Lord, may you graciously help
me, I turn your prayerful attention to Matthew's Gospel, Chapter
7, and reading verses 13 and 14 for a text. Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 7,
and verses 13 and 14. 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 unto life, and few there
be that find it. Matthew's Gospel, chapter seven,
verses 13 and 14. This chapter is the last chapter
in these three chapters, which are commonly referred to as the
Sermon on the Mount. Jesus had been preaching the
gospel of the kingdom, going around and healing or manner
of sicknesses, and in chapter five of Matthew's Gospel, we
read, and seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain, and
when he was set, his disciples came unto him, and he opened
his mouth, and taught them saying, and then begins this sermon,
and at the end, we read, as we read together, that there was
many at the end, so it was not just the disciples, it seems,
there was also a number a multitude that listened as well to these
teachings of the Lord Jesus. And the Lord Jesus spoke some
words which would have been such a surprise to so many. He starts off showing the nature
of those who are true Christians. Those who blessed are the poor
in spirit. These things which we would naturally
think naturally would be the opposite. We would say, blessed
are those that feel to be rich themselves, but blessed are the
poor in spirit. Blessed are they that mourn,
for they shall be comforted. The Lord Jesus shows those who
are truly blessed. And it's so opposite to what
our natural minds would think. So in the first part of this
sermon, he shows the true character traits of those that fear God. And then he goes on to show the
effect that will have. As they live their lives in this
way, they will have an effect on the world, that salt and that
light. And then the Lord Jesus comes
in, comes to speak about the fulfilling of righteousness.
How he came to fulfill the law, not to destroy it, but to fulfill. He speaks of that righteousness
and shows that the righteousness that he has fulfilled and he
requires and he demands of all his followers that they have
a righteousness not their own. and to realize that their righteousnesses
are as filthy rags. And so he speaks of many things,
but really where we have spoken as a text in verse 13, he's really
coming to the end of this Sermon on the Mount. And really we have
very much the application of what the Lord Jesus has spoken. He was not there just to amuse
the multitudes and just to interest them. There was a purpose in
the words he spoke. And indeed, you see, the Lord
Jesus was speaking of a king, of a kingdom, and he was the
king of that kingdom. It was the king himself that
was speaking these words. And he says, enter, ye in at
the straight gate. So the Lord Jesus here gives
an analogy of a straight gate and a wide gate. There's a contrast
between the straight or the narrow, and the word straight there is
not the opposite of crooked. Straight means restricted or
constricted, just like you have the Straits of Gibraltar, a very
narrow passage of water, joining the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean
Sea. It's a straight, it's a narrow
place. And the idea here is then that
the Lord Jesus is saying, enter ye in at the straight gate. It's not a huge gate, it's a
very narrow gate. But as soon as he says, enter
ye in at the straight gate, we see here then he gives an immediate
warning for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth
to destruction. So we have here two contrasts. We have the straight gate, We're
told then of the wide gate, the broad way, and where it leads. It leads to destruction. And we're told, and many there
be which go in there at. So that's one side. And then
he comes back to speaking of the narrow way, because straight
is the gate and narrow is the way. which leadeth unto life. So you see, we have these really
four things. We have the gate, we have the
way, we have the end of where it leads to, and the number of
people that go in that way. And we have that for the broad
way, and we have that for the narrow way. And the Lord Jesus
here is speaking this contrast the people that he'd spoken to
about the kingdom of God, there needed to be this, he says, enter
ye in at the straight gate. This is the voice of a king.
