I just add my welcome to Winston's.
It's good to see everybody out today to hear the gospel. You
can see the title is in salvation. How is vital. And I told Randy,
I better explain that title. Some of you might understand
it and some of you might not. How is not always important.
Sometimes it's very unimportant. For instance, how you got here
this morning, not important. I mean, some of you drove. Some
of you were driven. Some of you might have walked.
Some of you might have taken a bus. It really just doesn't
matter. How's not important. That you're
here, that you're here where the gospel's preached, that's
important. But sometimes how is important. Take, for instance,
a jury trial, a murder trial. How the evidence for that trial
was collected is important. Was a proper search warrant attained? Did they obtain the evidence
legally or illegally? How they got the evidence is
going to determine whether the judge even allows the jury to
hear it or not. If they obtained it without a
search warrant, he's not even going to allow it to go in the
courtroom. So sometimes how is important. In these verses today,
we're going to hear Christ talk about how sinners are to enter
in to the kingdom of God. How, in salvation, is vital? Look at Luke 13 and verse 23. Then said one unto Christ, Lord,
are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, strive
to enter in at the straight gate. For many, I say unto you, will
seek to enter in and shall not be able. Now, as you can see,
Christ is not addressing the unconcerned here. He's not talking
to the religiously indifferent, those out on the lake or somewhere
else today. He's speaking to those that are
concerned about salvation. He's talking to those that have
an interest in heaven. And Christ answers their question,
though it might not be the answer they were looking for, but He
answers their question. Their focus is on who is seeking. How many are seeking? But Christ's
focus is on how they seek. How are sinners to enter in?
In other words, not are you fit for heaven, but what makes you
fit? What do you think makes you fit
for heaven? How did you become fit? Not are you in the kingdom
of God, but how did you get there? How do you think you are in the
kingdom of God as opposed to others who may not be in the
kingdom of God? How did you become a member of
God's household? Look back at Luke 13 verse 24a. He said, strive to enter in at
the straight gate. This is not just a command to
enter in. Many are seeking to enter in.
Many in this world are seeking to enter into heaven. But this
is a command to enter in a certain way. The emphasis is on the way
here, to enter in. This is a command to enter into
heaven, enter into eternal life, into heaven itself through Christ
and Christ alone. Now why should sinners seek to
enter this way? because this is the way, the
only way to life. In Matthew's version of this
same discourse with Christ, look at Matthew 7 and verse 13a and
verse 14. Matthew writes, Enter ye in at
the straight gate, because straight is the gate, and narrow is the
way, which leads unto life. You see, the straight gate leads
to life. The straight gate is the way
to salvation and final glory. And the straight gate is Christ
crucified alone. The straight gate is Christ,
the surety of the sheep that he was given. God the Father
made Christ responsible for the salvation of a multitude of sinners
before the world began. In other words, the sins of those
Christ was given, those sins were charged or imputed to Him.
Christ was delivered to the cross because of their offenses, and
He was raised again because of their justification. He bore
their sins in His body on the tree, and the righteousness He
established by His obedience unto death. is charged to them. God declares these sinners forever
righteous in His sight based on one thing, and that's the
imputed righteousness of Christ. That righteousness Christ worked
out, charged to them. Christ is the straight gate through
which sinners find life. There's life through that straight
gate. All without exception who seek to enter into life, into
salvation through Christ, Through Christ alone, we'll find the
eternal life they're seeking. In another context, Christ identifies
himself as the door of the sheep. Look at John 10 and verse 7. Then said Jesus unto them again,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All
that ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the
sheep did not hear them. I am the door. By me, if any
man enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find
pasture. Christ is the door of the sheep.
That key little phrase there, you see, is by me. All who enter
through Christ will be saved. All who enter through Him will
find safety. All who come through Him can
go in and out freely. Christ crucified and risen again
is the emphasis of all the scriptures. Look at Hebrews 7 and verse 22.
By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. And they
truly were many priests. He's talking about under the
old covenant. There were many priests under
that old covenant. Because they were not suffered, they were
not allowed to continue by reason of death. They died, so they
couldn't continue on. But this man, because he continues
ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore, he is able to save
them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever
liveth to make intercession for them. There's that little phrase
again. who come by Him. Christ is the
surety of a better an everlasting covenant, not the old covenant.
It's really older than that old covenant as far as when it was
established because it was established in eternity. But it's an everlasting
covenant. Christ is the high priest that
needs no replacement. He continues ever. He's the sure
savior of all who come to God by him. He's the straight gate
through which a sinner finds life. All who enter through him
find life and eternal blessedness. Thus Christ command to his hearers,
strive to enter in this one way through the straight gate. Strive. Work diligently. Make a conscious
effort. Be determined to enter this way. Know assuredly that this is the
only way to eternal life, and know assuredly that all without
exception who enter this way find life. Christ's command here
is not a one-time thing. It's a continuous thing. The
sense is strive and keep on striving to enter through this straight
gate. Let this be the focus of your spiritual life. Let nothing
confuse you or sidetrack you or deter you from striving to
enter in by Christ and Christ alone. Now, how do we do this?
