The narrow way?

[jrlinz]

Yes, but first we have to enter the gate/door and then we do the works. All the good works and 'selfless' behavior in the world amount to nothing if we don't first have Christ. That's why I believe that those who enter the wide gate and follow the broad path are those who were are not saved, rather than those who were once saved.

As the commentary I quoted stated, Jesus was talking to people who believed they were saved by virtue of their bloodlines (or by following the law). These statements of Christ's were not directed toward those already saved but to those in need of salvation.

Yes, many of whom actually thought they were saved.

 

[DreamerOfDreams]

Jesus and Jesus alone is the way,the truth,the path, the light, the gate, and the door.

John 6:35
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

John 8:12
12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 9:5
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

John 10:7
Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
...
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

John 11:25-26
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

I suppose this is the question need to answer?
DO YOU BELIEVE THIS???


John 14:6
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

THAT is the narrow way! NO other way!

John 15:1
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

Jesus and Jesus only is the way.
No works.
No legalism.
No law.

Jesus and His life in us. In Him we bear fruit.

 

[jrlinz]

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age (Titus 2:11,12).​

Do you understand and agree with the above scripture?

 

[SharonL]

The narrow gate is Jesus - it is not works or Allah or any other way to the Father except through the narow gate (Jesus)

 

[DreamerOfDreams]

Yes.... anything outside of Jesus is a works based religion. It fails and causes one to depart from the true gospel. Jesus alone.

Salvation that can be lost by works is a salvation by works.
It is that simple.

 

[DreamerOfDreams]

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age (Titus 2:11,12).​

Do you understand and agree with the above scripture?

I agree. We should all live up to the potential of complete sinlessness at all times.
God has enabled us to live 100% free from sin.
You can never sin again.

It is the lie of the devil that we have to sin a little every day.

Don't you agree?

 

[TheGloryisHere]

But what would that be and whose translation?

Oh don"t cha know?? ONLY the King James is the "true translation" Just ignore those thees', thous, whosesover, neverest didist I believest such a thing as thus. Sorry, just couldn't pass this one up. Can you hear Jesus talking like that? or any Jew for that matter?

I like King James, New King James, Amplifyed, New Living Translation. All of those are mostly correct, but not perfectly so. I'm sure those aren't the only correct ones.

 

[Dave01]

Wasn't Paul quoted as saying: "Where's my King James bible at?"

 

[Tamara224]

Wasn't Paul quoted as saying: "Where's my King James bible at?"

That's the Authorized King James Bible to you, buddy.

 

[Dave01]

Hehehe

 

[SpiritPsalmist]

I agree. We should all live up to the potential of complete sinlessness at all times.
God has enabled us to live 100% free from sin.
You can never sin again.

It is the lie of the devil that we have to sin a little every day.

Don't you agree?

I agree

Jesus is the narrow way. Trusting in Jesus for all that He did for us. Knowing that there is absolutely NOTHING we can DO on our own behalf. Being a good, little Christian, not smoking, not chewing, and not running with those who do will not get us to heaven. Doing what's right is a natural response to God aburst (don't know if thats a real word or not) in our heart. The one who knows Him and is fully known by Him desires with all that is within them to love God with all their heart, soul, and mind. Being righteous is what HE makes us, not what we make ourselves by doing everything that we think is what He wants nor what the religious in the church have told us He wants.

 

[DreamerOfDreams]

I agree

Jesus is the narrow way. Trusting in Jesus for all that He did for us. Knowing that there is absolutely NOTHING we can DO on our own behalf. Being a good, little Christian, not smoking, not chewing, and not running with those who do will not get us to heaven. Doing what's right is a natural response to God aburst (don't know if thats a real word or not) in our heart. The one who knows Him and is fully known by Him desires with all that is within them to love God with all their heart, soul, and mind. Being righteous is what HE makes us, not what we make ourselves by doing everything that we think is what He wants nor what the religious in the church have told us He wants.

