Why is His Way narrow and only a few find it? Matthew 7:13-14

[FlyingDove]

What is the will of the Father?

WILL OF THE FATHER:

Matt 7:21 Jesus said; Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
(NOTE: Who will enter heaven? Anyone that does the will of my Father.')

HOW WE DO THE WILL OF THE FATHER:

John 6:40 Jesus said; This is the will of him that sent me, that every one which "seeth the Son, and believeth on him" may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
(NOTE: The will of the Father is: Place your belief/Faith in Jesus sin atoning work/sacrifice. Found in the death (sins required wage paid), burial (proof Christ died) & resurrection (The Father's receipt, payment received & accepted)

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

The will of the Father is: Place your belief/Faith in Jesus sin atoning work/sacrifice.

Amen Amen. This is the narrow and only way!

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

Please, I am asking every Believer to spread this, because the time is near!

 

[JohnR7]

Finally, why is His Way narrow and only a few find it? Matthew 7:13-14

The gate is narrow. Jesus said: " I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.: (John 10:9) This goes back to the Hebrew letter that today is our letter D. This represents the door. At the time the Torah was written they were living in tents and the door represented the doorway into & out of the tent. Jesus is the Son (Ben) of God and He has control in the Father's Name what goes in and out or through the door of the tent. This is like the bouncer in a bar and they have the authority who goes in the door and who is thrown out of the bar and so who goes out of the door. At the first passover the door post had to be covered with blood. Then the death angel would pass over that dwelling and not harm those who entered in through that door.

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

At the first passover the door post had to be covered with blood. Then the death angel would pass over that dwelling and not harm those who entered in through that door.

Amen. The Blood of Jesus must be written on our hearts. When I See The Blood I Will Past Over You (Ex. 12:13). You will not see the Great White Throne.

 

[JohnR7]

-going the extra mile when you don't have to

I am not so sure there is ever a time when we do not have to go the extra mile. We have to give more so that people can clearly see that got what they are entitled to receive. Those who do not give more to go above and beyond are taking a chance on being judged for not giving enough. I did repair work and I always did more. I always went above and beyond. This impressed people that with me they got good quality and more than they paid for.

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

I am not so sure there is ever a time when we do not have to go the extra mile. We have to give more so that people can clearly see that got what they are entitled to receive. Those who do not give more to go above and beyond are taking a chance on being judged for not giving enough. I did repair work and I always did more. I always went above and beyond. This impressed people that with me they got good quality and more than they paid for.

The entirety of the idea has to do with the heart of man, not so much his outward actions.

 

[Deuteronomy]

Matthew 7:21-23
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Why did Jesus tell these people who thought they where Christians at the Great White Throne Judgement that their works in His Name is iniquity?

Hello MessageOfTheCross, Jesus told the folks in Matt 7:22 (who "thought" that they were Christians) that their works (that they claimed to do in His Name) were sinful because they did not know Him, and because He did not know them.

How can anyone obey God/know what His will is if they do not know Him

What is the will of the Father?

First & foremost, that we believe in/come to saving faith in His Son .. e.g. John 6:28-29, because until that happens we cannot know or do His will (because we do not know Him) .. e.g. 1 Corinthians 2:14.

~Deut

John 17​

3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.​

​

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

Hello MessageOfTheCross, Jesus told the folks in Matt 7:22 (who "thought" that they were Christians) that their works (that they claimed to do in His Name) were sinful because they did not know Him, and because He did not know them.

How can anyone obey God/know what His will is if they do not know Him


First & foremost, that we believe in/come to saving faith in His Son .. e.g. John 6:28-29, because until that happens we cannot know or do His will (because we do not know Him) .. e.g. 1 Corinthians 2:14.

~Deut

John 17​

3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.​

​

Jesus is not speaking here to unbelievers, but rather to Believers.

The warning is that if they place their faith in anything except “Christ and Him Crucified,” that “Christ shall profit you nothing” (Gal. 5:2).

 

[cuz]

Judges1318 has given the answer
john 8:31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
john 8:34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

john 14:23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.
24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

you can see
the way is very clear by those that follow Jesus teaching
and you may say that is works but it is not

acts 15:8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.
9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.

it is God that purified the hearts so that you may walk in them

so if you say you have faith show me your works. Why, because these works came by the father
as Judges1318 did a good job showing

 

[Deuteronomy]

Jesus is not speaking here to unbelievers, but rather to Believers.

Hello again MessageOfTheCross, the Lord told the folks who were standing in the Judgement before Him that He ~NEVER~ knew them. How could He say such a thing about someone who had come to saving faith in Him, someone who is His very own child

As you said, the folks in v22 "thought" that they were Christians, but according to the Lord Jesus, they never were, because He ~never~ knew them (so, sadly, they were either lying or deceived or both). One way or the other, believers they were not/never were.

~Deut

Matthew 7​

22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’​

23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’​

​

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

Hello again MessageOfTheCross, the Lord told the folks who were standing in the Judgement before Him that He ~NEVER~ knew them. How could He say such a thing about someone who had come to saving faith in Him, someone who is His very own child

As you said, the folks in v22 "thought" that they were Christians, but according to the Lord Jesus, they never were, because He ~never~ knew them (so, sadly, they were either lying or deceived or both). One way or the other, believers they were not/never were.

~Deut

I never knew you means that regardless of their religious activity, they had know personal relationship with Him (the Believer must enter into sanctification to bear the fruit of Righteousness or that branch is cast into the fire). As I stated over and over, many Christians are proclaiming Christ while forsaking the Cross (Grace has stopped). Spiritual Adultery is a serious sin.

 

[RevelationMan]

What is the will of the Father?

John 6:29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

God's will is that we carry on the same work that he is doing.

