Enter Ye In at The Straight Gate

A line that especially touched me in that song is Jesus knows our every weakness. And I thought he does. That doesn't cause him to turn us away. What a blessing. Enter ye in at the straight gate. Let me say at the outset, this is a command from Christ to me and you right now. If there's anyone thinking, well, I've already entered in, you're looking at it the wrong way. This is a command, not good advice, but a command from the Lord Jesus Christ to me and you right now. Enter ye in at the straight gate.

We are not presented with a choice to make between the straight gate and the wide gate. We are commanded to enter in at the straight gate, not wait. Don't wait till you know more. Don't wait till you're in a better frame. Right now, everyone in this room is commanded to enter in at the straight gate.

How? What does that mean, to enter in at the straight gate. You know, this is one of the more famous statements that most people have at least heard of, the straight gate and the wide gate, the narrow road and the wide path. Well, what does it mean to enter in at the straight gate?

I can tell you real simply, it means believe on the Lord Jesus Christ right now. not waiting to get better, not waiting to have more understanding, not waiting till you feel more fit to do so. Right now, just as you are, not as you should be, but as you are, the command is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

I love what that Philippian jailor comes before Paul and Silas and says, sirs, what must I do to be saved? I realize I cannot save myself, I need to be saved. What must I do to be saved? And I love the answer. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Right now, that's the command. Enter in.

A crowd once asked him in John chapter six, what must we do that we might work the works of God? And he said, this is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he hath sent. The word is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart. That is the word of faith, which we preach that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Now this thing of faith in Christ is sometimes depicted as coming to Christ. Now when you come to him, that means you're leaving something. You're leaving salvation by works. To come to him for everything in salvation. It's sometimes depicted as resting in Christ. What are you doing when you're resting? You're not working. It's sometimes depicted as receiving Christ. As many as received Him. You know when you receive Christ? When He gives Himself to you. And when He gives Himself to you, you receive Him. You receive all that He is. It's sometimes called following Christ. What do you do when you follow?

You keep your eyes on Him. You don't look anywhere else. You don't look at your walk. You don't look at other people. You look at Him. Looking unto Jesus. Somebody says, what's that mean? You know what it means. Looking unto Jesus. Not looking anywhere else. Looking unto Him.

Now, faith in Christ is entering into the straight gate and you and I are commanded to believe the gospel. Listen to this scripture. Paul said, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it's the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Now listen to this statement real carefully. The call of the gospel is not turn from your sins and trust the Savior. The call of the gospel is not repent of your sins and believe on Christ.

Now, there would be people that would take exception to that. I realize that. But why do I make that statement? Because that's putting something before faith in Christ. Repent of your sins and believe. What are you doing? You're trying to figure out what to do about your sins. That is putting something before Christ. The call of the gospel is believe only. Believe only, not try to get things straightened out. Believe only. Right now, I love this, right now, just as you are, not as you should be, But as you are right now, the command is to believe on Christ.

Enter ye in at the straight gate. Now I have no doubt that this is the beginning of the conclusion of this great sermon on the mount. Enter ye in at the straight gate. Now in this passage of scripture, we read of two gates. the straight gate and the wide gate. We read of two ways, the broad way and the narrow way. We read of two crowds, the many and the few. And we read of two destinations, life and destruction, heaven and hell. eternal life or eternal death.

Now, when the Lord gives this command to enter, that's no different than when we read in Revelation 22 verse 17, and the spirit and the bride say, what? Come. And let him that heareth say, come. Let him, and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Now this is a command. Enter in, don't wait for something. Let not conscience make you linger, nor fitness fondly dream.

The only fitness he requires is to have a need of him. Do you have a need of him? Now you can answer that with a yes or no. Do you have a need of the Lord Jesus Christ? Then you are commanded by Him right now to enter in. And your right to do so comes with His command. You don't have to wonder about whether or not this means you. Do you need the Lord Jesus Christ? This command is to you right now. Come enter into Christ by faith.

Now, before he describes the straight gate and the narrow way, he speaks of the wide gate and the spacious way. Verse 13, Matthew chapter seven, enter ye in at the straight gate for wide is the gate and broad is the gate. the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat."

Now there's plenty of room on this wide gate. It's so wide there's room for all the people of the world. And there's no bottleneck in this wide gate. There's no narrowing. It stays wide. It stays very comfortable. I see the atheist and the theist walking hand in hand in this wide gate. They walk right through. I see the communist and the capitalist walking through hand in hand. I see the Calvinist and the Armenian walking hand in hand. I see the reformed and the charismatic walking hand in hand.

