NEWS The Narrow Road to Christ
"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)
I remember the first time I read this Scripture. It seemed mysterious to me. A narrow gate, a narrow road. What was the Lord talking about? Could a narrow gate and narrow road explain the lack of Spiritual fruit we see in Christianity today?
I asked the Lord to help me understand the meaning of this Scripture. I meditated for months and months. Over time, the light began to appear. I saw the meaning. There is a gate and a path that leads to Christ. We must first enter through the gate. After we get through the gate, we must find the road and walk in love down that road.
Let's consider this process in terms of what we see in Christianity today. There are many people that have, for one reason or another, given their lives to Jesus. Jesus is their Savior. They have found the narrow gate. The gate is salvation.
Many Christians seem content with finding the gate. However, many of those who find the gate do not find the road that leads to life. This is precisely what the Lord told us. How do we know this? We know this because we see little Spiritual fruit in their hearts.
The narrow road leads to life - to Christ. Christ is Spiritual fruit. He is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
Where there is Love, there is Light. Where there is Light, there is Life.
I've said before that the major problem with Christianity is that it has evolved into a religion that lacks the spirit of the very Being it is worshiping. In other words, Christ isn't part of the Christian religion. It's a religion that worships Jesus, but Christ isn't there. It's a tragedy. A real tragedy, but it is what it is and I trust that the Lord has a purpose for what we see today.
The Lord followed his discussion about the narrow gate and path with a warning and an observation. Here's what the Lord said:
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
(Matthew 7:15-23)
Turn on your T.V. and go to one of the Christian channels. What do you see? I don't know about you, but I see a lot of wolves in sheep's clothing. I see hearts with little or no Spiritual fruit. I see the same thing when I observe church activities. People are doing many things for the Lord, but He isn't present. It doesn't matter how many things you do for Jesus, how many correct teachings you receive, how many small group activities you participate in, how many missions you conduct. If Christ isn't there, they all count for nothing. They are wasted energy. They have not love. They are, as the Lord says, "ferocious wolves!" Watch out!
Many Christians will stand before the Lord in the future and will hear the saddest four words they will ever hear: "I never knew you." Many people will say, "But Lord, I did all these things in your name." And the Lord will say, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"
Christianity is filled with evildoers. Seems strange, doesn't it? Many of these people come off as so righteous and moral, just as the Pharisees did when Jesus was ministering on earth. They worship Jesus, but they do not know Christ. There is something profoundly wrong with their hearts. They are not led by the Holy Spirit.
What the Lord has shown me is that Christ is not a "mass market" business, as Christianity has become today - that is, people "getting saved," tithing, and doing things for Jesus. On the contrary, what you see on the narrow path are very few people. It's lonely. I often tell the Lord that I feel so lonely when I'm around people that call themselves Christians.
There is Life on the path, but it's not the life that you see many Christians living today. Not even close. What keeps me on the road is the love that grows in my heart and the light I see up ahead. Christ is enough. He is all I need.
You can call yourself a Christian, you can go to church, you can prophesy in the name of the Lord on T.V. or on the radio, but if you don't have Christ in your heart - if you have little or no fruit - it doesn't matter what you say. The Fruit is the determining factor. It's shows us who has Christ inside and who does not. The Fruit does not lie.
When you find somebody who has seen Christ through revelation and walks in love, you will see much Fruit. You will see a pure heart filled with Love, Light, and Life.
May you find the narrow path and travel the road that leads to life.
Agape,
Steve
I remember the first time I read this Scripture. It seemed mysterious to me. A narrow gate, a narrow road. What was the Lord talking about? Could a narrow gate and narrow road explain the lack of Spiritual fruit we see in Christianity today?
I asked the Lord to help me understand the meaning of this Scripture. I meditated for months and months. Over time, the light began to appear. I saw the meaning. There is a gate and a path that leads to Christ. We must first enter through the gate. After we get through the gate, we must find the road and walk in love down that road.
Let's consider this process in terms of what we see in Christianity today. There are many people that have, for one reason or another, given their lives to Jesus. Jesus is their Savior. They have found the narrow gate. The gate is salvation.
Many Christians seem content with finding the gate. However, many of those who find the gate do not find the road that leads to life. This is precisely what the Lord told us. How do we know this? We know this because we see little Spiritual fruit in their hearts.
The narrow road leads to life - to Christ. Christ is Spiritual fruit. He is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
Where there is Love, there is Light. Where there is Light, there is Life.
I've said before that the major problem with Christianity is that it has evolved into a religion that lacks the spirit of the very Being it is worshiping. In other words, Christ isn't part of the Christian religion. It's a religion that worships Jesus, but Christ isn't there. It's a tragedy. A real tragedy, but it is what it is and I trust that the Lord has a purpose for what we see today.
The Lord followed his discussion about the narrow gate and path with a warning and an observation. Here's what the Lord said:
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
(Matthew 7:15-23)
Turn on your T.V. and go to one of the Christian channels. What do you see? I don't know about you, but I see a lot of wolves in sheep's clothing. I see hearts with little or no Spiritual fruit. I see the same thing when I observe church activities. People are doing many things for the Lord, but He isn't present. It doesn't matter how many things you do for Jesus, how many correct teachings you receive, how many small group activities you participate in, how many missions you conduct. If Christ isn't there, they all count for nothing. They are wasted energy. They have not love. They are, as the Lord says, "ferocious wolves!" Watch out!
Many Christians will stand before the Lord in the future and will hear the saddest four words they will ever hear: "I never knew you." Many people will say, "But Lord, I did all these things in your name." And the Lord will say, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"
Christianity is filled with evildoers. Seems strange, doesn't it? Many of these people come off as so righteous and moral, just as the Pharisees did when Jesus was ministering on earth. They worship Jesus, but they do not know Christ. There is something profoundly wrong with their hearts. They are not led by the Holy Spirit.
What the Lord has shown me is that Christ is not a "mass market" business, as Christianity has become today - that is, people "getting saved," tithing, and doing things for Jesus. On the contrary, what you see on the narrow path are very few people. It's lonely. I often tell the Lord that I feel so lonely when I'm around people that call themselves Christians.
There is Life on the path, but it's not the life that you see many Christians living today. Not even close. What keeps me on the road is the love that grows in my heart and the light I see up ahead. Christ is enough. He is all I need.
You can call yourself a Christian, you can go to church, you can prophesy in the name of the Lord on T.V. or on the radio, but if you don't have Christ in your heart - if you have little or no fruit - it doesn't matter what you say. The Fruit is the determining factor. It's shows us who has Christ inside and who does not. The Fruit does not lie.
When you find somebody who has seen Christ through revelation and walks in love, you will see much Fruit. You will see a pure heart filled with Love, Light, and Life.
May you find the narrow path and travel the road that leads to life.
Agape,
Steve
posted by Steve at
9:09 AM
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