This is the Lord Jesus speaking. And he graciously says, enter
ye in at the straight gate. The Lord Jesus also elsewhere
said, no man cometh unto me, but, except the Father draw him. Jesus
knew this, but he says here, and this is what the Word of
God says, there's a command as it were, the command of a king,
a gracious command, enter ye in at the straight gate. Because
you see, if there's not an entering into the gate, there won't be
a walking in the narrow way, and there will not be life at
the end. And Jesus here joins these three
things, The gate, the way, and the end. And really Jesus is
saying similar words to what he says in John's gospel when
he says, I am the door. And you see, if we try and get
in and tumble over the wall, as Pilgrim's Progress pictures
it, we are thieves and robbers. We don't want to go in the straight
gate. We want to come in our own way. But Jesus says, enter ye in at
the straight gate, the narrow gate. And perhaps what would
be the picture for us today would be something like going through
a turnstile. You see, if you go travelling
in and you have suitcases and bags and lots of belongings,
you can't get through a turned skull. It won't let you. You
have to just be yourself. You can't have anything else.
And you see here, there's a stripping away of lots of things. And Jesus
is saying, enter ye in at the straight gate. And then in verse
14, because straight is the gate and narrow is the way. So it's
not a narrow gate. If you think of the Mediterranean
gate from the Atlantic, you go through a very narrow passage
through the Straits of Gibraltar, but then it opens up wide into
the Mediterranean. Well, that's not what Jesus is
saying here. There's a straight passage, but the rest of the
way is also narrow. There's a continual inability,
as it were, to have lots of our own belongings with us. 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 that go in
thereat." And so there's this contrast between the straight
gate and the broad way. And really, if you look a lot
of what this Sermon on the Mount is dealing with, it's dealing
a lot with false religion and false views of a relationship
with Christ, which is not genuine. And so really, it's not so much
as speaking of the narrow gate as being those who are religious
and the broad way as being the world that lies in wickedness
only. Really, it's so much showing that every other way apart from
knowing a true relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, is the
broad way. And it's obviously Jesus, I don't
think needed to say that those who have no saviour and no idea
of God, well, they're going to destruction. But Jesus is saying
here that those who don't really know me, who pretend to know
me. You see, later on it says, not
everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into
the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father.
He's separating between those who have a form of godliness
and those that deny the power and those that are genuine. And
so, The Lord Jesus is speaking so much of that, because the
Pharisees, of course, they had lots of religion about them.
They were very religious, but they were not genuine. Many of
them were not genuine believers. The Lord Jesus did save some
of those, as we know, like Nicodemus. They came to know the Lord. But the Lord Jesus here, then,
is very searching. ye in at the straight gate. But
in a sense, there's a great welcome here. Enter ye in, it doesn't
say, well, he gives a command, enter. And interestingly, this
straight gate is also spoken of in Luke's gospel. Luke's gospel,
chapter 13, verse 24, where it says, strive to enter in at the
straight gate. For many, I say unto you, will
seek to enter, but shall not be able. And this was in response
when they said unto Jesus in Luke 13, then said one unto him,
Lord, are there many, few that be saved? And he said unto them,
strive to enter in. at the straight gate, strive.
There is a need to strive, not to just say, well, you know,
if the Lord works in my heart, then I will go to heaven, and
if he doesn't, then I won't. There is an urgency here. and I think it was Frank Godston
that made the observation that we don't get to heaven because
we strive to enter in at the straight gate, but we don't get
to heaven unless we strive to enter in at the straight gate.
You see, it's God that works in us, both to will and to do
of his good pleasure. That's a beautiful word in Philippians. chapter 2 that gives the balance
there. In Philippians 2 verse 12 it
says, Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not
that in my presence only, but now much more in my absence,
work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Strive to
enter in at the straight gate. But then what does it say? For
it is God which worketh in you. both to will and to do of his
good pleasure. It's God that works in our hearts
to enable us, as it were, to strive to enter in at the straight
gate. But it doesn't mean that there isn't then a striving.
