Few Will Enter Eternal Life David FieldDecember 12, 2009
Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
This fact Jesus spoke during his sermon on the mount appears to be one of the most overlooked truths. It seems we don’t want to face the reality of this truth. We prefer to believe what we want to believe. We would like to think that all our loved ones will join us with the Lord some day. These pleasant and happy thoughts are easier to swallow, but a false reality.
Well meaning preachers tell loved ones the dead are now “in a better place” to help to ease the suffering of their loss, but has a service been preformed, or have we now given them a ticket to hell as well, by lowering the bar. I have yet to attend a funeral service where the preacher said we should morn for the dead because this person is not with the Lord. This person obviously lived life by their own rules following after the lusts of their own desires, did not take up their cross and follow Jesus and therefore will not be admitted into the kingdom of heaven. Apparently, everyone is going to heaven in these funeral services. But Jesus said differently.
Tough love is true love. Sometimes it is not nice to be nice. It was so nice of you to send those to hell. Jesus sometimes spoke harshly. His harshness was out of love. It takes courage to care.
What did Jesus mean by the word “few”? Lets stop kidding ourselves here. Few are not very many. It is not a fractional relationship. Few does not mean less than half, even though that would be safe to say, even though that would be nowhere close.
Matthew 7 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.
The word “few” is in opposition to “many”. Many people believe they are on the road to heaven. Referring to Jesus statement somebody is mistaken, moreover many are mistaken. Well over eighty percent of Americans claim Christianity. The truth is few know him.
Matthew 7 15Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Jesus even went as far as to help us understand who these false people are. It is easy to tell whom one is following by their actions. Do they act out unselfish love, or self-preservation? Do they act out a place of blessing or of fear? When the going gets tough, are their actions self-sacrificing, or is it everyman for himself? When good fruit is put under pressure, what comes out is good. When a bad person is squeezed what comes out can be very hideous. It matters not what the justification is. And do not just look without to see these false ones, look within as well.
Proverbs 20:6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?
You can tell what is in a person by what comes out of their mouth. What do they talk about? You can know a person for years, then ask them if they know Christ, and they say, “Yes, I went to church once and got saved”. But in all these years it never came out of their mouth. It is clear Jesus is not in them. People talk about what they desire. To some it is sports, hobbies, whatever.
John 3 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
When a man takes a wife, she goes home with him. She doesn’t go back to life as usual after the wedding. All can see whom she has married by whom she sticks with. One cannot follow Jesus without changing direction. The word repent means to change direction. Remorse does not equal repentance. Repenting is not just keep doing what you have been doing, feel remorse, ask forgiveness, and continue in that loop. One cannot “get saved” from sin and continue in it. You don’t just go to church once, get saved and go back home and think it is done, and taken care of like a polio shot. The amazing and sad thing is this lie is largely propagated by the church; “once saved, always saved”. John 3:16 is not the whole bible; Read on; don’t cherry pick the word of God. You cannot even continue to go to church, and think that in and of itself will save your soul. Many full time churchgoers, even church leaders, do not do the work of the Lord once they leave the church building; back into the world Monday morning and it’s every man for himself. Much of their actions are out of fear; the fear of not having provision. Fear is the opposite of faith.
Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?