The narrow gate - (Two main dangers for a Christian - part 4)

There are especially two dangers along the road, that Jesus warned us of. Here we look at danger one – jumping off when trouble and persecution arises.

We ended last time with this:

15.

So trouble and persecution will come.

And Jesus warned us that some people have not the commitment, so they decide to jump off.

This is the first danger to watch against.

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So continuing…

The Narrow gate

I think a good way to describe it is this:

People should make a 100% commitment when becoming a Christian.

But we are not always good at knowing ourselves, so we might think that we have given 100% even though that might not be the case.

But God is good, so He lets people become Christians even though they might not actually have given 100%.

However, this does not mean that they will stay Christians, if they don’t give 100%.

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17.

So let’s look at a practical example:

Here we have a person that has becomes a Christian, but has actually only given 60%.

What happens next?

God shows him or her His love. So it should be easy to give 100%.

Then as time goes, one could say that the road and the gate gets narrower and narrower until the gate is so narrow that the only option is to give 100%, or jump out.

So either he or she now gives 100% - or is out.

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18.

Jesus was asked a question, when one said “unto Him; Lord, are there few that shall be saved?

And He said unto them; Strive with yourselves to enter in through the narrow gate. For many I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” (Luke 13:23-24)

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19.

Now these people knew what a narrow gate was.

Maybe the wall was old and partly had collapsed, so there now only was a narrow gate left.

Maybe they could not build it wider.

There is a saying that there was a gate in Jerusalem that was so narrow that a camel could only get through it if all load was unloaded, and the camel went through it on its knees.

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20.

So when Jesus says;

“Strive with yourselves to enter in through the narrow gate. For many I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able”

this does not at all imply that some cannot get through it.

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21.

As I said, these persons knew what a narrow gate was.

All humans are about the same size, so if one person could get through it, everyone could. (Maybe if someone was very fat, maybe he needed to lose some weight first, but then he could get through it.)

So it cannot mean that one person can get through it and another cannot.

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22.

But not everyone wants to “Give All the Heart” and follow Jesus, no matter the cost.

And the person that is not willing to “Give All the Heart” and follow Jesus, no matter the cost, will jump out when the gate becomes too narrow.

Stay tuned for point 23 - 118

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