I just have to say this. That 1% stance is mighty arrogant. I mean, look, the Israelites thought the same way, that their tiny nation was the end all be all of the Kingdom, and nobody else got "in" The same things will happen again. Christ will return, and a prideful church with an entitement mentality will be humbled and suffer punishment. Don't
assume the Lord's favor as they did.
I guess I have to quote myself from the first page.....
Matthew 7:13 in context is very much a simile, and does not seem to concern the final judgement. It seems that Jesus speaks these cryptic statments (like 'judge not lets ye be judged - Matt 7:1) so that it would be helpful to those in knowing what behavior was fitting and good for those who are of faith.
13 `Go ye in through the strait gate, because wide [is] the gate, and broad the way that is leading to the destruction, and many are those going in through it;
14 how strait [is] the gate, and compressed the way that is leading to the life, and few are those finding it!
This seems to concern the way of the world and the worldly destruciton caused by sinful ways.
When Jesus spoke of salvation he spoke of life eternal, notice that he does not use the word eternal. I think the point here is that he means that a living a good life is very difficult, most of us choose to do things destructive to ourelves. It does not mean most people are condemned to hell. When Jesus speaks of eternal life he speaks with more powerful language, like "judgement" "wrath" "repentance"... etc.
So I'll break it down a bit futher. "The destruction" may not be ETERNAL destruction. "the life" may not mean "eternal life". I do see how it might be easy for this to be implied, but Jesus did not say that key word - ETERNAL. I take that as a significant omission.
I mean, think about your tendency to judge, and how imperfect you are at doing that.... Jesus is a perfect Judge, and not only that, but his perfect blood covers a multitude of sins. Don't second guess the Lord's love and forgiveness, he puts this in proportion with is wrath for us in Exodus 20 when it says his kindness endures 1000 generations, vs only 4 generations for his wrath.
Don't assume that since most of the Israelites perished in sin, that they all perished eternally as well. Don't make the mistake of believing God's plan of redemption has ended with you or your generation, or even that it ended with Christ's assenscion. It does not even end at Christ's return to the earth. It goes on another 1000 years after that!
Paul has a very curious stance on salvation that still makes me wonder....
1 Cor 5
3 For I verily, being absent in body but present in spirit, have already as though I were present judged him that hath so wrought this thing,
4 in the name of our Lord Jesus, ye being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,
5 to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Pauls final assessment of the whoring sinner is with an expectation that they be saved by handing them over to Satan. What an amazing, yet quirky view of God's grace! This is one of the key verses that stands out to me, prooving that eternal salvation is a very mysterious thing.
Jesus also has a curious view in the case of the rich young ruler:
Matthew 19
16 And behold, one came to him and said, Teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why askest thou me concerning that which is good? One there is who is good: but if thou wouldest enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? And Jesus said, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honor thy father and mother; and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I observed: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wouldest be perfect, go, sell that which thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
22 But when the young man heard the saying, he went away sorrowful; for he was one that had great possessions.
23 And Jesus said unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, It is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.
A lot of people have a tendency to condemn this rich man, assuming he lacks enough faith to be saved. But why do they stop at verse 23? Jesus does not have the same doubts about the man that his disciples do.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
25 And when the disciples heard it, they were astonished exceedingly, saying, Who then can be saved?
26 And Jesus looking upon them said to them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Jesus did say it was hard, but he did not say it was impossible. BIG DIFFERENCE. The disciples still thought that it was by thier own effort that they were saved, they still had not figured out the grace of God and how big it was. They still didn't yet realize the power of God's influence of the heart, and how much that he wanted hearts, not just a "following".
We don't see very many people "following" Jesus. Even within the church itself many people are frowning on each other for not doing a good job of following Jesus, or if they do follow, we'll often judge each others' hearts for not being "in the right place". How disgusting is that, that we think we could know the heart of someone else. We do judge each others' actions, for the benefit of the church and betterment of society, but we don't judge according to eternal salvation, and certainly we are not qualified to judge mens' hearts. Claiming a tiny fraction of people as ultimately saved is nothing more than an effort to make you look good, and others small, but sadly in doing that you also make Gods love look small too. :o
