The Unconverted “Believer” (6): The Narrow and Broad Ways

First Baptist Church Leominster

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Pastor Jason will come and read for us Acts chapter 9. Here we're having a transition from the gospel going to Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and now the preparation going out into the

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Gentile world and of course it begins with really the conversion of Saul becoming

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Paul of Tarsus. Acts chapter 9. Acts chapter 9.

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But Saul still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus so that if he found any belonging to the way men or women he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

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Now as he went on his way he approached Damascus and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him and falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him

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Saul Saul why are you persecuting me and he said who are you

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Lord and he said I am Jesus whom you are persecuting but rise and enter the city and you will be told what you are to do.

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The men who were traveling with him stood speechless hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground and although his eyes were opened he saw nothing so they led him by hand and brought him to Damascus and for three days he was without sight and either ate nor drank.

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Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias and the Lord said to him

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Ananias and he said here I am Lord and the Lord said to him rise and go to the street called straight and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named

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Saul for behold he is praying and he has seen in a vision a man named

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Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight but Ananias answered

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Lord I have heard from many about this man how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem and here he has authority from the chief priest to bind all who call on your name but the

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Lord said to him go for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the

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Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name so Ananias departed and entered the house and laying his hands on him he said brother

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Saul the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the

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Holy Spirit and immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight then he rose and was baptized and taking food he was strengthened for some days he was with the disciples at Damascus and immediately he proclaimed

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Jesus in the synagogue saying he is the Son of God and all who heard him were amazed and said is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon his name and has he not come here for this purpose to bring them bound before the chief priests but Saul increased all the more in strength and confounded the

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Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ when many days had passed the

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Jews plotted to kill him but their plot became known to Saul they were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall lowering him in a basket and when he had come to Jerusalem he attempted to join the disciples and they were all afraid of him for the they did not believe that he was a disciple but Barnabas took him and brought him to the

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Apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord who spoke to him and how

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Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus so he went in and out among them at Jerusalem preaching boldly in the name of the

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Lord and he spoke and disputed among against the Hellenists but they were seeking to kill him and when the brothers learned this they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus so the church throughout all

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Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up and walking in the fear of the

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Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit it multiplied now as Peter went here and there among them all he came also to the

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Saints who lived at Lydia there he found a man named Aeneas bedridden for eight years who was paralyzed and Peter said to him

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Aeneas Jesus Christ heals you rise and make your bed and immediately he rose and all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him and they turned to the

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Lord now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha which translated means

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Dorcas she was full of good works and acts of charity in those days she became ill and died and when they had washed her they laid her in an upper room since Lydda was near Joppa the disciples heard that Peter was there sent two men to him urging him please come to us without delay so Peter rose and went with them and when he arrived they took him to the upper room and all the windows stood beside all the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas had made while she was with them but Peter put them all outside and knelt down and prayed and turning to the body he said

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Tabitha arise and she opened her eyes and when she saw Peter she sat up and he gave her his hand and raised her up then calling the saints and widows he presented her alive and it became known throughout all

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Joppa and many believed in the Lord and he stayed in Joppa for many days with one

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Sam Simon a tanner let's pray our father we thank you for the light of the gospel we thank you for its truth we thank you for the impact that it has on our lives that it removes the darkness and Lord our salvation is such a wonderful thing we thank you for the work of Christ we thank you for his sacrifice we thank you for his ascension we thank you that he is now reigning and we pray

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Lord that we would make the Lord Jesus Christ preeminent in our lives in everything that we do help us to grow in this area convict us

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Lord of the areas where Jesus is not preeminent and we pray Lord that as we continue our study of the word that you would guide us that you would lead us we pray that we would see things clearly and that we would be changed thank you

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Lord in Jesus name amen well we'll read the passage that we began to address last

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Lord's Day and this is Matthew 7 13 and 14 Jesus taught 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 toward the end of our

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Lord's Sermon on the Mount the Lord set forth two destinies of mankind eternal life and damnation and Jesus used the metaphor of two roadways on which all people travel that would bring them to their final destination the road most traveled is the broad way which is perceived by all to be the easy and the best way they prefer it but Jesus says the end of this road is destruction and what he intended by that was damnation the