There is a genuine striving. And this is important, and this
is so encouraging. Strive to enter in. at the straight
gate, the need then for diligence and the need to lay hold. Elsewhere
it speaks of the kingdom of God being taken by force, by violence,
in the sense that there's such an urgency in wanting to enter
the kingdom that they stop short of nothing to try and enter it. There is that urgency and that
violence in a way. I know another example that I've
heard. Mr. Ramsbottom quoted regarding this
was if you had a paralyzed person and they're lying in a house
and the house then is burning with fire and this paralyzed
person realizes the house is burning but has no ability to
run out of the burning house. Does that make the paralysed
person say, well, you see, it's quite comfortable, I can't do
it myself? Oh no, as they realise the fire's
coming, as they realise their inability to walk and to run
away from it, surely then the urgency to cry to God to help,
Cry out, save me, save me. You see, because they realize
they are in and of themselves unable, and just because we are
in and of ourselves unable, you see, there's still this gracious
command, enter ye in at the straight gate, enter it. There is a necessity
to enter it, because if we do not enter that gate, Jesus links
the entering of the gate which is a narrow gate, a straight
gate, links it with a narrow way and links it with life. Life. And here the life is in
contrast with the broad way that is destruction. So here we have
this difference, this end of heaven or hell, to be with Christ
or to be eternally shut out. Well, so what does this gate
symbolise? What are we to think of as this
gate? Well, there's a cross-reference
to Matthew chapter 18 and verse 3 and 4. Matthew chapter 18,
verses 3 and 4, and this is what Jesus said, and he said, Verily
I sound to you, except ye be converted, and become as little
children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."
Here, Jesus is telling us specifically that we need to be converted
and become as little children, because little children are small.
They could get through a small hole, couldn't they? A small
door that adults could not get through. And then in verse four it says,
whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child,
the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. So there's this need
you see. Here in that particular verse
it links the entering the kingdom with conversion. And if you look
in John's Gospel, at John's Gospel and Chapter 3, this is when Jesus is speaking
to Nicodemus. John 3, verse 3, Jesus answering
has said unto him, verily, verily I sound to you, except a man
be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. And Nicodemus
can't understand this. Nicodemus saith unto him, how
can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second
time into his mother's womb and be born? He can't understand. How could it be that constricted?
How can a person that's grown go through such a small place
again? Jesus answered, verily, verily,
I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. So here we have really
the new birth. It is associated with entering. the kingdom of God, the new birth.
And you might say, well, is a new birth the same then as conversion? Well, really, it's the new birth. that puts that knife in the soul,
that God has put in our soul to cause us to strive to enter
in at the straight gate. And it's the work of that new
birth as the Lord then breathes into that soul and blesses them
and develops them, that it brings, it develops as it were, and manifests
itself as a conversion, as a changing around, as a turning around. It's first, you see, the life
has to be there. God-given life, the new birth.
And then that new birth will have an effect. It will have
a hungering and thirsting after righteousness. And it will have
a turning away from every wrong way. Enter ye in at the straight
gate. Enter ye in. There's a gracious
command here to enter. So if this gate is referred to
as the straight gate, why is it referred to like that? Does
that mean, what does that mean? Why is it a straight gate? You
see, Jesus said, come unto me, all you that labour, and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest. You say, well, is that
a straight gate then? There's an encouragement to come. But Jesus is saying that there's
a way to come. Jesus is the way to God. And yet it's a difficult way.
It's a narrow way. And it means, you see, if you
have a narrow way, like we spoke of as a turnstile, you can't
come with all your baggage. You can't come with your suitcases.
You can't come with all the trappings. You come just as you are. It's a lovely hymn though, isn't
it? Just as I am. Without one plea, but that thy
blood was shed for me, O Lamb of God, I come. This is the door. Nothing in
my hand I bring. You can't get your suitcases
through this turnstile, through this narrow gate. It's not a
narrow gate that then goes into a broad way so that you can perhaps
pass your suitcases over the turnstile and then pick them
up the other side of the turnstile and carry on walking with them.
