And someone said to Him, ’Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?’ And He said to them, ‘Strive to enter by the narrow door. For many I tell you will seek to enter and will not be able.’”
I don’t know how that affects you but that is a shocking statement. There are going to be many people who want to enter the kingdom of God, who want to be saved and they’re not going to be able, really a very shocking statement. He says, “Strive to enter by the narrow door.” He makes it seem so difficult; so difficult, in fact, that many people are going to endeavor to do it and not be able.
That just goes against the grain of what all of us have exposed to pretty much. We hear the gospel presented in ways that make it seem very easy to be a Christian. Pray this prayer, say these words, it’s a gift, just reach out and receive the gift. That’s all it takes. It’s really simple to be a Christian. It’s really easy to be a Christian. Basic understanding, Jesus died for you and if you want your sins forgiven believe in Jesus, say these words, “Jesus save me” and you’re in.
What’s the striving about? What is this about wanting to enter and not being able to enter? This makes salvation seem very, very difficult. That’s just contrary to everything we’ve experienced. We’ve grown up, some of us have, in evangelistic churches and…and we’re pretty familiar with how we do evangelism. We’re familiar with what’s often called the invitation at the end of a sermon or the altar call. ~ John MacArthur
Read / Listen
Deuteronomy 34:1-Joshua 2:24
Luke 13:22-14:6
Psalm 79:1-13
Proverbs 12:26
New Testament
Luke 13:22-14:6
Summary
The Narrow Door
Lament over Jerusalem
Healing of a Man on the Sabbath
Strait Gate
“Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?”
Overview: Luke 10-24 Click Here to Watch Video
John 12:24 and 25, Jesus says, “Hate yourself.” Hate yourself. There’s the battle. The struggle is to let go of you. If you win, you lose. If you lose, you win forever. Struggle is further indicated not only by the word agnizomai, but it’s further indicated by the narrowness of the door. This is a narrow door.
That is used here and in Matthew 7:13-14. You know the passage, very familiar in the Sermon on the Mount. We’ve looked at it many, many times, but it’s such a critical text. Jesus says, “Enter by the narrow gate. The gate is wide, the way is broad that leads to destruction. Many are those who enter it. The gate is narrow; the way is narrow that leads to the life. Few are those who find it.” It’s a narrow door. It’s hard to find. There are so many voices. There’s so much confusion. There’s so much chaos. There’s so much deception, so much false Christianity all over the place that it’s hard to find the true door. And once you find the true door, listen to this, once you’ve actually found the true gospel, once you’ve gotten rid of all the garbage that surrounds Christianity because that’s Satan’s ploy disguising himself as an angel of light… Falsifying Christianity is his primary enterprise. It’s his primary enterprise.
And once you’ve been able to see your way through all that and you’ve come to see the truth, then the fight really begins because then the true gospel calls for self-denial, self-denial, it’s not easy. It’s easy to get on the broad road. It says “heaven,” but it goes to hell. Nobody sells hell, everybody sells heaven. ~ John MacArthur
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