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Lord described the other word which is least traveled as more difficult than the broad way but it leads travelers on to life and what the

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Lord intended by that word life is of course eternal life two destinies eternal life eternal damnation and then of course a gate stands at the head of each road the broad roadway has a wide gate to allow for many to enter and the difficult roadway has but a small or straight notice the spelling a little unusual that's

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King James language a small gate at its entrance a gate that is not easily discovered even for the few who find it the

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Lord urges here is to enter this narrow gate it's not easy to enter it's a small gate for the

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Lord himself must open this gate to them who would enter and the Lord does not open this gate just to anybody

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Jesus is quite selective whom he enlists to be his followers but for those who truly desire to go through this straight gate and who are importunate in asking seeking knocking at this gate

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Jesus promised that he would open this gate to admit their entrance no one who turned away who truly wants to enter this gate and last week we gave attention to the meaning of this narrow gate itself and this week we'll give attention to the difficult roadway to which the gate opens but first we need to review a few matters about entering the gate entrance through this gate is a metaphor for the conversion of the sinner becoming a true

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Christian it set forth the biblical teaching that only the one who abandons all thought of personal merit or personal qualification will enter only the sinner who calls upon Jesus to be his

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Savior and Lord is permitted entrance onto this way that leads to life the

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Lord only opens this gate to those who repent of all their sin that is they turn from living for sin and are willing to submit to Jesus Christ as both

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Savior and Lord and we would say this is far different a far different understanding of conversion than what is popularly proclaimed in evangelical churches by simply believing on Jesus Christ as Savior one is saved and the confusion here

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I think centers on the idea that were justified by grace through faith alone apart from works which is a biblical truth but it is assumed wrongly all we have to do therefore is believe and we're going to be pointing out there's a whole lot more that we have to do than believe we need to deny ourselves take up our cross we need to obey him and follow him persevere there's all kinds of things that true faith will show itself in doing

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Arthur Pink described conversion the entering of this narrow gate and I took this from this book that I pointed out to you earlier what is denoted by entering this narrow gate chiefly three things first acceptance of those teachings of truth of duty of happiness which are unfolded by Christ the honest and actual receiving into the heart of his holy searching and flesh withering instructions those teachings may be summed up in his emphasis upon the righteous claims and demands of God upon us and his instance upon our depraved state and wicked enmity against him no one can become a

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Christian while he entertains any doubt about the divine inspiration and authority of the scriptures or while he refuses to bow to the verdict which

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God has pronounced upon him we must know ourselves to be utterly lost before there can be any desire for salvation second the exercise of true repentance the gospel is not less holy than the law and therefore requires that our hearts bewail our former transgressions of the law and be firm and sincere in its resolution against all future sin you and your sins must separate these are

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Charles Spurgeon's words you and your sins must separate or you and your God will never come together no one sin make you keep they must all be given up they must be brought out like the

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Canaanite Kings from the cave and hang before the Sun you must forsake them abhor them and ask the

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Lord to overcome them it is by abandoning our idols and the pleasures of sin that we pass through the straight gate and third the complete surrender ourselves to God in Christ to believe savingly in Christ is to receive him as prophet to instruct us as priest to atone for us and as King to rule over us it is by a complete surrender of ourselves unto

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God that we pass through the straight gate now it's important that we not misunderstand what's being stated here we must not assume that when one becomes a true

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Christian that he immediately becomes a mature Christian or that he no longer struggles with sin in some ways the true struggle against sin begins with conversion before conversion one may have felt guilty and regretful for his sin but he could not say that he really fought against it but after he was converted when he truly began to fight against the current of sin that governed his thinking and living the battle became real and intense and this

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Christians fight against his sin continues throughout life and although he wins many battles against sin while losing others he never stops driving after holiness although he never achieves complete deliverance in this life but as a

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Christian he looks forward to the day when he'll have his true desires fulfilled Paul expressed his own struggle as a

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Christian with sin and yet he expressed an optimism in Christ when he exclaimed

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Oh wretched man that I am who will deliver me from this body of death I thank

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God through Jesus Christ our Lord and that was Paul the

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Christian expressing that now let's consider a few more words regarding the