No, it leads to a narrow way, a narrow way, a way which leads
to God. but a way which is opposite to
what we would naturally think. Enter ye in at the straight gate. Well, what are the things then, what
are the suitcases that we've got to leave behind if we are
going to enter into this straight gate? Clearly, it's of vital
importance that we enter. Jesus is not saying this is one
of the ways to heaven. This is one of the ways to life.
He's saying there is one straight gate and that is the way to life
and all other ways, easy as they are to walk in, unrestricted
as they are to walk in, they lead to destruction. Surely then
there should be a thought in our hearts, Lord, am I on that
way? How may I know whether I've entered
this narrow way, that I am travelling along the narrow road, and that
I am travelling to life? Well, in this Sermon on the Mount,
Jesus quotes many of those who had spoken before, and he shows
the spirituality of the law. See in Matthew 5 verse 21 it
says you've heard that it was said by them of old time thou
shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger
of the judgment but I say unto you You see, he's showing that
here, this is something somebody else. This is not just, Jesus
is not just another one of the rabbis. He is the final authority. We have that in the beginning
of the book of Hebrews, a beautiful beginning that is. God, who at sundry times and
in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the
prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son. You see, it is a different realm. Yes, there were these prophets
and they were precious in their place, but now the final word
has come. This is the one that is going
to interpret what the law meant that was given to Moses. The
fact that it was a spiritual law and it didn't just mean that
thou shalt not commit adultery, just the external act, it meant
all the heart of thinking that went with it as well was also
forbidden. This is ultimately the one. And
you see, if we need to know how to get to heaven, surely we need
to listen to one who came from heaven. The Lord Jesus Christ
came down to this sinful world to tell us to make a way whereby
sinners would be able to be brought back to to be able to enter into
life eternal. Enter ye in at the straight gate.
Well, surely then, one of the things that we need to lose is
listening to everything else. Jesus becomes the final word. His word stands. What other people
think or what other books say ultimately doesn't matter. This
is the truth. This is what God defines. He
is the one that has made this. It's his kingdom and it's his
kingdom rules. You see, the multitudes pick
this up as we read that at the end of the chapter. in verse
28 of chapter seven, and it came to pass when Jesus had ended
these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine. Astonished. And why? For he taught them as one having
authority. That was the difference. It was
not just, well, I think this, and I think that, but he was
authority. This is the king. has spoken
unto us in these last times by his Son. So the Word of God becomes
the authority in our lives. This is one of the things that
we need to, as we come through this narrow gate, we need to
realise that God's Word is the authority. What God says is ultimately
what we frame our lives by, not what others say, not what popular
opinion is, but what God says. He taught them as one having
authority and not as the scribes. He spoke from heaven, as it were. He'd come from heaven. He knew
exactly what the way the kingdom was formed and the way the kingdom
operated and the way to get to the kingdom. He showed that it
was a narrow way. It was a humble way. We've sung
of it. Jesus is a humble way. Well, So firstly, there is thinking
of this suitcases that we cannot take. We cannot take all our
other thoughts, all our notions in our head. Well, I don't think
a God would do this. I don't think there's a God that
would send those to hell for their sins. I don't think a God
would do that. Well, we need to lose those suitcases
and we need to say God. is what he says he is. This is
the God we serve. This is what God is. This is
his attributes. And this is his ways. And he
has lovingly revealed himself in his word to us. May we then
keep close to God. So, his word is final. But secondly, another suitcase that we need
to come to realize that we need to lose, it is our own self-righteousness. Our own self-righteousness. See,
a lot of the Sermon on the Mount has been showing that the highness
of the righteousness, that the spirituality of the law, it's
not just the external, it's the heart, it's the thoughts. And
self-righteousness is so, the Pharisees were so strong on that,
but we are too. And if we are to go in this narrow
way, we've got to lose it. We've got to come to realise
that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Not all our
sins are as filthy rags. We'll probably acknowledge our
sins are not good, but all our righteousnesses are as filthy
rags. That's a different level. All
the best things we do, all the things that we'd be most commended
for, for doing, all those things, we can see sin in them. Ah, that's
a different thing, you see. To get through this narrow gate,
this turnstile, we need to lose all hope for getting to glory
based on our own righteousness. And you see, Paul had to walk
this way. When he, when he thought that he had a
lot of righteousness, you see, as a Pharisee. And in Philippians
3 verse 4, he says this, though I might also have confidence
in the flesh. See, this is the point. Where
is our confidence? Is our confidence to be right
with God because of what we are? If any man thinketh that he hath
whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more. circumcised the eighth day, of
the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and Hebrew of the
Hebrews, as touching the law of Pharisee, concerning zeal
persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in
the law, blameless." This was Paul's credentials, and he was
very, very pleased with it. He thought that it was his righteousness. He thought because he had these
credentials, he would be acceptable to God. Enter ye in at the straight
gate. You need to enter into this narrow
gate and Paul, you've got to lose all this righteousness.