How do we keep striving to enter in through the straight gate?
Well, we do it by letting Christ continue to tear down the strongholds
and imaginations of our natural minds, to overcome our doubts
and fears by the new and better revelation of himself under the
gospel. Concerning spiritual warfare,
our weapons are not carnal, but mighty to the pulling down of
strongholds. Look at 2 Corinthians 10 and
verse 5. casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth
itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity
every thought to the obedience of Christ." The scripture emphasizes
just one obedience from sinners, just one. That one obedience
is that we strive to rest our whole salvation in Christ and
Christ alone. And that's a lifelong work, I
can tell you. You know, as well as I do, it takes a daily effort
to find our hope in Christ and Christ alone. Strive to bring
every thought into captivity. to Christ's obedience, to his
obedience unto death, to his establishment of that righteousness.
In other words, be continually convinced that Christ has done
all that is required to bring every sinner that he died for
to final glory. And why are we to keep on striving
to rest in Christ alone? Look at Romans 10 and verse 11.
For the scripture saith, whosoever believeth in him shall not be
ashamed. No one believing in Christ, no
one entering by this straight gate, no one entering by Christ
alone will ever be ashamed. They'll never be put to the blush. They'll never be put to flight.
because in Him is a true refuge for sinners. In Him is plenteous
redemption. There are two vital reasons why
sinners should, why we must strive to enter in at the straight gate.
First, because the straight gate is Christ and Him crucified,
and He's the only way to eternal life. And second, because all
without exception who enter through Him find life. So enter through
Christ, enter through that straight gate, because all who do find
life. Now let's consider two obstacles
that Christ addresses here that keep sinners from obeying this
command. In other words, that keep sinners from coming to God
through Christ alone and finding the eternal life that's in Him
alone. Two obstacles. The first of those obstacles,
the scriptures speak of not just the straight way, but another
way. Look back at Matthew 7 and verses
13 and 14 again. He says, Enter ye in at the straight
gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth
to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat, because
straight is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth to life,
and few there be that find it. You see, there's another way
described in the Scriptures. But as you can see, this other
way is not the way to eternal life. This way is the way to
destruction. Its gate is wide, its way is
broad, and it's a popular way. It's as many go in there as.
But its end is destruction. The straight gate alone leads
to life. Any other way is the way to eternal
death. Now if there were just one way,
it'd be easy, it'd be simple, it'd be logical. We'd just get
on that way and that'd be it. But there's another way. There's
a wide gate and a broad way which stands in contrast to the straight
gate and the narrow way. There's salvation by the doing
and dying of Christ alone, the straight gate. And then there's
every other way. which there are many. The first
obstacle to sinners entering in at the straight gate, the
scriptures declare another way. Let's consider the second obstacle,
standing in the way of sinners entering in at the straight gate.
By nature, none of us knows which one's which. We don't know the
straight gate from the wide gate. We don't know the narrow way
from the broad way. We don't know that by nature.
By nature, on this issue, we are our own worst enemies. By
nature, we don't know which gate we've entered or which way we're
on. We don't know that. We have to be taught that. We
have to be shown that from God's testimony. Our natural eyes can
see that there is a straight gate and that there is a wide
gate. We can see that. We can understand there's a narrow
and a broad way. We can see that the scriptures
declare more than one way. And we can even understand that
there's only one of those ways leading to life. But we don't
know which one of those ways we're on by nature. The problem
with all of us by nature, we don't know which is which. We
can't discern one way from the other. When the gospel comes
to us all, we think we're already on the narrow way. Didn't you
think that? I thought that. Everybody thinks
that. Nobody thinks they're on the way to hell. Who would do
that? That would be a fool, would it not? But we're not on the
narrow way. See, when we come to the gospel,
we're on that broad way that leads to destruction. All without
exception are on that broad way. Look back at our text at Luke
13 and verse 24. Strive to enter in at the straight
gate, for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in and shall
not be able. Many will seek to enter in and
shall not be able. Who are these many who will seek
to enter in and not be able? And why won't they be able to
enter in? It's not that many will seek
to enter in through Christ, through the straight gate and not be
able, because all who seek to enter in by Him will enter in
and find life. So it's not that. He's the narrow
way. He's the way, the truth, and
the life. All who come to Christ will be able to enter in. All
who come by Him will be saved. All who believe in Him have eternal
life. They're believing in Him. The
one the scriptures identify is just evidence that they have
life. The many who'll seek to enter in and won't be able are
those who seek to enter in another way. Some other way, other than
Christ alone. There are those who seek to enter
in any other way than the straight gate. Those who are not seeking
to enter in by Christ and Christ alone. These are the ones who
seek to enter in and not be able. These are those who were never
delivered off that broad way that leads to destruction. Now
Christ describes such sinners right here in our text. Look
