Matthew 7: 13-16 > 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their (Spiritual) fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
The above verses speak about following the Holy Spirit of God (and few find it)!
Earlier in the passage, it reads “Matthew 7: 2-6.” Jesus again is speaking to the religious leaders…
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
And Finally –
6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
I have been struggling NOT to give what is Holy to dogs since I first was born again in the mid-70s. The reason I think is that I have always had a zeal for speaking the truth to people, but I have painfully learned that it is rarely appreciated!
Recently, in my crude kind of way, I try to push through the noise of repentance to knowing Jesus and His work completed in our behavior. And repentance from sin, so as to be able to follow Him in the power of the Holy Spirit!
The “Narrow Way” is in entering into Holiness by the power of God obtained for us who are “already found in Christ”. In other words, Holiness is never obtained through our own efforts; it is obtained by what Christ has already done for us on the cross!
I struggle to express myself, even to get “the brethren” to distinguish between walking in the Spirit and walking in the Flesh. Like the religious leaders of the past, they have a hard time understanding what Spiritual turning from the flesh in doing good works, from the carnal efforts of good works, which is mostly seen as repentance from sin. But it is still walking in the flesh, although in self-righteousness, which God rejects!
Should we be disciplined to live the best we can in Holiness as Glorifying to God?
The answer is a resounding yes! However, it is not by our own efforts that we enter into holiness, but by faith in what Jesus has already accomplished for us; also known as “walking in the Spirit,” or submitting ourselves to the Holy Spirit, is to be Holy!
It is so simple for us who are filled with the Holy Ghost at the point of Salvation!
Human nature is what makes this difficult, and that’s why Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon thee, my burden is easy and light. It is not the burden of God’s law (which no one can keep) or rules and regulations of religions, which require more of US than simply living by faith in what Jesus has done. That is why Jesus said he was the fulfilment of the law, as He was perfect, so we walk in Him alone to be perfect and without sin; Not our own carnal efforts!
The righteousness of the flesh (natural man) is like filthy rags unto God, and he can never accept those works.
That is why many will come to him at the time of judgement claiming Lord, Lord, haven’t we done great works for you, even casting out demons in His Name? And yet he merely says to them, Depart from me, you workers of iniquity (no less). I NEVER KNEW YOU!
I PRAY PEOPLE COULD UNDERSTAND WHAT I’M ATTEMPTING TO PUT ACROSS. I DO IT OUT OF LOVE, NOT TO BE DOGMATIC OR MEAN.
Although, like Paul, I often come across in my speech like some kind of extremist to people who have not grown enough in Spirit when pressing my point that it has nothing to do with us other than simply depend upon the Lord’s yoke, in showing us how to walk in understanding of what “entering the narrow way” really is. Or do I still sound like a fool, or do I write better than I express myself as a contemptuous orator?
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