Daily Devotional For Thursday, November 14, 2024
Good morning Southside! It is Thursday and you are well into your week. We are making our way through the most famous and best sermon ever preached or taught – Jesus’ Sermon On The Mount. You can read this entire sermon in Matthew chapters 5, 6, & 7. We have already been through chapters 5 & 6 and are in the middle of chapter seven with Matthew 7:13-14:
“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. (14) For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (NASB).
The first thing Jesus says here is “enter.” This is the Greek New Testament word [εἰσέρχομαι, eierchomai]. This word in Greek grammar is called an imperative – a command. This means it requires a specific action. Jesus does not tell His hearers to admire the gate or stare at the gate, but to enter it. Many people admire the principles Jesus teaches in the Sermon On The Mount but they never do them or put into action. Many people in worship praise Jesus Christ, but they will never enter heaven because they were in church, not in Christ.
The second thing Jesus says here is to enter a narrow gate. Jesus did not say enter any gate or a wide gate or multiple gates, but THE only narrow right gate. Everyone chooses a gate to enter, but there is only one right gate we can enter to have salvation and heaven. Only one gate, God’s gate leads to life. All other gates lead to death and hell. Jesus said this in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (NASB). The reason so many people choose so many other gates is because they do not believe that Jesus is the only narrow gate.
Pastor and author John MacArthur writes this:
“When we preach, teach, and witness that Christ is the only way to God, we are not proclaiming our own view of the right religion but God’s revelation of truth. We do not proclaim the narrow way simply because we are already in it, or because it happens to suit our temperament, or because we are bigoted and exclusive. We proclaim the narrow way because it is God’s way and God’s only way for men to find salvation and eternal life. We proclaim a narrow gospel because Jesus said, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved” (John 10:9). We proclaim a narrow gospel because “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12), and because “there is one God and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5). We proclaim a narrow gospel because that is the only gospel God has given and therefore the only gospel there is” (Source: John MacAthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 452).
The person who enters that narrow gate must enter it alone. He or she cannot bring anyone or anything else with them. See this narrow gate as sort of a turnstile. Only one person at a time can go through a turnstile. People do not come into salvation or heaven in groups. The Jews believed that because they were God’s chosen people, they already had their ticket to heaven. They believed they were saved due to their race signified by circumcision. Jesus later in Matthew 7 debunks the idea that being in church, serving, doing things for Him guarantees you a place in heaven. Look at Matthew 7:21-23:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. (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; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness’” (NASB).
I have never cast out demons nor performed any miracles. Notice Jesus’ blunt statement to such people who think because they are good, or have done good things for Jesus, will not go to heaven. God’s gate is so narrow that we can only go through it “naked.” Why? It is the gate of self-denial. You cannot go through this narrow gate with sin, self-will, and self-righteousness. It is like the line from that old Hymn, Rock of Ages, “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling,” The only way to Christ is through the cross and the way of the cross is through self-denial. Jesus said this in Matthew 16:24-25:
“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. (25) For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (NASB).
In Luke 18, a rich young ruler came to Jesus asking Jesus this in Luke 18:18, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (NASB). Great question. What was wrong with it? Nothing. Look at Jesus’ response and the man’ reaction in Luke 18:20-23:
“You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not give false testimony, Honor your father and mother.’” (21) And he said, “All these things I have kept since my youth.” (22) Now when Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (23) But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely wealthy” (NASB).
This man had a pride issue. You mean to tell me he honored his mother and father consistently, smarting off at them, never thinking bad things about them in his heart, and never disobeying them? I doubt it. Based on Jesus’ Sermon On The Mount, Jesus said that if we lust in our heart we have already committed adultery. You mean he had never lusted? I doubt it and so did Jesus. Jesus said that if we are in anger we have hatred towards another, we have committed murder. Do you mean he had never done this? Doubt it and so did Jesus.
Jesus said that if we covet what another has, we have stolen from them. Do you mean to tell me he had never coveted since he was wealthy? I doubt it and so did Jesus. Do you mean to tell me he did not have any idols? I doubt it and so did Jesus because wealth was his idol. This rich young ruler had conceit and pride in his heart – both are sins. He was the poster child of self-deceit. Obviously he had failed to live out the greatest commandment to love the Lord with one’s heart, soul and might (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 22:37). This is why he could not follow Christ. Salvation is only possible by yielding total control to Jesus Christ. The narrow gate requires that we strip ourselves of all possessions if asked. Jesus is not an item we add to our treasure list. He is the Treasure over everything else.
This means that in order to enter the narrow gate, repentance is required (read Acts 20:21; Mark 1:14-15; and Luke 3:1-6). In Jesus’ day, many Jews believed that simply being a descendant of Abraham got them a ticket to heaven. Today, many people think that by being good or attending church or serving in a church or having their name as a church member gets them a ticket to heaven. They are so wrong. Look at 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance” (NASB).
It was Charles Spurgeon who said this: “You and your sins must separate or you and your God will never come together. No one sin may you keep; they must all be given up, they must be brought out like Canaanite kings from the cave and be hanged up in the sun” (Source: https://gracequotes.org/quote/you-and-your-sins-must-separate-or-you-and-your-god-will-never-come-together-no-one-sin-may-you-keep-they-must-all-be-given-up-they-must-be-brought-out-like-canaanite-kings-from-the-cave-and-be-han/).
Anyone who teaches or lives a life of self-indulgence teaches and lives a life contrary to the Gospel. The gate of pride, of self-righteousness, and self-satisfaction is the wide gate of the world, not the narrow gate of God. When it comes to salvation, there is no security in numbers. New Testament scholar Bruce B. Barton writes this:
“In Jesus’ invitation to enter the narrow gate, he described two lives. Each life has a “gate” consistent with its “way.” People take the wide gateway, but they find the narrow gateway. The wide gateway that leads to destruction defines the normal human experience, except for the few who find and enter the narrow gateway. Jesus’ invitation to enter confronts the disciples with the gate itself. They have found the gate; he is standing before them. They can enter by trusting him completely. The invitation still stands. Those who recognize that they have entered the wide gateway that leads to destruction may still enter the way to life through Jesus Christ. Which gateway represents your life right now?” (Source: Bruce B. Barton, The Life Application Bible Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 136).
Questions To Consider
- Salvation is only possible by entering the narrow gate – Jesus Christ. Why do you think so many people think there are other gates that will get them to heaven?
- Most people miss Jesus’ point about the rich young ruler. They think the main reason he walked away from Jesus is because he did not want to give up his wealth. He walked away because of self-worship. He really believed he knew the right gate to get to heaven and in the end, he did not believe Jesus was that gate? Who do you know that has the same belief? How can you help them?
- What would be hard or almost impossible for you to give up if Jesus asked you to do it and why? What Jesus asks us to do is not for His benefit or information, but for ours. It is a test for us to see if we would give it up. What do you need to be willing to give up in your own narrow gate?
- The Gospel is exclusive and for good reasons. What are some of those reasons to you and why?
- Have you yielded total control to Jesus Christ? Why or why not?
Scripture To Meditate On: John 10:9, Jesus said, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, please help me to live a life humbly before others that is evident to them that I believe there is only one narrow gate to heaven that is right. Please use me to help others see this and walk through this narrow gate. There is no other name or way people can be saved except through You Jesus. I love you Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly