The Narrow Gate

The Narrow Gate
Matthew’s gospel records Jesus as saying,

“Enter through the narrow gate. 

For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, 

and many enter through it.  

But small is the gate and narrow the road 

that leads to life, and only a few find it. 

                                         Matthew 7:13,14.

This is what I see in this passage of scripture. I believe the life Jesus is referring to here is life eternal. That here Jesus point the way to heaven. He says we must enter through the narrow gate. That the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction.
The road that leads to destruction is the world in general. The world offers the individual a myriad of things that offers pleasure and satisfaction. None of which are bad in and of themselves providing they don’t pull us away from God.
Within the world also there are many who would say there are many ways to Heaven. While others say there is no God.
The Bible however both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament says there is only one God the creator of Heaven and Earth. That we must have faith in God. Faith is that Narrow road Jesus is talking about. The writer of Hebrews telling us,

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and 

certain of what we do not see.”

                                          Hebrews 11:1

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him 

must believe that he exists 

and 

that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” 

                                                           Hebrews 11:6.

The apostle Paul writing,

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—

and this not from yourselves, 

it is the gift of God—  

not by works, so that no one can boast.” 

                                               Ephesians 2:8,9

The gate referred to by Jesus in Matthew 7:13,14 is Jesus. Jesus speaking to his disciples said,

“I am the way and the truth and the life. 

No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

                                                                     John 14:6.

The writer of Hebrews telling us,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3.
I know there are many reading this who would not agree with me. That is your right. God gave every person a freewill to believe what they wish and do what they may.
I however believe that all who hear about Jesus must make a decision as to who he is. C. S. Lewis said,

Christianity, if false, is of no importance, 

and if true, of infinite importance. 

The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. 

                                                                       C. S. Lewis.

If Jesus is not the way to heaven or just one of many ways to heaven, then no one has anything to fear.
However if what Christians believe is true. That He is the way to heaven those hear about him and do not believe in Him have a great deal to think about at the very least.
Please think about it. 

The Athenian Sermon

The Athenian Sermon
To my mind one of the best sermons ever spoken was spoken by the Apostle Paul. It is recorded in the book of acts and does two things.
It is an example to believers in Christ Jesus how to present the message of Christ to non-Christians.
At the same time it presents a clear message of what believers in Christ believe to the non-believer.
It starts with what Paul seemed to always do when he entered a city. He presented his ideas to anyone who would listen to. The book of Acts records,
“So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.  
A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.   Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?  
You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”  
(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) 
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.  
For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. 
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  
And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.  
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.  
‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 
“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill.  
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.  
For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” 
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”  
At that, Paul left the Council.  
A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others” Acts 17:17-34.
Thus the question becomes. What do you the reader believe?
Please think about it.