Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of the Mosheus for Zion's 4. The message that the Lord Jesus
taught introduced questions about this in the minds of many, and
was part of the reason for many rejecting His teaching. It matters
little whether or not we can determine exactly who will be
saved, or whether it be few or many, if we ourselves are not
found among those He owns when He comes to judge the quick,
that is, the living and the dead. The Lord startled his hearers
by saying, Strive to enter in at the straight, that is, the
narrow or tightly restricted gate. For many, I say unto you,
will strive to enter in, and shall not be able. The Lord moves
the attention of men away from a consideration of, if there
be few saved, to the more sobering thought that there will be many
who shall seek to enter in, who shall not be able. Both the word
few and the word many are comparative numbers. One may have a family
reunion and have many people present, yet that same group
of folks would be few if they were in a football stadium on
New Year's Day. The important lesson that the
Lord taught and is reiterated in the faithful proclamation
of the gospel is that there is only one way of salvation which
has been manifested to men. He said, I am the way, the truth,
and the life. No man cometh unto the Father
but by me. This is that narrow way, 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. One
can find little, if any, similarity to these words of Christ with
that pablum which is served up by the multitude of so-called
preachers, peddling their wares in today's religious marketplace.
To listen to them, one would have to conclude that a man would
have to actively seek his own damnation in order to perish
in the final conflagration prepared for the wicked. They tell us
that God has done everything he could possibly do to save
every individual and all that a man has to do in order to be
saved is just believe. This is something that they tell
us is so easy that anyone can do it whenever he decides and
can even fill out a coupon to prove it. There are numbers of
other gospel vendors who tell us that just believing is not
enough. Then they add all sorts of other actions that a man must
take in order to be saved, from being baptized in water, jabbering
in an unknown tongue, or fulfilling other sorts of duties and acts
of obedience, or embracing various theological confessions drafted
by men. The only thing that the first
group and the second group have in common is that they believe
that man's salvation is the result of his own free will, and that
salvation in Christ is dependent on the action of the man to complete
it. The prevailing thought that the natural man is born with
is that there is a cosmic struggle between the forces of good and
evil. The notion is common in just about all societies and
cultures. Out of this innate error arises the idea that God
has offered up a plan or method of snatching as many folks as
possible from the snares of the devil. This teaching says that
God is desperately trying to get men to do something that
many are unwilling to do and thus he is left with a partially
fulfilled desire. The deceivers tell us he can
only save those who let him save them, though he wants to save
everybody. Any teaching that purports that the absolute God
of the universe can in any wise fail to fulfill his own purpose
and desire flies in the face of the scriptures and is an absolutely
blasphemous notion. He has plainly declared that
he measures his own success in the performance of his own purpose.
Remember this, and show yourselves, men. Bring it again to mine,
O ye transgressors. Remember the former things of
old, for I am God, and there is none else. I am God, and there
is none like me. I have purposed it. I will also
do it. I will bring near my righteousness.
It shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry.
And I will place salvation in Zion for Israel, my glory. What
folly is exhibited by men in trying to determine who it is
that the Lord will save, or if there are ultimately many or
few as they will judge? The salvation of the righteous
is of the Lord. He is their strength in the time of trouble. There
is no help for trembling sinners in the creeds and confessions
of faith drawn up by well-educated and well-meaning preachers and
teachers. There is no help for them in a God who can only stand
by and watch them slowly drift into hell, powerless to save
them apart from their cooperation. There is no help for them in
the baptismal waters or in membership in proud religious organizations,
regardless of their heritage or longevity. The only place
that a sinner who finds himself terrified at the thought of standing
before an all-consuming God can find any comfort is in the words
of that same God who says, Come unto me, all ye that labor and
are heavy laden. And I will give you rest. I that
speak in righteousness, mighty to save.