at Luke 13 and verse 25. When once the master of the house
is risen up and has shut to the door, and you begin to stand
without and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto
us. And he shall answer and say unto
you, I know you not whence you are. Then shall you begin to
say, we've eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught
in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you,
I know you not whence you are. Depart from me, all you workers. of iniquity. Now he's alluding
to an eastern culture here that you might not be familiar with
but in the evening they would have that evening meal and they
would have guests in perhaps to the evening meal and when
the meal was over and it was time for bed they would send
their guests away and they would lock the door, bolt the door,
whatever. And all who were supposed to
be in that house were in that house at that time. And if you
knocked on that door after then, they weren't going to let you
in. They didn't know whether you were a thief or robber, but they weren't
going to let you in. He's talking about the time when
the age of grace has ended. It's over now. That's what he's
talking about. And the testimony of these in
the context here incriminates them. They say, we were with
you, we walked with you, we saw your miracles, we heard your
claims, we were under your preaching. But here's their problem. They
didn't embrace Christ as the Messiah that his miracles and
his message declared him to be. Yeah, they saw him, but they
wouldn't have him. Christ is describing the canes
of this world that try to come by an offering of their hands. He's describing the Pharisee
who comes by his obedience to the law. He said, I fast. I give
tithes of everything that I possess. He's describing the zealous religiousness
who comes by what he thinks God has enabled him to do. Lord,
Lord, haven't I cast out demons in your name and done many wonderful
works in your name and prophesied in your name? He's describing
them. He's describing any sinner in
any generation who comes to God seeking acceptance by anything
but the shed blood and the imputed righteousness of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He's describing any sinner in any generation who has not
been delivered off the broad way that is leading to destruction.
The great deception in the minds of all of us by nature is that
we think we're on the narrow way which leads to life when
in reality we're on the broad way that leads to destruction.
By nature, all of us without exception are deceived on this
issue. Look at Jeremiah 17 and verse 9. The heart is deceitful
above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it? Now
the heart's not deceived about everything, but on this matter
of salvation, on this matter of how God saves sinners in a
way that His justice is not impugned, or His justice doesn't have to
be set aside, In His way of salvation, we're all deceived right here.
The heart is the mind, the affections, and the will. And in the matter
of how God saves sinners, it's unknown to the natural heart.
How God is just to show mercy to sinners who deserve nothing
but His eternal wrath, it's not only not known to us, we're not
even concerned about it. See, in false religion, the issue
of how God is just to justify, it never even comes up. I didn't
hear it until I came to the gospel, and you didn't either. Let me
give you a summary of Romans 3, verses 10 through 18. I'm
not going to read all these verses, but let me just summarize what
he says here. He says, there's none righteous. There's none
that seeketh after God. There's none that's doing good.
There is no fear of God before their eyes. No reverence and
respect for the honor of God's character in redemption. It's
this deceived and desperately wicked heart that chooses that
way that seems right to us by nature. Twice in Proverbs we
have this statement. Look at Proverbs 14, 12, or either
16, 25, either one, they say the same thing. It says, There
is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are
the ways of death. He's talking about all the many
ways that sinners think. See, religion thinks we're all
on different roads leading to the same place, but that's not
what the Word of God says. says there's one way leading
to heaven, to eternal life. The way that seems right to us
all by nature, it's a popular way. Many are on this way. It's
a way that seems to give the most sinners a chance to be saved. And if salvation were by chance,
that might actually mean something. But salvation is not by chance. Salvation is by the sovereign
purpose of God to show mercy and grace to a multitude of sinners
of His choosing, Undeserving sinners through the doing and
dying of Christ alone. This way that seems right and
the broad way, they're one and the same. Now, how can I know
that? Because of their end. They both end in destruction,
in death. And yet this is the way we all
choose because this is the way that naturally seems right to
us. Christ declares the end of this
way. Look in our text here at Luke
13, 28. He says, there shall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and
Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves
thrust out. The issue in the end won't be
whether you heard the gospel. In other words, whether you were
under the sound of this message or not. The issue will be whether
you believed this message, whether you embraced it, whether you
submitted to the righteousness of God that's always revealed
in the gospel. Whether you saw that righteousness.
Christ's work alone is a sinner's only hope of being declared righteous
in God's sight. Look at verse 13, 29 of Luke. And they shall come from the
east and from the west and from the north and from the south
and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. God made a covenant with
national Israel through Moses. Now this covenant didn't include
the Gentiles. They were the nations and they
were excluded from this covenant. But this covenant pictured and
typified another covenant, an everlasting covenant of grace.