Q!!!!!
YOUR HAIR IS ON FIRE!!!!!

Oh.... wait....


Never mind.


(Good to see you again old friend!)

 

[SpiritPsalmist]

Hey there Dreamer

 

[lunalinda]

Matthew 7:13-14
"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."


What do these scriptures mean to you as a Christian?

Without reading too many previous answers, my first instinctive understanding of that verse is pretty much as this: As you live your life, live it by going the way that few people go so you can avoid certain destruction on your life. "Destruction" can be a variety of things, spiritual or fleshly. A simple example is cigarettes or alcohol. These things will poison your body, hence, be a destruction to you as a whole. Yet, lots of people drink and smoke anyway. So, go the OTHER way and LIVE without destroying yourself. The sinful, fleshly life is what's easiest and that's why so many go through life pleasing their fleshly desires. That gate is therefore very wide to accomodate the people who choose to fulfill flesh. Now spiritual/emotional/mental destruction is of course much deeper. It's much more difficult to avoid giving in to anger, to rage, to jealousy, or to whatever else. Why? Because it's soooooo easy to be affected by life's obstacles. But to give in would be to go through the wide gate. To choose to be forgiving and loving or whatever even in the face of evil is much more difficult, but avoiding those "deadly sins" can truly be good for you and give you peace. It's hard, yes. Very hard. How many of us give in to human emotions? All of us! But this is the way we should go. The narrow gate that few choose.

So yeah, that's what I think, more or less.

 

[charityagape]

I love this thread, good debate, very little name calling.

 

[JimfromOhio]

Simple, many will proclaim to be a Christian but only few are really Christians. There are millions of professing Christians who think they have been justified, who think their sins are forgiven and that they are on their way to heaven, who show no evidence of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Many Christians are unthinkably horrified when a real sinner is suddenly discovered among the righteous. So we remain alone with our sin, living in lies and hypocrisy. There are many who profess to follow Christ seem to be unyielding to God's Word because they prefer to be surrounded by teachers who will tell them exactly what they want to hear. In 2 Timothy 4:3, "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear."

In Matthew 22:14 "For many are invited, but few are chosen." in John 6:44, Jesus said "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." Again, Jesus said in verse 65 "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."

 

[JimfromOhio]

Are some saying that we Christians cannot and do not sin?

 

[jrlinz]

I agree. We should all live up to the potential of complete sinlessness at all times.
God has enabled us to live 100% free from sin.
You can never sin again.

It is the lie of the devil that we have to sin a little every day.

Don't you agree?

In fact, no. Let me give you some insight into what I believe. I believe that we all sin. I believe that when I do sin, I turn to God, get on myh knees, raise my hands in surrender, and let my voice ring with the pain and agony that I feel. I say "Jesus, burn this fleshy, festering unrighteousness from my soul. I will not run from the pain. Help me to be more like You. I can't do it on my own." I never give up hope. I have seen what the world is like, what I am like, without God. I am not perfected, but much more perfected than I was 20 years ago.
When I read scripture,I trry to take it in context with the surrounding scripture, with the Bible as a whole, and as if it were pointed directly at me. My flesh sometimes makes excuses. Comes up with things like "The writer was talking to a specific person or group in a certain specific situation. This scripture doesn't apply to me or to my situation." But, I remember that God is writing to me. I have to apply it. So, our intelect is important, but more so, the spirit. It would be difficult to find much scripture, particularly beyond the four Gospels, that is not pointed at a certain person or group in a certain situation. They are letters to churches, etc.., but also letters to me personally, and from God directly. More later,I have to go.

 

[Christina M]

Simple, many will proclaim to be a Christian but only few are really Christians.

Shock..... shock......... JimfromOhio and I agree on something!?!?!? Severe Sky is Falling Alert!

 

[JimfromOhio]

Shock..... shock......... JimfromOhio and I agree on something!?!?!? Severe Sky is Falling Alert!