Every day I wake up, I feel a swelling pit of darkness inside of me, like I am condemned.
I get discouraged about if I am really on the Narrow Path. I feel condemned every day.
I'm trying my best, Jesus knows. I'm still basically a kid. I have no idea what I'm doing sometimes. I just want to be right with Him.
I also have Hadephobia. A fear of Hell. I also have pyrophobia. So mix those and its not good.
I just don't want to die in my sleep and wake up in Hell. The worst parts are the fire and eternity.
I believe in Christ. I try to be like Christ by showing love to my enemies. I'm really trying but its hard.
How do I know for sure I'm on the Narrow Path?
Hi brother in Christ,
I see that you strive to enter the Narrow Gate!
May God unveil your mind to see the truth, that is in His word.
Here, what I will share with you about the Narrow Gate and eventually, what qualities we need to have to enter the Narrow Gate according to apostle Peter.
Why Jesus told us to enter the NARROW GATE?
For we have heard what Jesus our Lord have said:
For the GATE is NARROW
and the way is hard that leads to LIFE,
and those who find it are few. -Matthew 7:14
"ENTER BY THE NARROW GATE.
For the gate is wide
and the way is easy that leads to destruction,
and those who enter by it are many. -Matthew 7:13
When Jesus taught at the Sermon on the Mount, He also have reminded this:
"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. -Matthew 7:24
Yes, we have heard the words of Jesus; but how we are able to DO when we DO NOT UNDERSTAND what Jesus have said.
For it is of utmost importance that we are to be found to be wise !
Otherwise, how we are able to build our house on the rock, our God !
We are thankful to God, Holy Spirit that we can be in Christ Jesus !
It is because of God that we are in CHRIST JESUS , who has become for us wisdom from God–that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.-1 Corinthians 1:30
Yes, Christ Jesus is our wisdom from God, for He have said :
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not ENTER THE SHEEPFOLD BY THE DOOR ( GATE ) but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.
But he who ENTERS BY THE DOOR is the SHEPHERD of the sheep.
To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out.
When He has brought out all His own, He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice.
A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." -John 10:1-5
The gate that Jesus have spoken of is THE GATE TO THE SHEEPFOLD.
I believe anyone can imagine how NARROW is the gate to the sheepfold in compared to the gate to a city.
As Jesus reaffirms again:
So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door ( gate ) of the sheep. -John 10:7
I am the door ( gate ). If anyone ENTERS BY ME, he will be SAVED and will GO IN and OUT and FIND PASTURE. -John 10:9
Have we entered by Jesus to the sheepfold ?
Have we entered by Jesus to find pasture?
Yes, though we are Gentiles, we have come to know our Lord Jesus is our Shepherd, as our Lord reaffirms:
And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. -John 10:16
But to those who do not believe are not among Christ’s sheep:
but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. -John 10:26
When we as the sheep hear Jesus’ voice?
As it is written:
In Him ( Christ ) you also,
when you HEARD THE WORD of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him ( Christ),
were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, -Ephesians 1:13
who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory. -Ephesians 1:14
When Jesus calls as His own sheep by name?;
"I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, -Isaiah 45:2
I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the LORD, the God of Israel, who CALL YOU BY YOUR NAME. -Isaiah 45:3
When Jesus leads us out to find pasture?;
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. -John 6:35
But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD that comes from the mouth of God.'" -Matthew 4:4
When Jesus has brought out all His own? ;
And this is the will of Him ( God the Father ) who sent me,
that I should lose nothing of all that He has given me,
but raise it up on the last day. -John 6:39
And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. -Matthew 24:31
When Jesus goes before us?;
The LORD your God who goes before you will Himself fight for you, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, -Deuteronomy 1:30
When the sheep know Jesus’ voice?;
Know that the LORD, He is God!
It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. -Psalms 100:3
Why Jesus have spoken that there are those who climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber?
Who Jesus talk about ?
Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back,
but he was defeated, and there was NO LONGER ANY PLACE FOR them IN HEAVEN.
And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world'he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. -Revelation 12:7-9
As our Lord Jesus have admonished us:
"STRIVES to ENTER through the NARROW DOOR.
For many, I tell you, will seek to ENTER and will not be able. -Luke 13:24
How do we STRIVE ?
For this very reason, MAKE EVERY EFFORT to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, -2 Peter 1:5
and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, -2 Peter 1:6
and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. -2 Peter 1:7
For if these QUALITIES are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. -2 Peter 1:8
For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. -2 Peter 1:9
Therefore, brothers, be all the more DILIGENT TO CONFIRM your CALLING and ELECTION, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. -2 Peter 1:10
For in this way there will be richly provided for you an ENTRANCE into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. -2 Peter 1:11
May God grant us wisdom and strength to strive to enter the NARROW GATE
Hallelujah Amen
