Good morning and welcome in everyone. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
There are many high school students who strive to get the best scores on tests in order to get into certain colleges. Although many of them are going to try to get into prominent schools, some just are not going to make it, because they fall short of the standard of the school. They don’t accept everyone, as they pick and chose the most outstanding applicants. It’s been claimed that Ivy League schools are some of the hardest colleges to get into. Others like Stanford and MIT have very low admission rates. You can’t just walk into these schools and enroll, but you have to prove yourself beforehand. A lot of these schools and universities will turn away over 95% of their applicants.
This reminds me of the Christian Life
Similar to the attempt to try to enter college, this life is an opportunity to prove ourselves to God that we are worthy of eternal life. Just like a high schooler seeking enrollment at a school, we must strive to enter into heaven. It’s going to require proving ourselves by our actions. Many people are going to try to obtain it, but will not be able to get in. We must take advantage of the life and the grace that God has given us, and use it to go on unto perfection.
Luke 13:23-24 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
There are many people today who really don’t understand what it means to strive for something. It means to try to achieve a result and to make a strenuous effort to attain something. It is to try earnestly and persistently. People who are athletes strive to be the best that they can be. They strive to get a gold medal in the Olympics. They strive to win the World Series. These are just temporal events. Jesus teaches us to strive to enter into eternal life. This is far more important than winning an earthly game, this is about the salvation of our souls. In order to attain it, you had better play to win.
1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
The word few, is defined as not very many, hardly any, a small amount, or a handful.
Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Many people or try to get into certain colleges this year, but there will be many who simply are not going to get in because the requirements are high. The Christian life is the highest calling that one could ever strive after, and it requires repentance in order to do God’s perfect will.
Matthew 21:28-32 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.
If people have no desire to become obedient, and humbly submit to the will of God through the teaching of scripture, they most certainly will perish. The Lord Jesus confirms that message of truth.
Luke 13:1-5 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
What’s required to get to heaven is one needs to repent. It comes down to this. You will either repent, or you won’t. You will either believe biblical truth or you won’t. You will either turn around and perform the will of God or you won’t. There is no gray area, and there is no inbetween. There is no such thing as becoming a Christian halfway. You’re all the way in, or you are all the way out.
Revelation 3:15-16 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
The Lord Jesus teaches that not many are going to enter paradise. Few shall be saved, just like in the days of Noah.
1 Peter 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
Those days are upon us again right now. Take a look around you, its looks like the days of Noah doesn’t it. Each day many people pray the Lord’s prayer but some of them don’t even think about what they’re saying. We pray…thy will be done. To pray those words, is to desire to submit to God’s purpose for you. This means that you want to do what God wants you to do rather than what you want to do. To pray those words and then go out and live like a disobedient rebellious wretch is evil. The Christian Life is an extremely high calling and the Apostle Paul was striving to obtain that prize of eternal life.
Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Many people are going to try to enter into heaven but, but will come up short. I hope for your sake you strive for the true faith found in the scriptures. I hope you make the choice today, to become…..
……. One of the Few
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching tlkjbc, where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms, or by getting our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com, or I suppose, you can find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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