I see the conservative and the liberal. I see the Democrat, the Republican, and the, what's the other party, independent party, Oh, there's something else. Libertarian, I think is what I'm looking for. They're all very comfortable on this road. We have the Protestant and the Catholic. We have the Baptist and the Buddhist. We have pro-choice and pro-life. We have religious or irreligious.

We have educated or uneducated. We have rich. We have poor. And we've got the middle class. We have happy. We have sad. We have optimistic. We have pessimistic. We have secure and insecure. We have the manic. We have the depressed. We have the intellectual and the anti-intellectual. We have the moral and the immoral. We have the black, the white, the yellow, the brown. They all have plenty of room and they are very comfortable in this. They feel safe. After all, could so many people be wrong? They feel safe. the majority.

But what does the Lord say about those on this wide, that walk through this wide gate that they're so comfortable coming through? He says, for wide is the gate, verse 13, and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many go in there at it leads to destruction.

If there's anything that I don't feel comfortable talking about, it's hell. And that's what he's talking about when he's talking about destruction. I don't like to talk about it. I don't like to think of people spending eternity there. Now, one of these days, I'll be comfortable with it because I'll know that whatever the Lord does is right. I know it now, but I can't rejoice to think of somebody going to hell right now. I can't do it.

But there is a place called hell. And those that walk this very wide bridge, this very wide way, it's like a bridge, very wide bridge that takes you half over and then stops and it doesn't get you to the destination. You drop into hell from this very wide bridge. And just as heaven is eternal, hell is eternal. I like what Robert Murray McShane said to Andrew, I think it was Andrew Bonar. They were both Scottish preachers. And he asked Bonar what he preached on. He said, I preached on hell. He said, did you do it with a tear in your eye? I hope that's my attitude about this.

I can't stand hellfire and brimstone preaching. It's just so, it's, You see, hell, nobody ever believes because they're scared of hell. But I still want us to know of the truth with regard to this eternal destruction. It's a place of misery, a place of darkness, a place of despair, and it's fueled by the justice of God. And here's something to think about. even when someone is experiencing God's judgment against sin. Listen to this scripture from Revelation 16, 9.

And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues, and repented not to give Him glory. Even when they're being scorched with great heat out spews out their hatred of God, hatred of His name, hatred of His attributes, and they refuse to give Him glory.

Now all the people that were on this way, which is wide, that have gone through this wide gate, have this in common. They hate the living God. All of them have this in common. They hate the way of salvation. They refuse to give God glory. They don't understand the issue of the glory of God. Now, I love God giving all the glory because He deserves it all. He's the only one that deserves any glory.

Amen? You believe that, don't you? But here's another reason I love it. I've said this many times. I love him getting all the glory because if he doesn't get all the glory, that means salvation is by works in some way. That's all that means. And if salvation is by works, there's no hope for me. That's why I love him getting all the glory. That gives me some security in this thing of being saved by the grace of God.

Now, if somebody is thinking, why are you so harsh with men hating God? Why do you make this claim? Well, all I gotta do is say, look at the cross. You're not gonna find out about your sin or anybody else's sin apart from looking to the cross. That is how bad every man by nature is. If God leaves me to myself, I'll nail his son to a cross in hatred of him. The broad way that leads to destruction.

Verse 14, because straight is the gate. And this is the gate you and I are commanded to enter into right now. We're not given a choice. He doesn't say, take a choice, here's the wide gate and here's the straight gate, you choose which one. No, you're commanded to go in the straight gate. I don't want to have anything to do with that wide gate, do you? I see what takes place. We're commanded to enter in at the straight gate. But he says, straight is the gate and how narrow, how restricted is this gate and how narrow is this way that leads to life.

And I love the way he says that, you know, this is not life. It's not. This is, I don't even know how to describe it. What do you call it then? Well, it's some kind of existence. I'm not denying that, but life is in glory, in the presence of the Son of God. That's life. This is, temporary and very small existence. This is a blip in the screen. This is just a second. It's just a wind that blows for a little while and it passes away.

To enter life, I must enter in by the straight gate. And I want us to notice what our Lord says about this straight gate, because straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leads to life and few there be that find it. There's a lot of people, the majority on this wide road. but there are very few that enter through this straight gate and walk this narrow way. Now this gate is so narrow that if you have anything other than Christ alone, you can't get through.