You've got to lose all this self-righteousness. And you've got to come to realize
you need the righteousness of another. even the Lord Jesus
Christ. Well, Paul says this in Philippians
3 verse 7, but what things were gained to me, those I counted
loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless I count all things
but loss for the excellency of the power. to count them but done, that
I may win Christ and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is wrought through the
faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. So
you see, this gate is all about where our righteousness comes
from. Does it come from all our good
deeds? All our chapel going? All the
fact that we were the stock of Israel, that we were born in
the right family, that we went to the right places. Is that
our reason of our hope? Or have we had to say, well,
the Lord has favoured me in my upbringing and we're not to despise
what the Lord has done, but we're not to trust in it for salvation. Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply
to thy cross I cling, Naked come to thee for dress, Helpless look
to thee for grace, Foul I to the fountain fly, Wash me, Saviour,
or I die. This is what we need to lose,
you see, at this narrow way. A narrow way. How do we get through? Well, we cannot get through with
ourself. our self-righteousness, our own
definitions of accomplishment. Well, we need to lose it, you
see. And this is what it says, doesn't
it, in the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. Blessed are they
which are poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
They haven't got a righteousness of their own, they're poor. They're
not rich, they're poor. In their own estimation, Paul
used, Saul of Tarsus, used to be very rich, thinking that he
had so much to commend him to God, but then he became poor.
Then he became, realising that he had nothing. And then he started
appreciating the righteousness of another. And that is the way. This is the narrow way. And as
we say, have we entered this way? Is this true of us? Have
we come to the end of our own righteousness? We thought that
we could please God, and if we did those right things, we knew
there were some wrong things we did, but is our best, our
best stained and dyed with sin? That's a different level. And
you see, this is what we need to come to, the end of our own
self-righteousness. And another thing that we need
to lose is doing our own way. You see, in Isaiah 53, all we
like sheep have gone astray, and we have turned everyone to
his own way, selfish. doing our own thing. It'll always
be, it'll be different in each one of us. We do different things
that we like to do, but it's our way. And the great thing
with going through this narrow gate is that we now want to be,
say, Lord, what will thou have me to do? Paul and Saul of Tarsus
had never said that before. Lord, what will thou have me
to do? He did his own thing before, but now you see he needed to
be brought to know what the Lord would have him to do. And this
is a great indication that we've entered the way. It's because
we say, Lord, what will thou have me to do? In Matthew 16,
we read this, verse 24. Then said Jesus unto disciples,
if any man will come after me, if you're going to follow me,
if you're going to go through this gate, enter ye in at this
gate, Let him deny himself. In other words, you're not going
to be your own boss. You're not going to be living
to self, living to do your own thing, to bring glory to yourself. Let him deny himself. This is something that we need
to do if we're going to enter this straight gate and walk in
this narrow way. You see, the street gate is but
the beginning of a way that continues that way. You see, it's a wonder,
isn't it? You think of losing our self-righteousness
as we come into the way and be converted, but we need to continue
that whole journey to the end in that same way. It's not a
case of strip off all our self-righteousness at the turnstile and then we
got lots of self-righteousness later on that we can walk to
heaven with. No, we need to continue to be
humble, continue to be empty, continue to be in need. And this
is a character trait of the poor that are walking in this way.