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Lord preparing a soul to come unto him that is prior to coming to the gate as it were last week we spoke somewhat of God's preparation of the sinner before the

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Lord opens and grants entrance through the narrow gate that this work of preparation may take place over a brief period of time very brief or maybe over a prolonged period of time but lest anyone misunderstand what we mean by preparation this work of preparation let's state clearly this point preparation to enter this gate is not our preparation to qualify ourselves for entrance rather it is

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God's work of grace in preparing us for entrance it's very important to understand his work of preparation is that of stripping us of any other hope apart from Jesus Christ before the

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Lord will permit our entrance our becoming true Christians he must squeeze out of us our wrong thinking about ourselves and about him he must he must wring out of us any sense of personal worthiness or ability in ourselves to obtain his acceptance of us and we are only prepared to enter the door of conversion when our hands are empty and our desire is acute he accepts us only due to his mercy alone granted to us through his grace alone in Jesus Christ alone

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Thomas Hooker who was a Puritan here in New England he traveled here from England came to New England he was the founder of Hartford Connecticut by the way he wrote much on the

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Lord's preparation of the sinner prior to his conversion and in 1632 he published first the soul's preparation for Christ in which his chapter titles depict this work of God's grace prior to conversion and I've listed them here first God is capable of breaking the hearts of the most stubborn sinners on earth we just read

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Acts chapter 9 second a true sight of sin is needed third some means by which we can see sin convincingly he gives some advice here for the necessity of exposing the evil or particular sins to men's consciences five serious meditation on your sins in a spit is a special means to bring the soul to a true sight of and sorrow of sin chapter 6 more helps in meditating on your sins seven of soul -piercing sorrow eight the heart prepared for Christ nine how

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God supports the hearts of those broken for sin with hopes of mercy it can become quite despairing and ten the heart truly broken for sin will make free an open confession of sin and the last 11 sound contrition of heart a thorough hatred of sin this is the person that goes through the gate this is the person who experiences conversion this is the person who asks and seeks and knocks and the

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Lord promises I will open this door to you onto this new life that leads to eternal life and so in the

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Lord's work of grace of our preparation for conversion he does for us say what John the

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Baptist did for the people of Israel John prepared the people for the coming King and of their entrance into the kingdom of God John called upon the people to repent of their sins or they had no hope that they would enter the kingdom of God if they failed or refused to repent then certain their certain destiny would be

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God's condemnation and judgment and John made that clear he proclaimed to the people individual responsibility and accountability that each one would be judged according to his works and so he said to the people even now the axe that's

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God's axe is laid to the root of the trees therefore every tree that is every individual which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire and similarly the

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Lord Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit convinces people of their sinfulness of their guilt and condemnation before God due to their sin and of their inability to live on to the righteousness that God requires of all people everywhere the

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Holy Spirit of course is a direct agent in this preparatory work whom the enthroned

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Lord Jesus sends to bring people unto himself Jesus said of the Holy Spirit nevertheless

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I tell you the truth it is to your advantage that I go away for if I do not go away the helper the

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Holy Spirit will not come to you but if I depart I will send him to you and when he is come he'll convict the world of sin righteousness and judgment that's the work of preparation of course bringing people to conversion and of course he continues to do that throughout our lives as well and so the result of God's preparation is the sinner longing for forgiveness of his sins and of the desire to be delivered from his sinning not just forgiveness and to be accepted as a follower of Jesus Christ as his

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Savior and Lord if there is no repentance from sin before God there's no forgiveness of sin by God therefore in this work of God's preparation of sinners to ask seek and knock at this narrow gate to gain entrance into the way that leads to life he must bring us

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God must bring us to be desirous and willing to forsake all of our sin and to begin a life of humble trusting following and obeying him through life on to our promised inheritance eternal life and if we are telling people that they can come to Christ in any other way than this narrow gate of forsaking sin and trusting and yielding to him as Lord in all areas of life we're promising a way of salvation that is not taught in the

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Word of God but sadly this is the cause of so much nominal

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Christianity unconverted believers in churches they claim to believe on Jesus Christ as their

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Savior but they are not journeying on the narrow and difficult way that leads to life they're attempting to gain eternal life other than through the narrow following walking living on that narrow and difficult way that Christ has prescribed and we would say their hope and their efforts are futile which is scary because there's so many that think they're