Do you hear that? Right now, if you have anything, other than Christ alone, you cannot get through. Christ and makes you too big. Christ and your experience, Christ and your evidence, Christ and your battle against sin, Christ and your doctoral knowledge, Christ and anything keeps you from entering. Now that's how narrow this gate is. Christ and anything. You can't get through. Now you can't be too small to get through the gate, but you can sure enough be too big to get through the gate. And you may be surprised what keeps you from entering into the gate.

It's not your sin. It's not your sins. It's not your sinfulness. It's your righteousness that keeps you from entering into the gate. That's the only thing that keeps a man from it. Your sin won't keep you from Christ. Listen to this Scripture. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Are you one of Him? If you are, He came to save you. Look at this in any other way. When we were yet without strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. God commended His love toward us, and while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

The Lord said, I came not to call the righteous. Now listen to me. If you have any personal righteousness, Christ didn't come for you. He said that, not me. I came not to call the righteous. but sinners to repentance. The whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. You see, it is only those who have no righteousness that get through this gate.

The only righteousness they have is the righteousness and merit of Jesus Christ. present tense. That's the way I was when I first saved, and I've kind of grown past that. The righteousness of Jesus Christ is the only righteousness you have. We have nothing but Christ in entering in this narrow gate, faith in Christ.

Now listen to this scripture, 2 Timothy 1.12.

Paul said, I know whom I have believed. And that's so significant. He didn't say, I know what I believed. He said, I know whom I have believed. You see, everything is dependent upon him. If you know who he is, the doctrine is obvious. I know whom I have believed. Oh, he's God. He's all powerful. He's sovereign. He's gracious. He's absolutely just. He's independent, He has no needs.

I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded. Literally, I've been persuaded. You see, if you're persuaded, it's because He persuaded you. Are you persuaded of who He is? I know why you are. It's not because you figured it out. It's because He persuaded you.

I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is able. I'm persuaded in His ability to keep that which I've committed to Him against that day, speaking of the day of judgment. What'd you commit to Him, Paul? Let's put it this way, I have no plan B. I have no plan C. My only hope is that what Christ did is everything God requires of me, nothing else. That's it. I know whom I have believed and I'm persuaded that He's able to keep that which I've committed to Him against that day.

Now, entering into that straight gate puts you on the narrow way. Now, how narrow is this way? It's just as narrow as the straight gate. Listen to this scripture, Colossians chapter two, verse six. as you received Christ Jesus the Lord. How'd you receive him? Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. I received him with nothing but need. And I even am aware that I don't know my need the way I need to know my need, I have nothing. I received Him empty-handed.

As you receive Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him." That is the walk on the narrow way. Just as you entered in the gate with nothing but Christ, as you walk along this way, it's only having Christ. If you have anything else, you can't walk on this way.

He said, I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. No man cometh to the father but by me. I am the way that excludes all other ways. I'm the truth that excludes all other truths. My life is the only life you can have. Go through this gate, and if you walk along this narrow way, it's only having my life as the only life you have that God could accept.

He will accept nothing less. Now, with regard to this straight gate and narrow way, I've got five entrance requirements, but they all go together. It's really one. Don't anybody get confused because all these things go together. If you have the one, you have all five. But here's the first entrance requirement. Accept your righteousness. Succeed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.

You shall in no case enter the kingdom of heaven. I'm going to have to have the righteousness of Jesus Christ as my only righteousness before God. except a man be born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Now, if you have his righteousness, the reason you realize it is you've been birthed of God. You've been supernaturally born of God. That's why you believe that way. You really believe his righteousness is the only righteousness there is.

Matthew chapter seven, verse 21, the Lord said, we're going to consider this in a few weeks. Not everyone that saith to me, Lord, Lord. You know us. You're familiar with us. That's what the repetition of this name means. You recognize us, Lord, Lord. Not everyone that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven. What's that? Believe on his Son.

Now these fellas thought that they, we've done that. We've preached in your name. In your name, we've cast out demons. In your name, we've done many wonderful works. Notice what they were trusting in, what they had done. That's simple enough, isn't it? What they had done. We've done these things. We're giving you the credit. You gave us the grace to do it. We did these things in your name.

But what they were hoping in as a reason they would be admitted into the kingdom of heaven is what they had done. Now what the Lord thought about what they had done, they thought they'd done good stuff. We've preached in your name, we've had powerful works, we've cast out demons in your name, in your name we've done many wonderful works. And what's the Lord say to them? I never knew you. Depart from me ye that work iniquity. This high opinion of their works, we see what the Lord thought of it.

