Good morning and welcome in everybody. 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.
Whether it’s a soldier in the Navy or seafarers going on vacation, each day people walk across a gangway in order to board a ship. A gangway is a walkway or ramp that connects the ship to the land. Although they can be quite fancy these days, the old sailing vessels simply laid a few planks over the water that provided a narrow passageway for both passengers and cargo to board the vessel. But for many years there have been other little visitors who have tried to gain access to a vessel by going another way. Perhaps you have been in a large harbor and seen the huge mooring ropes that keep the vessels securely tied to the docks. On them you will find large spinning discs which are installed immediately when the ship comes to shore. They kind of look like a large cymbal from a drum set with one specific purpose; to prevent rats from climbing up the ropes and gaining access to the vessel. When they reach one, they are stopped in their tracks, and if they make the attempt to climb over or around them, it will spin and toss them into the waters below.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Many people are going to try to gain access to the kingdom of heaven, but are not going to make it. Rather than going across the bridge that God has already provided, people will try to climb up some other way. The door to eternal life is very narrow and you will only find it in Christ Jesus. You will not be able to go around Him or over Him because He is God’s only access point to Paradise, and our gangway to heaven.
Matthew 7 ¹³ 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: ¹⁴ Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
The word “many” is defined in the dictionary as a great majority. This means that a huge amount of people are not going to have what it takes to enter into heaven. A lot of them will profess to believe in God, as evidenced by the presence of many different forms of religion on the Earth today. But the one true God has only allowed forgiveness to those who come to His beloved Son Jesus. He is God’s atonement and sacrifice for the sins of the world. When they reject His Son, they reject His kind offer of Mercy, and will ultimately die in their sins.
The second group of people who are not going to be able to enter into heaven, will be those who claim to be followers of Christ but they never submitted to the gospel or repented from dead works. They never transformed in their hearts, and became obedient to the will of God. They never mortified the sinful deeds of the flesh and became a new creature in Christ. They may have been very religious, but they never loved the Lord enough to depart from iniquity. Some of them were filled with the knowledge of God, but then willfully chose to rebel against Him instead. The humble Lord Jesus who shed His own blood at the cross, will eventually pour out His wrath upon the impenitent, when He returns in power and great Glory.
2 Thessalonians 1 ⁶ Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; ⁷ And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, ⁸ In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: ⁹ Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
The Christian Life is not only accepting Jesus as the propitiation for our sins, but by walking according to His teachings that were given to us by His original Apostles. Jesus is sinless and perfect before the Heavenly Father, a Divine example of what we need to become. Jesus is the way to eternal life, and we must follow the way that Jesus lived.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
Jesus died on the cross so that we could have the opportunity to repent and become a new person. What a merciful God we serve! He grants us an incredible chance to transform into something completely different than what we used to be. But the only way that this person can emerge is by accepting the truth of God’s Word. It is there to convict us of our sinfulness, and rebuke us of our evil deeds.
2 Timothy 3 ¹⁶ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ¹⁷ That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
When we fully submit to the truth of God’s Word, it will cause us to turn away from sin and do the right thing. It is the acceptance of the truth that breaks the chains of bondage to sinful behavior. It is the acceptance of the truth that frees sinners from wicked lifestyles. It is the acceptance of the truth that opens the door to becoming a child of God.
John 8 ³¹ Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; ³² And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. ³³ They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? ³⁴ Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. ³⁵ And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. ³⁶ If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Just like in the days of Noah, the final destruction of this world is coming, and the only way to be saved from the things that will most certainly come to pass, is through faith in Christ Jesus. The first step is to be baptized into His name for the complete remission of sins.
Acts 2 ³⁸ Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. ³⁹ For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. ⁴⁰ And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. ⁴¹ Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
As a Christian, one must strive to enter heaven through faithfulness to the will of God.
Luke 13 ²² And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. ²³ Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, ²⁴ Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
The great majority of people will not be able to enter heaven. Some of them will refuse to come to Christ Jesus, and others will refuse to obey Christ Jesus. Although many people will make the attempt to find a different pathway there, they will eventually find themselves at a roadblock and falling into the depths of the sea. You will not be able to go around Him or over Him, because Jesus Christ is God’s only access point to Paradise, and the …..
……Gangway to Heaven.
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. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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