Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 3,076
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:12-14 ESV)
Now, from a biblical perspective, we cannot take this first verse (v. 12) in any which way that we want. For this has to agree with the character and will and purpose of God for our lives, as followers of Christ. So this cannot include anything sinful, anything immoral, anything wicked. This cannot be fleshly or anything contrary to the will of God. And I say this because we live in a very twisted generation when so many things are being distorted.
But even if something good is intended by this, this is not about “you do for me” and so I have to “do back to you” whatever you did for me. For example, you baked me a cake. That doesn’t mean I then have to bake you a cake. The whole point of this is that we should treat others like we hope others will treat us, but all according to the will and purpose of God and not in any way worldly, fleshly, ungodly, and immoral, but what gives God glory.
Now one of the most important things that we, as followers of Christ, should be doing for others is sharing with them the truth of the gospel, and not these diluted and altered “gospel” messages being spread so widely today, but the message that Jesus taught and that his NT apostles taught. We should be telling them that the way to Christ is via us dying with him to sin and now walking in obedience to his commands, by the Spirit, by his grace.
For faith in Jesus Christ, that is of God, does not come from within ourselves. We don’t get to decide what that faith looks like. God does. And his word teaches that faith, which is genuine, results in us dying with him to sin and now walking (in conduct, in practice) in obedience to his commands. For if sin is still what we practice, and not righteousness, and not obedience to God, then we do not have salvation from sin and eternal life with God.
For entering by the “narrow gate” is the way that is hard, but it is the only way that leads to life in Christ Jesus and to eternal life with God. So, why is it hard? Because it requires that we deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and that we follow our Lord in obedience to his commands. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death, but if obedience to God is what we obey, it leads to righteousness, and its end is eternal life with God.
The way that is narrow is also restricted, and it has rules that we must follow. Yes! We still have rules to follow, even under the New Covenant. They are God’s moral laws which remained in place even after God did away with the Old Covenant and he brought us under the New Covenant. For death to sin and obedience to God are still required under the NC. We cannot be saved and have eternal life with God if we do not die to sin and obey God.
But the narrow way is also hard because it goes against the sin nature, and because it is contrary to society and to the world. And so we are going to be opposed by Satan and by his messengers and by many people who are still living in sin. And if we are serious about our walks of faith we may even be opposed by others who profess faith in Jesus Christ who are more worldly and who have bought into the altered gospel message. And that hurts.
But the wide path is the way that is easy because it makes no requirements for death to sin and walks of obedience to our Lord, and this is the path that the majority are taking, even perhaps the majority of those who call themselves Christians and who profess Jesus as their Savior. For multitudes are receiving and accepting an altered gospel which gives the impression that we can profess faith in Jesus once and now we are guaranteed heaven.
So, don’t take the way that is easy, which does not require of you death to sin and walks of obedience to the Lord. For that will land you in hell, not in heaven. It may be the way that most people are going, but it is the way that leads to destruction and death, not to life eternal with God. So take the way of the cross, instead, and deny self, die daily to sin, and follow our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands, and you will have eternal life in him.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
Your New Life
An Original Work / May 15, 2014
Based off the Gospels
Go and make disciples of peoples,
Teaching them to obey their Savior.
Do not fear, but go where He sends you.
Tell them all of what you have heard.
The kingdom of God now is upon you.
Come, and follow Jesus, your Lord.
He will make you fishers of man.
If the people Jesus desire,
They must die to sin and to self-life.
If they want to hold on to their lives
They will lose them forevermore.
Surely you heard that coming to Christ
Means a new life in Jesus, your Lord.
Follow Christ wherever He leads.
Love the Lord with all of your heart, and
Love your neighbors as you would yourself.
Preach the gospel to all the nations.
Do not worry what you will say.
Proclaim the freedom for all the captives.
Share the light with all who are blind.
You are ministers of our God.
