Access!

Access!

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:13‭-‬14‬ ‭AMP‬‬

[13]  “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads the way to destruction and eternal loss, and there are many who enter through it. 

[14] But small is the gate and narrow and difficult to travel is the path that leads the way to [everlasting] life, and there are few who find it.

The Context and Focus:

If I know the destination, I know what I have to do, what I have to take with me, what mode of transport is best suited for the journey, how long it will take me, the experiences and expectations around that journey, and a few other relevant things to consider as I travel. Just as it is for physical journeys, so is it for the journey that is laid out in today's verses. Whether I know it or not, I am on a journey to eternity. Nobody has been promised eternity on this side and version of earth, or in tnis present body. A new heaven and a new earth, as well as an incorruptible body, have been promised by God at the turn of eternity. I must therefore make every effort to ensure I end up where God has planned and prepared for me. It does me no good to seek to make it by my own strength, vision or options, because they would not work. Like a qualified pharmacist that God is, He has prescribed the full measure of all I need for life and Godliness, and if I can only align with His purpose and plan for me, I will be a blessing down here, and also get to live with him for all of eternity. I am not sure that there is anything that can beat that.

The Message:

The path to the full measure of God is narrow. It is not a path that allows you to take anything you want, but only that which is of use on the journey you have been asked to take. The journey is also a long one, so you have to travel light. In many parts of the bible, you find that the supply is more spiritual than physical. I cannot afford to hold on the weight and baggage of the past, and still be able to travel well. That which belongs to the past must be left in the past. The weight of sin must be dropped at the foot of the cross, and a new burden for souls picked up. That is the critical luggage I must travel with. There are gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as the other talents God has been given me, which I must make use of as I travel. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the way and the gate, not too many people want to travel on these. Few can pay the price required to travel here. It will cost you a lot to stay on this path. It has to be said that God will not excuse sin, no matter in whom it is found. He wil forgive all sin that is confessed and forsaken, but in line with His Word, anyone who chooses to remain in sin, even after being aware of the free salvation on offer, cannot turn around and blame God for the consequences of his choices. 

The Conclusion:

This is why the opposite of the narrow gate is quite popular. The verses above say that 'wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads to destruction and eternal loss'. This path does not require you to drop anything or to make any changes or sacrifice anything in order to please God. It accepts you the way you are, and does not in any way seek to hold you to a higher standard, or a different way of living that pleases God. Our human nature will also be comfortable on tnid path, because many of the friends who love that nature are on it. You can make jokes or hold conversations that are fine with the people on that path. One of the greatest misfortunes in life is to define acceptance by the level of popularity or population. For all the things that God commands, it is pointless to subject it to general acceptance. The things of God are never about what I like, but what makes God happy. If I seek God's will, there is joy for me down here, and eternal life for me with Him. What else can the world give me that can match that? What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul? May I journey well, so I can arrive safely. God's time of favour is here.