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RE: Mtt 7:13-14 . . Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
That teaching is embedded in the so-called Sermon On The Mount; which begins at Mtt 5:1 and ends at Mtt 7:27 with these words:
†. Mtt 7:24-27 . . Therefore whoever who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But whoever who hears these words of mine and doesn't put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.
I think it's quite rational to conclude that the word "whoever" includes not just Jews, but also Gentiles; viz: everybody on earth regardless of age, race, gender, and/or ethnic identity.
RE: Mtt 22:14 . . For many are invited, but few are chosen.
The wedding invitation intended for the Jews was extended to the Gentiles.
†. Mtt 22:8-10 . .Then he said to his servants: The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anybody you find. So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
However, though every Gentile is invited to the wedding; only a relatively small portion of them will be permitted to attend.
†. Mtt 22:11-14 . . But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. Friend; he asked, how did you get in here without wedding clothes? The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants: Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are invited, but few are chosen.
That evicted guest was wearing clothing of his own choice rather than clothing the King preferred. Can the wedding clothing be identified? Yes, quite easily. It's the righteousness of God as opposed to one's own righteousness.
†. Rom 10:3 . . For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and busy establishing their own righteousness, haven't submitted themselves to the righteousness of God.
†. Rom 3:21-25 . . But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which The Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe— there is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God —and are adjudged innocent for free by His kindness and generosity through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God offered him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.
What that's saying is that though no man can duplicate God's degree of righteousness, He, through the cross, is at liberty to account a sinner just as righteous as Himself because Christ's crucifixion satisfies the justice due the sinner who believes in the cross as a 100% fail-safe, God-proof, commandments-proof, sin-proof, Devil-proof ransom from the wrath of God.
C.L.I.F.F.
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