Abbreviations: [NC=New Covenant; OC=Old Covenant; NT=New Testament; OT=Old Testament]
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:12-14 ESV)
Now, from a biblical perspective, we cannot take this first verse (v. 12) in any which way that we want. For this has to agree with the character and will and purpose of God for our lives, as followers of Christ. So this cannot include anything sinful, anything immoral, anything wicked. This cannot be fleshly or anything contrary to the will of God. And I say this because we live in a very twisted generation when so many things are being distorted.
But even if something good is intended by this, this is not about “you do for me” and so I have to “do back to you” whatever you did for me. For example, you baked me a cake. That doesn’t mean I then have to bake you a cake. The whole point of this is that we should treat others like we hope others will treat us, but all according to the will and purpose of God and not in any way worldly, fleshly, ungodly, and immoral, but what gives God glory.
Now one of the most important things that we, as followers of Christ, should be doing for others is sharing with them the truth of the gospel, and not these diluted and altered “gospel” messages being spread so widely today, but the message that Jesus taught and that his NT apostles taught. We should be telling them that the way to Christ is via us dying with him to sin and now walking in obedience to his commands, by the Spirit, by his grace.
For faith in Jesus Christ, that is of God, does not come from within ourselves. We don’t get to decide what that faith looks like. God does. And his word teaches that faith, which is genuine, results in us dying with him to sin and now walking (in conduct, in practice) in obedience to his commands. For if sin is still what we practice, and not righteousness, and not obedience to God, then we do not have salvation from sin and eternal life with God.
For entering by the “narrow gate” is the way that is hard, but it is the only way that leads to life in Christ Jesus and to eternal life with God. So, why is it hard? Because it requires that we deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and that we follow our Lord in obedience to his commands. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death, but if obedience to God is what we obey, it leads to righteousness, and its end is eternal life with God.
The way that is narrow is also restricted, and it has rules that we must follow. Yes! We still have rules to follow, even under the New Covenant. They are God’s moral laws which remained in place even after God did away with the Old Covenant and he brought us under the New Covenant. For death to sin and obedience to God are still required under the NC. We cannot be saved and have eternal life with God if we do not die to sin and obey God.
But the narrow way is also hard because it goes against the sin nature, and because it is contrary to society and to the world. And so we are going to be opposed by Satan and by his messengers and by many people who are still living in sin. And if we are serious about our walks of faith we may even be opposed by others who profess faith in Jesus Christ who are more worldly and who have bought into the altered gospel message. And that hurts.
But the wide path is the way that is easy because it makes no requirements for death to sin and walks of obedience to our Lord, and this is the path that the majority are taking, even perhaps the majority of those who call themselves Christians and who profess Jesus as their Savior. For multitudes are receiving and accepting an altered gospel which gives the impression that we can profess faith in Jesus once and now we are guaranteed heaven.
So, don’t take the way that is easy, which does not require of you death to sin and walks of obedience to the Lord. For that will land you in hell, not in heaven. It may be the way that most people are going, but it is the way that leads to destruction and death, not to life eternal with God. So take the way of the cross, instead, and deny self, die daily to sin, and follow our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands, and you will have eternal life in him.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
Your New Life
An Original Work / May 15, 2014
Based off the Gospels
Go and make disciples of peoples,
Teaching them to obey their Savior.
Do not fear, but go where He sends you.
Tell them all of what you have heard.
The kingdom of God now is upon you.
Come, and follow Jesus, your Lord.
He will make you fishers of man.
If the people Jesus desire,
They must die to sin and to self-life.
If they want to hold on to their lives
They will lose them forevermore.
Surely you heard that coming to Christ
Means a new life in Jesus, your Lord.
Follow Christ wherever He leads.
Love the Lord with all of your heart, and
Love your neighbors as you would yourself.
Preach the gospel to all the nations.
Do not worry what you will say.
Proclaim the freedom for all the captives.
Share the light with all who are blind.
You are ministers of our God.
Abbreviations: [NC=New Covenant; OC=Old Covenant; NT=New Testament; OT=Old Testament]