Can you trace it in your own pathway? Jesus says, blessed
are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness. It's because
they haven't got it themselves. They only see their own unrighteousness. And they realize their own righteousness
is as filthy rags. And therefore they continue to
hunger and thirst after righteousness. It's not just going through a
narrow gate and then into a wide expanse. It is narrow all the
way. And in the sense that we must,
it's only Jesus the whole way, not just at the beginning. And
it's the same with repentance. To prove that we have repented
at our conversion, it's that we continue to live a lifestyle
of repentance. That's the proof. It's that we
walk in the narrow way because we've come through the narrow
gate. Well, So ourselves, we need to deny
ourselves. And then another very important
thing is we need, we can't carry our suitcases of sin, can we?
We have to turn our back on the sin. We can't say, well, you
see, I'll go and ask forgiveness, but I'll take all my sin with
me. I'll continue in sin. Shall we
continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid, says the
apostle Paul. And you look in Romans 7. Sin,
you see, still dogged the apostle. He had to constantly turn away
from sin, and he constantly had to rid himself of it. It was
an ongoing thing. It was not just a thing at the
beginning. It was a thing that kept going on. And if you read
Romans 7, you see that it was an ongoing thing for the Apostle
Paul. It was ongoing, not just a one-off. He had to, when I would do good,
evil is present with me. Let me just turn to it. In Romans chapter 7, the Apostle
is very clear on this point. Verse 18, Romans 7 verse 18,
For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good
thing. For to will is present with me,
but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good
that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not, that
I do. Now, if I do that I would not,
it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." And
he said, I don't allow it. can't just see where it says
that but in that same chapter oh it's verse 15 for that which
i do i allow not paul does not say well i i have these besetting
sins and they're my suitcases i'll carry my besetting sins
through this term scar style and on the way no paul says no
i don't allow it But yes, sin keeps rearing its ugly head,
and it does in the people of God. They continue to be poor
in spirit, but you see, they're looking for the righteousness
of another. They've gone through this gate, and they're continuing
on this road that is narrow, this way that, be holy for I
am holy. You see, it's not a low standard.
It's not, well, you've been saved now and your sins have been forgiven,
so live as you want. No, there's a narrow way. And
the thing that Jesus is saying, if you're not gone through that
gate, if you're not in that narrow way, there will not be life at
the end. And it's to be walked. He says,
enter into it. Don't just look at it. Don't
just say, well, this is, yes, I agree. This is the right way.
But as for entering it, somebody else can go, but not me. Well,
then that somebody else will gain the prize and not you. You
see, there needs to be, and this is what Jesus presses home in
the last illustration of the man who built his house upon
a rock. and the man who built his house upon the sand. And
the vital difference was this. Those whosoever heareth these
sayings of mine, the things that I've just said, entering at the
straight gate, you hear them, but you don't do them. That whoso
heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, that's like the
one who built his house on a rock. He heard the gracious command.
