Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
Michael continues that life is said to be a series of choices. As Joshua said to the children of Israel after they had entered into the Promised Land: “Choose this day whom you shall serve. As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord.” Baseball legend Yogi Bera said, When you come to a fork in the road, take it. The fork in the road the Lord is talking about leads to either a broad way and a narrow way. The broad way is the way of the fallen world and their humanistic kingdom. This is the path that leads to destruction in Hell. The narrow way is Jesus Christ. He said I am the narrow gate to the narrow way which leads to life everlasting in Heaven. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes unto the Father except by me. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus – the Savior of the world.
A wise man said, I don’t keep my vows, my vows keep me. A vow is a promise. Usually a contract or a covenant is when one party makes a promise, an offer of value to another party. To accept the offer, the other party promises to pay for the value of the promise or to perform a valuable service in exchange. When the one who receives the offer accepts the offer, this exchange of promises becomes a legally binding agreement which is enforceable by law. If one party fails to perform the terms of the agreement, the courts can require the non-performing party to pay for the value of the performance of the other party.
Today’s contracts may be secured by a binding, written agreement signed by both parties. In Abraham’s day, an exchange of promises was ratified by cutting sacrificial animals in two and then both parties would walk between the two halves of the sacrificed animals. When Abram arranged the sacrificial animals according to God’s instruction in Genesis 15, God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Abram. While he slept God reveled to Abram a vision of a burning lamp passing between the two halves of the sacrificial animals. This showed Abram that God accepted the terms of his promise. This covenant between God and Abram is an example what God would do for us through his son’s payment for our sins. Jesus Christ was God’s sacrificial lamb who shed his innocent blood for our guilty blood. For He who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him.
Christians are accused of prescribing to a doctrine of exclusion. However, the world does not understand that true freedom is the freedom to walk to the straight and narrow path of God’s righteousness. God doesn’t want your performance. The purpose of Christianity is not “behavior modification.” He doesn’t want your works, your actions, your good deeds, your money or your material abundance ... He wants your heart.
God made us an offer: He’s invited us to enter through the narrow gate. Whosoever will may come. Accepting His offer of eternal life is on God’s terms, not ours. Accepting His offer is according to His unilateral terms that only God defines. What is acceptable unto God? What is well-pleasing in his sight? He does not require the sacrifice of bulls, goats, lambs and burnt offerings. How do we accept God’s offer? What is acceptable and well pleasing him his sight? Acceptance of God’s offer of salvation means to make a U-turn from myself and toward Jesus Christ. It means to confess Jesus is Lord: to agree with God’s terms that Jesus Christ is Lord and I’m no longer lord of my own life. Then when we believe that God raised Jesus from the dead in His power of the resurrection of His Son, the Holy Scripture says, thou shalt be saved. Salvation is to be made whole, born again of the Holy Spirit.
Then when we love God above all, we can present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and wholly acceptable unto Him which is our reasonable act of worship from a heart of pure love. The sacrifice is bringing a sacrifice of praise, acceptable and well pleasing; a sweet-smelling savor unto the Lord that we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace, mercy, love and honor.
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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