The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Luke 13:24-25,
"Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.'"
Jesus taught that the way into heaven and to God following death is a narrow door. It is narrow in that "many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to." In John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Jesus is the only way. And, he is accessible only through faith, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24.
You can do all the good deeds and keep yourself from the bad. It won't do any good because the way is a narrow door. You can be as religious as they come, as best of a do-gooder as you might. It won't do any good because the way is a narrow door. Nothing can bring us into God's presence, nothing can take us to heaven, nothing can keep us from a fiery lake of burning sulfur except the narrow door, Jesus Christ and faith in him alone.
There is no shortage of interest in the spiritual, in the desire to achieve enlightenment and an opportunity for what is best following death. In all of the religions, all of the teachings, all of the gurus and "spiritual leaders", all of the cults and -isms, the quest for eternal life takes so many shapes and forms they can scarce be cataloged. Yet, Jesus said "many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to." This is because he is the only way and the only access we have to him is through faith. It seems very few will make this choice with their lives.
This is remorse! Once, having had a free opportunity to enter into God's family and now finding oneself locked out for all eternity, it will bring a remorse that will be beyond measure. Where the opportunity that is missed is variously described as "eternal pleasures", Psalm 16:11, and drinking from God's "river of delights", Psalm 36:8, Paul points out, in a quote from Isaiah 64, that what awaits those who embrace Jesus Christ in faith is beyond our imagination, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9.
Opposed to this, those who fail to embrace the Lord in faith will experience for all eternity a great suffering. "There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out." Luke 13:28. In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man described the place he went, following his death as a "place of torment." Luke 16:28. It is described in Revelation 21:8 as a "fiery lake of burning sulfur."
A door can be opened to let people in. It can also be closed to keep people out. Clearly Jesus has pointed out that the invitation is extended - the door is open. But there will come a definite time when that door will be closed and no one, not for any reason, will be allowed to enter. It will be closed completely for all eternity. As Paul said, "Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God…" Romans 11:22.
God is merciful, loving and kind. He is also righteous and practices justice, the severity of which cannot be overstated.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
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