enter ye in at the straight gate, and there was a God given by
the new birth, that stirring up of striving to enter in at
the straight gate, to lay hold upon eternal life. But others,
well, you see, they heard these things, but they We don't need
to trouble about ourselves with that. We don't need to get too
upset about that. As long as we keep the outside
clean, as long as we're respectable on the outside and people treat
us as chapel goers, that's enough. No, but you see, Jesus is saying,
no, it's not enough. We need to be one who it puts
into practice what Jesus says. You see, in verse 21, Jesus is
at verse 21 of Matthew 7. Not everyone that saith unto
me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he
that doeth the will of my Father. Many shall say to me in that
day, Lord, Lord, we have prophesied in thy name, and in thy name
cast out devils, in thy name done many wonderful works. And
Jesus doesn't reply to them and say, no, you didn't. You didn't,
you never prophesied in my name. He just says, then will I profess
unto you I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work
iniquity. So to do these things of ourselves,
out of our own self-righteousness, is, it is sin. And you see, all our righteousness
is as filthy rags. Well, we need then, to say goodbye
to our sins, not that we then live in sinless perfection, but
we constantly decry sin and we don't walk, we don't yield our
members to sin. Yes, they sin at times and when
they sin, we are to repent of it and to freshly confess our
sins as we do in that pattern prayer that's also given in this
Sermon on the Mount. Give us this day our daily bread and
forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. A daily feeling
the debt of our sin. But that's not allowing it. It's
not just saying, well, I've got this debt, so I just confess
it and then I can carry on in it. No, a realization of the
exceeding sinfulness of sin. Well, lastly, what else do we
need to leave? Well, the world. Love, not the
world. You see, if we love the world,
the love of the Father is not in us. The world with all that
it offers and all that it claims. The world that lieth in wickedness. In Ephesians, we read that, Ephesians
2. The Apostle says, and you hath
he quickened who were dead in trespasses and in sins, wherein
in time past ye walked according to the course of this world.
This is what we've got to leave if we're going to enter this
narrow way. According to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. The spirit of the world. To follow
its maxims, its pleasures, to run with it in its ways. No, you see, we are to turn away
this world that is against God. It despises God. It despises
this narrow way. We are to then, we cannot serve
God and mammon. We are to go through this gate
then. Well, Jesus's gracious command
then, enter. ye in at the stray gate. There's
a gracious welcome here. Enter this way. This is life. This is the only way to life.
And it is not enough to know about it. It's not enough to
hear about it. We need to walk it out personally. And if we do not walk it out
personally, we have no evidence that we are traveling to heaven.
No evidence. The evidence is those that walk
this way, but maybe in a positive sense of comfort here this morning,
as we see this is the gate. Yes, by grace the Lord has shown
me that I have no righteousness of my own. The Lord has made
his word to be precious to me. The Lord has made me want to
serve Him rather than myself in my life. He's made me want
to serve Him and say, Lord, what will Thou have me to do? I don't
want to serve myself. I don't want to be driven by
my own filthy lusts. I want to be a servant of the
living God. And that's not just for ministers,
that's for all God's children are to be his servants and to
serve him in the capacity that the Lord has given to them. And
that sin, let not sin therefore reign in your members. And as
we see that desire, when sin does rear its ugly head, that
we hate it and we seek to mortify it. That's a sign, isn't it,
that we've entered the narrow way and we're continuing in the
narrow way. And love not the world, the spirit of the world,
the lust, the pomp, the pride of life. Well, that's not that,
yes, that's what the world would love, but we see the emptiness
of it. Well, may we then be amongst
those who have entered this street gate, and the way is Christ. The way is his righteousness. He fulfilled the law. He took
the sin of his people, all the sin which does so easily beset
us, and he bore the punishment instead. And therefore he gives
the righteousness to his people, which is not their own, and they
come to love it. They come to appreciate it. You
see, before the scribes and the Pharisees, they were hurt by
the fact that he wasn't impressed with their righteousness. But
the Lord Jesus shows them that this is true righteousness, to
know me and to put your trust for time and eternity in what
I have done. I have finished the work that
thou gavest me to do. He's finished it. He's made a
way. This narrow way, Jesus only,
nothing else. And this is the way to God. Jesus
is the way to God. May we know it ourselves and
may we be solemnly warned to know about this way and yet continue
just thinking about it but not doers of the word, not entering
in, not striving to enter in. Well, may we be those who, by
God's grace, enter into that narrow way and walk that narrow
way that leads to life. May the Lord add his blessing,
amen.