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Christians in this way and so the work of preparation for coming to Christ is not you preparing yourself in order to become acceptable to him you'll never arrive at that if you're trying that it is his work of grace in preparing you so that you see and believe your only hope is that he accepts you preparation is not being cleansed of your sin you cannot do that God's preparation of you is to show you that there's no other way to be cleansed from sin apart from coming to Jesus Christ alone his work of preparation is to show you just how defiled and filthy you are and that you have no ability to change your condition he prepares you by showing and convincing you that Christ alone is the fountain that can cleanse you from sin as the

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Prophet Zechariah once declared in that day that is in the day of salvation in the day of the coming of Jesus Christ a fountain shall be open for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness

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Christ is that fountain of course that was opened up on the cross and so the

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Lord convinces sinners who are without any other hope that there is mercy and grace in Jesus Christ alone he enables us to see the streams of blood and water flowing forth from his side when he hung on his cross alone is providing a full atoning sacrifice whereby we may be forgiven and cleansed from our sin and it's so with that knowledge and that hope that you find that small great and you ask and you seek and you knock and then the

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Lord opens that narrow gate of your conversion and grant you entrance into this new way of living that will end in the gift of eternal life the work of preparation

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God's preparation bringing people to himself well now let's turn our attention from the gates of entrance into these ways to the roadways themselves the broad way and then the difficult way and so the way that leads to life there's a difficult way of life that ends in eternal life and there is a broad roadway of life that ends in one's damnation it's a way of living enter by the narrow gate for wide as the gate broad is the way that leads to destruction and there are many who go in by it because narrow is a gate and difficult is the way that leads to life and there are few who find it and so the

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Lord Jesus declared the difficult way which is the life of a true disciple of Jesus Christ leads to life that is the end or destination of this roadway the conclusion of it is life and of course

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Jesus was referring to eternal life now according to the

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Word of God what is eternal life and when is eternal life received or experienced and the answer to that question is that the scripture set forth eternal life in two different ways eternal life in some places is set forth as a present possession every true

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Christian has life in other places of scripture eternal life is set forth as a future inheritance in the age to come upon the day of the resurrection the final judgment of mankind both of these presentations of eternal life are of course true but it's important to understand both concepts and to keep them both in view and keep them both in balance and so let's consider eternal life as both a present possession and a future prospect the

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Lord Jesus taught the completion of one's journey on this difficult road would result in attaining the life in other words eternal life here the

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Lord Jesus sets forth eternal life as a future blessing to be received after completing the life of faith the statement itself betrays a very deficient understanding of eternal life that is held by most evangelicals most evangelicals that is

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Bible believers they would say think of God's gift of eternal life only as a present possession rather than the promise of a future blessing at the end of a life of faith they're out of balance their understanding is not wrong it's right in one sense but it's not the complete understanding of God's gift of eternal life that's set forth in the

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Bible when we were working through the Gospel of John we repeatedly stressed its emphasis that eternal life is set forth to be the present possession or rather the present state of the true believer in Jesus Christ eternal life is spiritual life that which we enter through the new birth

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God regenerating us by the Holy Spirit and so the true believer presently has everlasting life let's consider some verses that speak of eternal life as a present possession or reality here a couple expressions in John's Gospel and we could multiply these

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Jesus taught he who believes in the Son has current possession has everlasting life and he who does not believe the

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Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him most assuredly

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I say to you he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has present possession has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment but has passed from death unto life but John expressed eternal life as a present possession not only in his gospel but also in his shorter epistles and so he wrote and this is the testimony

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God has given us eternal life and this life is in his son and these things

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I've written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may continue to believe in the name of the

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Son of God a present possession but it's important for us to understand when

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John writes of eternal life as a present possession he's speaking about the quality of life that we presently possess life is what we enjoy as Christians as we live in faith while God's presence and and his power are manifested to us by the

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Holy Spirit it's a quality of life it's a vertical relationship we have life that has been brought to us by God however the

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Bible presents eternal life also as a future prospect something that we are yet going to receive in fact apart from John's gospel and the epistles most of the

