as it says in the rest of Chapter 7 you see that they are indeed not of the faith. This has happened because false teachers in sheep's clothing have snuck in and become one with the true followers of Christ. These teachers are among you, they're nice, they're smart, they have results in their churches, they have large congregations and what they say has an appearence of truth but do not be deceived. So examine yourself...are you on the narrow path? Are you finding your Christian walk becoming increasingly difficult? Is it becoming hard to live out this life for Christ? Or are you having fun and chilling? The narrow way is the hard way, but it leads to life...everlasting. Are you on the narrow path? Is it truly Christ you're trusting in, or are you trusting in something else? Is He all you have in this life...or are you building your house on other things of this world? Are you exercising your faith when things seem hopeless, or are you planning out things and securing your own future? Do you live in total dependency on Christ, or have you worked out your life by trusting in man's wisdom. Test yourselves please! Have you been deceived by ministers who tell you that you can serve God in your own way...or are you following scripture? I highly encourage you to read the whole passage of Matthew 7:13-29 and meditate on it. Few will find life because the narrow gate requires you to live totally different from what mainstream Christianity is telling you. You will look like fools for the sake of Christ. Your very obedience to Him will have even those who profess Christ to rebuke you. Again I ask...Are you on the narrow path? The narrow path is the way that leads to Christ and eternal life. The broad way is the way that leads to hell and all those who do not accept Christ as their LORD and SAVIOR will perish by it. Those who perish by it are known by their fruit (Matthew 7:15-19)...they do not glorify God, they sin without conviction, and they do not trust in God for life. This is the truth as is outlined in Scripture...accept it, or reject it.
"But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, bring on themselves swift destruction." 2Peter 2:1
Amazing! Let us all examine ourselves!
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