Now, To enter the kingdom of heaven, I'm going to have to have the righteousness of Christ. I'm going to have to be born of God. I'm going to have to do the will of my Father, which is in heaven. And I like what the Lord said. about that crowd, he said, you heard about that crowd that 18 people were killed because a tower fell on them and people thought they must have been really bad. I mean, they must have been guilty of some kind of notorious sin and God had vengeance on them because of what they did. He said, nay, I say unto you, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. Repentance toward God, a complete change of mind toward God.

Matthew 18, three, except you become as little children. Now, here's what I love about this. This makes things, except you become as little children, you shall in no case enter the kingdom of heaven. What is it about a little child? When you tell them something, they believe it. If you see something in the Word of God, you believe it. You don't need anything else. You have the spirit of a little child. When you hear what God says in His Word, you bow. You believe it. Now, that's what folks do who enter the kingdom of heaven. And like I said, if you have one, you have them all. If you're missing one, you don't have any of them. That's how people enter the kingdom of heaven.

Let me close with this. This biblical description of this narrow way. The Lord said, I am the way. There are no other ways. This way is called the way of God. The way of man won't get you there. Only the way of God. It's called the right way. All other ways are wrong ways. It's called the way of righteousness. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. It's called the way of peace. Justification. Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now this thing of what Christ accomplished on Calvary's tree, this is where my peace comes from.

I stand before God as one who has never sinned, one who has never broken his law. This is what Christ accomplished on the cross. He made it not just as if I've never sinned, he made it to where I've never sinned. I stand perfect, righteous, holy before God. There's nothing to not have peace about. There's nothing to be afraid of. I stand before God as one who's never sinned. Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, called the way of life.

There's a way that seemeth right unto me. In the end, there are other ways of death. But this is the way of life. All other ways are ways of death. And I love this. It's called the way into the holiest. That's in Hebrews chapter 10. Into the very presence of God. The way into the holiest, where I can come into God's presence, me, and not be consumed because I'm accepted. The way into the holiest.

It's called the new and living way. The blood of Christ, that word new means freshly slaughtered. It's always new before the Father, always powerful before the Father. Don't think of that ever getting old. It's always new and it's the living way. It's no dead way. This is the living way into His very presence. The way of truth. Everything else is a lie.

And Paul called it the way they call heresy. After the way that they call heresy, so worship I, the God of my fathers, believing all things which were written in the law and in the prophets. This is the way that leads to life, eternal life. the life of God in your soul, Christ in you, the hope of glory. Paul said, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, not by my faith in the Son of God, but by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. David said, ask for me. I will behold thy face in righteousness. I'll be satisfied when I awake in thy likeness.

Now the crowd on this way are designated as the few. Many take the broad way. Few take this narrow way. And that's very scriptural. I think of Lot and Sodom. He said, if you can find 10 believers, will you spare this city? The Lord said, I'll spare it for 10. And I've heard estimates anywhere between 5,000 and 500,000 of the people living at that time. But there weren't any. What about Noah? Eight people in the ark. The rest of the world was destroyed. The Lord's people have always been described as a remnant, a very small number.

Now let's close by looking at this verse in Luke chapter 13, verse 23. Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved And he said unto them, you strive to enter in at the straight gate. Whether there's many or there's few, you strive to enter in at the straight gate. For many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able. Why will they not be able? Because they won't be willing. You will not come to me that you might have life. The only people who are willing are the people He's made willing.

And whether there's a lot or whether there's just a small number, you strive to enter in at that straight gate. And here's the scripture that I thought of when I thought of this, what's it mean for me to strive to enter into the straight gate? There remaineth a rest. for the people of God. This is Hebrews 4. There remaineth a rest for the people of God. For he that has entered into his rest hath ceased from his own works as God did from his. God looked at the creation and he said, it's very good. It's what he did. And he rested. He ceased from his own works. And the writer says in the next verse, let us therefore labor to enter into that rest. The rest of not working.

May the Lord enable every one of us even now to enter in to the straight gate and to walk this narrow way. Let's pray together. Lord, how we thank You for Your Word, how we thank You for Your Spirit that teaches us Your Word. Lord, we ask in Christ's name that we might, even now by Your grace, enter in at the straight gate, trusting Thy Son only as everything in our salvation. And let us walk that narrow way, trusting thy son only as everything in our salvation. Lord, let us never leave there. Never let us depart. Bless this message for Christ's sake. In his name we pray. Amen.

Enter Ye In at The Straight Gate

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Enter Ye In at The Straight Gate

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