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I’m sharing this here with you from my time of personal devotions with my Lord Jesus Christ, for your encouragement. Sue Love
Matthew 7:24-25 ESV
This is Jesus speaking, and these words come right after him talking about the narrow and the broad (wide) gates and roads (Matt 7:13-14), and after his warnings about not listening to false prophets (teachers, preachers) (Matt 7:15-20), and after what he said about how not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven (Matt 7:21-23).
And in those lessons we learned that we are to enter by the narrow gate, for the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. But the gate is wide (broad) and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. Basically, if we believe and follow the gospel that Jesus taught, that is the narrow way that is hard that leads to life. But if we follow the teachings of false teachers, many of them are teaching the wide and easy way that leads to destruction.
So, what is the easy and broad (wide) way? It teaches that all we have to do is “believe” (not defined) in Jesus once and now our sins are all forgiven (past, present, and future) and so now we are on our way to heaven guaranteed and nothing we can do can take that away from us. And what is the narrow and the hard way? It requires that we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and that we are raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God’s righteousness.
Basically, we can’t just make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and then assume that heaven is our eternal destiny regardless of how we live. Jesus made it clear that to come after him we must deny self and take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if we die with Christ to sin for his sake we have eternal life with God (Luke 9:23-26; cf. Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24).
All throughout the New Testament we are taught that obedience to our Lord is required of us for salvation and for eternal life, as well as ceasing to walk in sin. For if we continue in disobedience and in deliberate and habitual sin, we will not inherit eternal life with God (1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10).
Matthew 7:26-27 ESV
It all comes down to obedience, for faith is obedience. Without obedience there is no faith. Paul taught that we are slaves of whomever we obey, and if it be sin, it will end in death, not in eternal life. But if it be obedience, it will lead to righteousness and to sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God (Rom 6:1-23). And he taught that if we live according to the flesh we will die in our sins, but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the body (flesh), then we will live with Christ for eternity (Rom 8:1-17).
Paul also taught that we are to walk by the Spirit so that we do not gratify the desires of the flesh. And the works of the flesh are sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, enmity, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. And then he warned us that those who practice (are doing) such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal 5:16-21; cf. 1 Co 6:9-10; Eph 5:3-6; Col 3:5-11).
And he taught that if we sow to please our flesh that from that flesh we will reap corruption (destruction), but if we sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life (Gal 6:7-8). And he taught that we are all going to be judged by God according to our works, and for those who are self-seeking and do not OBEY the truth, but OBEY unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury (Rom 2:6-8; 2 Co 5:10). Yes, Paul taught this!
And he taught that the grace of God, which brings salvation, instructs us to renounce (say no to) ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. For Jesus gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:11-14; cf. Eph 2:10).
And then we read in Hebrews 10:26-27: “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.”
So, we need to take this to heart.
He Gives Purpose
An Original Work / June 9, 2012
“Listen to Me when I’m calling to you.
Obey freely My word.
Follow Me in all of My ways.
Do all that I say.
Hear Me gently whisper to you
My will for your life and future.
Give all of your life and heart to
Follow Me always.”
Repent of your sins and worship Jesus.
He’s your Lord and Master.
He died for your sins so you could
Live with Him today.
He has a plan for your life and
He gives purpose and direction.
He gives meaning to your life,
So follow Him today.
“I love you so much I gave My life for
You to walk in My ways,
Living for Me each day as you
Bow to Me and pray.
Witness for Me of your love for Me and
Of My grace and mercy,
How I died to save you of your
Sins now and always.”
Matthew 7:24-25 ESV
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”
This is Jesus speaking, and these words come right after him talking about the narrow and the broad (wide) gates and roads (Matt 7:13-14), and after his warnings about not listening to false prophets (teachers, preachers) (Matt 7:15-20), and after what he said about how not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven (Matt 7:21-23).
And in those lessons we learned that we are to enter by the narrow gate, for the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. But the gate is wide (broad) and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. Basically, if we believe and follow the gospel that Jesus taught, that is the narrow way that is hard that leads to life. But if we follow the teachings of false teachers, many of them are teaching the wide and easy way that leads to destruction.
So, what is the easy and broad (wide) way? It teaches that all we have to do is “believe” (not defined) in Jesus once and now our sins are all forgiven (past, present, and future) and so now we are on our way to heaven guaranteed and nothing we can do can take that away from us. And what is the narrow and the hard way? It requires that we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and that we are raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God’s righteousness.
Basically, we can’t just make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and then assume that heaven is our eternal destiny regardless of how we live. Jesus made it clear that to come after him we must deny self and take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if we die with Christ to sin for his sake we have eternal life with God (Luke 9:23-26; cf. Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24).
All throughout the New Testament we are taught that obedience to our Lord is required of us for salvation and for eternal life, as well as ceasing to walk in sin. For if we continue in disobedience and in deliberate and habitual sin, we will not inherit eternal life with God (1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10).
Matthew 7:26-27 ESV
“And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
It all comes down to obedience, for faith is obedience. Without obedience there is no faith. Paul taught that we are slaves of whomever we obey, and if it be sin, it will end in death, not in eternal life. But if it be obedience, it will lead to righteousness and to sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God (Rom 6:1-23). And he taught that if we live according to the flesh we will die in our sins, but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the body (flesh), then we will live with Christ for eternity (Rom 8:1-17).
Paul also taught that we are to walk by the Spirit so that we do not gratify the desires of the flesh. And the works of the flesh are sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, enmity, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. And then he warned us that those who practice (are doing) such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal 5:16-21; cf. 1 Co 6:9-10; Eph 5:3-6; Col 3:5-11).
And he taught that if we sow to please our flesh that from that flesh we will reap corruption (destruction), but if we sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life (Gal 6:7-8). And he taught that we are all going to be judged by God according to our works, and for those who are self-seeking and do not OBEY the truth, but OBEY unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury (Rom 2:6-8; 2 Co 5:10). Yes, Paul taught this!
And he taught that the grace of God, which brings salvation, instructs us to renounce (say no to) ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. For Jesus gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:11-14; cf. Eph 2:10).
And then we read in Hebrews 10:26-27: “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.”
So, we need to take this to heart.
He Gives Purpose
An Original Work / June 9, 2012
“Listen to Me when I’m calling to you.
Obey freely My word.
Follow Me in all of My ways.
Do all that I say.
Hear Me gently whisper to you
My will for your life and future.
Give all of your life and heart to
Follow Me always.”
Repent of your sins and worship Jesus.
He’s your Lord and Master.
He died for your sins so you could
Live with Him today.
He has a plan for your life and
He gives purpose and direction.
He gives meaning to your life,
So follow Him today.
“I love you so much I gave My life for
You to walk in My ways,
Living for Me each day as you
Bow to Me and pray.
Witness for Me of your love for Me and
Of My grace and mercy,
How I died to save you of your
Sins now and always.”
