Gateways: Stepping Stones For Victorious Christ Centered Living #5

 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 is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Matthew 7:13-14

Jesus

Ancient Wisdom

Jesus is giving some ancient wisdom here, in this passage, that can really impact your life: He is talking about two choices. That's right only two; however, if you look carefully at the how these choices effect your journey, you will see that it would seem to be a no brainer which one you would choose. It's kind of like the choices we make when we go into an airport, and TSA puts us through going through a narrow gate, wands us, sometimes pats us downs, and we even do all kinds of things like take our shoes off or take off belts from around our waist. Some have even allowed themselves to be viewed by special cameras that leave nothing to the imagination as two what gender we are, and how we look underneath our clothes.  

Why?

Why do we allow our selves to be put through this narrow gate? Well, we don't want terrorist getting through, and we believe that this will prevent them going through. This, will therefore, give us the ability to stay alive. I mean, who wants your airplane to crash or be blown up. The answer is "NO ONE!" Therefore we go through the narrow gate as a preventative measure to keep terrorist out of our plane, and to be able to live. I don't know of anyone who refuses to go through these inconveniences of being restricted. And everyone approves of going through the narrow gate. If we did like we did prior to September 11, 2001, when the way was broad and wide open, we would sincerely regret it.

The Ultimate Terrorist

Nevertheless, Jesus is telling us something about the Ultimate Terrorist and how to avoid something far worse than we can imagine happening on an airplane. Jesus calls himself, THE Way, THE Truth, and The Life. (John 14:6.) He actually calls Himself THE Gate. (John 10:9). Now this is profound. He tells us He IS The Way, and not "A" Way. He is THE truth, and not "A" Truth. He tells us He is THE Life (The ONLY Source of Life,) and not one source among the many. As "The Gate" He makes it clear that trying to enter life any other way, will lead to death for all eternity. Satan, the "Ultimate Terrorist" would love this destruction outcome for us. It sounds kind of narrow, but taking the narrow way makes all the difference in the universe in the outcome of our journey. Jesus IS the only road map, or authentic GPS to have life, no matter what.

Let me say this another way. This teaching of our Lord  makes it crystal clear: In order to experience His Stepping Stones For Victorious Christ Centered Living we need to make a choice between Jesus and His narrow way juxtaposed to the broad way.  "The Narrow Way" of coming through Him, and of embracing His teachings as the way of having authentic, and eternal life, is the only way to actually have life. And unlike our airport analogy, people still want the "Broad Way"  of "My truth" or "Your truth" Or that other religions "Truth." The Lord tells us don't make that choice regarding that gateway. If you do, you will be living a life of self destruction, and you will not embrace what Jesus promises, which if "life to the full." 

Your God Challenge:

Walk on Jesus stepping stones! Decide to follow Jesus! Be a part of the few. Be the Counter Cultural Christ-Follower and Live! Don't go along with the crowd. Don't follow the way of the Communist or the socialist or the secular humanist or the "progressives" or  anyone who tells you to not embrace Jesus and all His teachings.  Experience "Life to the full."

It's A No Brainer!

S o J o u r n e r