A narrow gate is hard to get thru. And Jesus refers to this in Matthew 7: 13-14. You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.
The gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult and only a few ever find it. There is a church on every corner. Especially here in the south. Every one believes. Every one knows Jesus. Everyone say bless your heart. I am gonna pray for that. And, I know, who am I to judge?
FEW FIND IT.
It is a matter of the heart. Would be followers can say all the right things. Do the the right things, IN PUBLIC. But their hearts are black and corrupt. Their souls do not belong to Christ. They talk the talk but can't walk the walk. I have experienced both.. people that went to church all their life and never surrendered to Jesus and when they profess their faith after 10-20 years you look at them and think WOW. I thought they were a Christian. And those that knew the right words but secretly did not follow God and His desires. But the fact is you do not know the condition of the persons heart. OR. Do you? Not but a couple verses down from the gate is the fruit.
You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.
Your fruit is your actions. What do you do as a result of your choices. If you are known by your actions. What does your fruit look like? Character was never built on good intentions. I can desire to pray, read the Bible, help those in my community. BUT if I do not DO it. What does that say about me. My intentions are good.. but my actions. Well they tell the truth of the matter.
As I discipline my body, heart and soul to train it in the way it should go I take time to get to know God. And when I get to know God. It is like Romans 5. We develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. Our reactions change. We are joyful during trials. We smile while being persecuted. We don't desire to sin. We don't encourage our flesh. We desire God and what He wants. We are blessed. Sometimes physically but EVERY TIME spiritually.
He never promised us easy. But He DID promise He would never leave nor forsake us.
So let's not just read and pray let us get out there and Do what it says! REACT to what God has revealed and taught. An outward expression to an inward growth.
James 1:22-27 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
If we stay on the path and grow, focus on becoming like Christ then when it comes time to walk through that narrow gate. We won't even notice that it was narrow. We won't see a gate. We will see our Savior standing there with His arms opened wide. Pulling His Beloved into His arms.
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