Be Sure of Your Salvation
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (v. 13)”
MATTHEW 7:13-23
THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION OF YOUR LIFE
We regularly and routinely make many choices in life. Some decisions are trivial and have short-term consequences such as what variety of water to buy — sparkling, distilled, or filtered. Other decisions we make are crucial to our well-being, and have long-term consequences for us like whom to marry, whether or not to undergo surgery, etc. But there is one crucial decision that has an eternal consequence for our life. Jesus talks about this choice in Matthew 7:13-14 and it has to do with our response to his command to “enter through the narrow gate” that leads to life.
CHOOSE BETWEEN LIFE OR DESTRUCTION FOR ETERNITY
The Bible tell us that death is not the end to our existence. Life goes on after death. The question is what kind of life awaits us for eternity. The answer to that question will depend on whether one chooses the narrow gate (that is difficult to find but leads to life) or the wide and easy one (which ultimately leads to eternal destruction, 1 Thessalonians 1:9), to being away from the Lord’s presence, and to a place of unending torment (Luke 16:23-26). But choosing the narrow gate is not only crucial, it is also urgent. We can only make this choice while here on earth. After we die, our destiny is sealed. No more second chances.
THE NARROW WAY
What makes the way to God narrow and difficult that only a few find it (Matthew 7:14)?
Firstly, there is only one way to enter heaven. Jesus claimed that he is the way to the heavenly Father (John 14:6). This means that salvation is found in no one else but Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). Truth is always exclusive, it is narrow. We all know that four times four is always and can only be sixteen (16), not fifteen (15) or sixteen-point-five (16.5). So, when Jesusnarrowed down the options only to Himself, there cannot be another way.
Secondly, God’s way requires repentance from us. Though salvation is by God’s grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), this grace comes with the humility to repent of our sins, to repent of following our own way and will, and humbly turning to God’s offer of forgiveness, to His way and His will (Ephesians 5:5-6; Acts 20:21). The grace of God gives us a new desire and the power to trust him (Titus 2:11-12). Charles Spurgeon once said, “You and your sins must separate or you and your God will never come together.” True repentance means that we choose to be with God instead of staying in our sins.
Thirdly, the way to God involves a change of lifestyle (Luke 9:23). A change in lifestyle means we do not make and follow our own gods and idols (Judges 21:25). Instead, we worship and follow the one true God (Luke 10:27). This is what we would learn from the story of the rich young man and Zacchaeus. The rich young man asked Jesus how he can have eternal life (Luke 18:18-23). He has followed all the other commandments but one—to love God wholeheartedly. Sadly, when challenged to sell everything he had and follow Jesus, his love for money prevented him from doing so. Zacchaeus, on the other hand, who was a tax collector and a rich man himself, did not allow anything or anyone to stop him from following Jesus (Matthew 19:3-9 and Luke 19:6). He was not asked to sell everything he had, yet on his own, Zacchaeus offered to give half of his riches to the poor, and to return over and above the amount of money to anyone he might have defrauded in the past.
ARE YOU SAVED?
Be warned: not everyone who claims to be Christian, even if serving the Lord, will be accepted in heaven.
Only those whose lives are characterized by obedience to Jesus Christ will (Matthew 7:21-23).
2 Corinthians 13:5 reminds us, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you -unless indeed you fail the test?” Jesus gives us the proof of salvation: “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16-20). Good fruit in our lives is a result of our obedience to Jesus (1 John 2:3) which is seen when we practice righteousness (1 John 3:10).
Jesus offers you a choice to enter God’s presence through Him: “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:9). If you hear His voice today, make the best decision of your life that will determine the course of your eternal destiny (John 10:27-28). Choose to follow Jesus!
- from 4W's