That covenant was made with spiritual Israel in Christ and it was made
in eternity. This everlasting covenant includes
Jew and Gentile. It includes those of every kindred,
tongue, tribe, and nation. God will call His elect people. He will call spiritual Israel
from the East, the West, the North, and the South into the
Kingdom of Heaven in each successive generation under the preaching
of the Gospel. Look at Luke 13 in verse 30.
And behold, they are last which shall be first, and they are
first which shall be last. National Israel was first. They
were given many advantages. They had the patriarchs, they
had the law of Moses, they had the prophets. So they had many
advantages. But National Israel as a whole
perverted the law they were given. They saw that law as a means
to find and further their acceptance with God Not in Christ, but in
themselves. They didn't follow the patriarchs.
They refused the teaching of Moses and the prophets. And when
Christ came, they despised and rejected Him. The Gentiles, on
the other hand, they didn't have any of these advantages. If you
look in Ephesians 2, Paul is writing to converted Gentiles
here about the time before their conversion. Look at Ephesians
2 and verse 12. He said, at that time, Before
you were converted, at that time, you were without Christ, being
aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from
the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the
world. The Gentiles had no advantages,
and they were scorned and hated by the Jews, but the Gentiles
who believed the gospel and sought righteousness by Christ alone
are the last that shall be first. The Jews who had all the advantages
but rejected Christ are the first that shall be last. Overall,
the last that shall be first are those, like you and me, who
didn't start out under the gospel. We started out under a false
gospel, one that tells sinners that God will save you if, and
you can just put whatever you want to in the blank right there,
if you'll just do whatever you need to do according to whoever's
doing the talking. God will save you if you'll just do that. But
these last that shall be first are those who will be brought
into the kingdom of God through the gospel. They're those who
will be delivered off the broad way we started out on under that
narrow way and that straight gate. All start out on the broad
way. This is the way to all of us
that seems right. All remain here until God delivers
us from this way. to the way that seems right,
to the way that is right according to his strict law and inflexible
justice, the way of Christ and him crucified alone, the way
of his imputed righteousness alone. Now how does all this
apply to you and me? He says he's just talking about
Israel here. No, it applies to you and me
and this generation as well. You see, we live in a world of
gigantic religion, huge religion. They have big buildings, they
have big audiences, and they have big influence on big numbers
of people. Their way seems right so much
so that it catches all of us by nature. We all get wrapped
up in their big ways. By nature, we all think just
like those on the Broadway. In other words, just like those
in our text here today. Look back at Luke 13 and verse
23. Then said one unto him, Lord,
are there few that be saved? Now that seemed like a good question.
Are there few that be saved? But the focus of those asking
is misdirected. You see, their focus is on numbers. It could have been on most anything.
It could have been on baptism, or it could have been on what
day we ought to worship on. It could have been on hundreds
of different things. I think somebody said there are
2,600 different known denominations not counting all the little ones
that aren't known. So it could have been hundreds
of things they were focusing on. Christ directs their thinking
to the crucial, the vital issue here. He directs them to how
God can be just and still show mercy to ungodly sinners. Now why does he direct them here?
Why does he do this? Because until this matter is
settled, nothing else matters. You study this word in and out,
but until you understand how God is just to justify sinners
on the basis of Christ's imputed righteousness alone, you don't
get any of it right until you get that right. We think there
are many ways, but there's only one way. That way is Christ and
Him crucified. Only the straight gate leads
to life. Now if you've entered in through
the straight gate onto the narrow way that leads to life, then
you've been taught which way is which. You can discern between
these two ways. You've been delivered off the
broad way that leads to destruction. You know that if God had not
had mercy on you for Christ's sake alone, you'd still be on
that way that seemed right to you. you'd still be headed for
eternal misery. If you're resting in Christ,
you've been delivered, and this deliverance is one of the main
evidences that you are in Christ, that you're looking to Him and
Him alone. It's one of the main evidences
that you've entered in by the straight gate. Strive to enter
in at the straight gate, because the straight gate is Christ and
Him crucified, and He's the only way to life. and because all
without exception who enter through him will find life and blessedness. C, discern the difference between
the narrow way and the broad way. Know that the broad way
is your way of choice and know that you're still on that way
expecting to be saved some other way than Christ if God has not
shown you mercy and delivered you by the gospel. If you've
been delivered off the broad way, just be thankful you've
been delivered. If you've not yet been delivered,
my advice is just keep listening to the gospel. Just keep coming
and hearing about Christ and Him crucified. Keep considering
that salvation in its entirety is in Christ and Christ alone.
Either way. Strive to enter in at the straight
gate. Strive to enter in by Christ
alone, because in salvation, how you enter in is vital.