 

[Deuteronomy]

I never knew you means that regardless of their religious activity, they had no personal relationship with Him (the Believer must enter into sanctification to bear the fruit of Righteousness or that branch is cast into the fire). As I stated over and over, many Christians are proclaiming Christ while forsaking the Cross (Grace has stopped). Spiritual Adultery is a serious sin.

If someone does not have a personal relationship with Jesus (does not "know" Him), they are not/never were believers!

John 17​

3 This is eternal life, that they may ~know~ You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.​

True believers always enter into sanctification (it is only CINO/Christians In Name Only .. cf Matt 7:22/Matt 13:37-39 who do not), as God promises to sanctify all of us who are His, as well see us all safely through this life to be with Him in Glory (as the Lord tells us plainly, "I lose nothing") .. e.g. John 5:24, 6:37-40, 10:27-28; Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 5:13; Jude 24-25.

~Deut

John 6:37-40 (excerpt)​

ALL that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and .. of ALL that He has given Me, I LOSE NOTHING, but raise it up on the last day.​

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

If someone does not have a personal relationship with Jesus (does not "know" Him), they are not/never were believers!

John 17​

3 This is eternal life, that they may ~know~ You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.​

True believers always enter into sanctification (it is only CINO/Christians In Name Only .. cf Matt 7:22 who do not), as God promises to sanctify all of us who are His, as well see us all safely through this life to be with Him in Glory (as the Lord tells us plainly, "I lose nothing") .. e.g. John 5:24, 6:37-40, 10:27-28; Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 5:13; Jude 24-25.

~Deut

John 6:37-40 (excerpt)​

ALL that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and .. of ALL that He has given Me, I LOSE NOTHING, but raise it up on the last day.​

John 6:53 - "Except you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His Blood (i.e., the Cross, i.e., The Finished Work), you have no life in you," (presents the demand that caused "many of His Disciples to go back, and walk no more with Him" [John 6:66]. It does the same presently! This Verse tells us the degree of believing that is required; it refers to the Cross being the total Object of one's belief; failing that, there is no Life in you.)

John 6:66 - From that time many of His Disciples went back, and walk no more with Him.

Remember, the memory of the wicked will not be remembered! They thought because they Believed in Jesus and did works in His name they were saved.

In the Eyes of God the Believer who’s Faith trust in Christ and His Righteous Work at Calvary is being obedient to the Faith. The Church of Ephesus was doing good things and deeds, however, God wasn’t in these works. Therefore, they had fallen from the obedient from Gods Eyes.

“4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against you (something is wrong, despite their zeal), because you have left your first love (not “lost” your first love, but rather “left” your first love; it refers to a departure from the Cross, and is so serious that it will lead the Church to ruin unless Repentance is forthcoming).”

“5 Remember therefore from where you are fallen (this means they fell from Grace, which means they had stopped depending on Christ and the Cross [Gal. 5:4]), and repent, and do the first works (go back to the Cross); or else I will come unto you quickly, and will remove your candlestick out of his place, except you repent. (Christ is the Source of the Light, but the Cross is the means. They are to come back to the Cross, or else the Light will be removed.)” Revelation 2:4-5

Pastor Curtis/JSM

 

[Locoponydirtman]

Matthew 7:21-23
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.


22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?


23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Bible study: Question for anyone?

Why did Jesus tell these people who thought they where Christians at the Great White Throne Judgement that their works in His Name is iniquity?

What is the will of the Father?

Finally, why is His Way narrow and only a few find it? Matthew 7:13-14

Because they thought by their works they can merit a place in heaven. We can merit nothing, we have to understand the sermon on the mountain, blessed are the poor in spirit, and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. You ain't poor in spirit of you think you are working up a heaven savings and loan account, nor do you hunger and thirst for righteousness is you think you abound in it by deeds of your own labour.

 

[mailmandan]

Something is wrong, despite their zeal. What is the will of the Father to enter into Heaven? Matthew 7:21

John 6:40 - For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.

 

[Blik]

Jesus wasn't addressing people who thought they were Christians in that passage; He was addressing Jews. Only a few of that generation of Jews found the "narrow gate". The rest rejected their Messiah and most were killed or sold into slavery in 70 AD.

The application today is that Jesus is the narrow gate, just as it was then. However, the "many" today are people who reject Christ, not genuine Christians who don't conform to someone's narrow idea of what a "Christian" should be.

I read this passage only as applied to man through the ages, not as one limited people of a certain time. It is a new idea to me, I'll pray about it and thank you. Makes perfect sense.

But if you are jabbing at people who think that a true Christian is one who desires to follow in Christ's way of living, I can't agree. I think we are told the narrow way is to live as Christ told us to in the best way we can. It is like Paul said that he does what he does not want to do. But His desire was to follow Christ's way of living without sin.

 

[JohnR7]

HOW WE DO THE WILL OF THE FATHER:

"not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2Peter3:9) God is not willing that any should perish. I wonder though, does everyone need to repent. Why would God create a situation where everyone would need to repent? We are told that everyone is written in the Book of life and people who perish in their sin have to have their name blotted out of the book of life.

 

[Dino246]

I read this passage only as applied to man through the ages, not as one limited people of a certain time. It is a new idea to me, I'll pray about it and thank you. Makes perfect sense.

You're welcome. I was not suggesting that its application is only limited to the Jews of Jesus' time. However, too often this passage is used by narrow-minded Christians to demean or dismiss other Christians, which in my view is both hermeneutically and morally wrong.

But if you are jabbing at people who think that a true Christian is one who desires to follow in Christ's way of living, I can't agree. I think we are told the narrow way is to live as Christ told us to in the best way we can. It is like Paul said that he does what he does not want to do. But His desire was to follow Christ's way of living without sin.

I wasn't jabbing as you suggest; Christians are indeed called to a narrow path.