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New Testament writers set forth eternal life to be received and experienced in the future eternal life is an inheritance that all true

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Christians will one day receive when they pass from this life into the presence of their Savior more specifically upon their future bodily resurrection from the dead and their glorification as the children of God and so let's consider the following passages from the synoptic gas gospels

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Matthew Mark and Luke as well as from Paul and Peter's epistles the

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Lord Jesus himself spoke of eternal life as a future inheritance everyone who's left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my name's sake shall receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life eternal life is a future inheritance the

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Apostle Paul wrote of eternal life as the believers inheritance when the kindness and the love of God our

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Savior toward man appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the

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Holy Spirit whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior that having been justified by his grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life and by definition what you hope for you haven't got yet you know it's coming your way that's why it gives you hope but eternal life is set as a future prospect doesn't put it in doubt it's a certainty all who are justified are glorified the

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Lord Jesus spoke of the righteous on the day of judgment entering eternal life these will go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into eternal life something new for them and he also returned referred to eternal life to be received by his disciples in the age to come

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Jesus answered said assuredly I say to you there's no one who's left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the

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Gospels who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time houses brothers sisters mothers children lands with persecutions and in the age to come eternal life the

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Apostle Paul almost exclusively wrote of eternal life not as a present possession but as a future blessing of God's grace conferred upon true believers who have completed successfully and triumphantly their life of faith and so Paul wrote the following but in accordance with the hardness and your impenitent heart you're treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God who will render to each one according to his deeds but then he says notice eternal life to those

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God Jesus Christ gonna give to render to eternal life to those who by patient continuous in doing good see for glory honor and immortality that's the life of the

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Christian but on the day of judgment he gives eternal life as a gift of his grace

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Romans 5 now the law came in to increase the trespass but where sin increased grace abounded all the more so that as sin reigned in death grace also might reign through the righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our

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Lord notice eternal life we're moving toward that goal when that will be conferred upon us and then in Romans 6 but now having been set free from sin talking about Christians having become slaves of God you have your fruit to holiness and the end again the outcome everlasting life a future prospect and Galatians 6 8 for he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption but he who sows to the spirit will of the spirit reap everlasting life and that's why

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Paul wrote in that passage that we should keep always be diligent then in loving and serving others for you know in due time you shall reap if you faint not reaping is eternal life it's a future prospect

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Paul also wrote of eternal life as the realization of the believers hope that for which the believer long anticipated with joy to Titus Paul wrote

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Paul a bondservant of God an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the faith of God's elect the acknowledgement of the truth which is accordant which accords or in accordance with godliness in hope of eternal life which

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God who cannot lie promised before time began and then he wrote similarly actually in the same epistle he wrote but when the kindness and love of God our

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Savior toward man appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us through the washing of regeneration renewed of the

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Holy Spirit whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior that having been justified by his grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life and so we see in these many passages that eternal life is set forth not as a quality of life presently enjoyed by Christians as in John's writings but eternal life is a future blessing assured to all true believers of Jesus Christ and this is how our

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Lord set it forth in Matthew 7 13 and 14 enter by the narrow gate for wide as the gate and broad as the way that leads to destruction and there are many who go by who go in it because narrow as a gate and difficult is the way that leads to life and there are few who find it eternal life is the outcome of a life of faith on the narrow and difficult way for it leads to life even eternal life but because many

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Bible believers focus on the present possession of eternal life only and that was given to us by God at the moment we first believed they do not understand and they're not being told the biblical truth that the

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Bible frequently sets forth eternal life to be granted to them who live a life of faith in Christ enduring on to the end sadly there are many of these nominal

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Christians who thereby think they have the gift of eternal life but if their lives are not characterized by a vital living faith that believes upon and follows

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Christ throughout life they will die in their sins and they'll be condemned before the judge of all the earth the

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Lord has prescribed the way of life that will result in everlasting life and those who refuse or fail to follow this roadway of faith and obedience will not inherit life but rather will be consigned to everlasting damnation it matters how you live but interestingly not only does the

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Bible biblical meaning of eternal life have both a present and future aspect but this is also true of the word and concept of salvation itself there is a sense in which

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Christians have been saved past tense but the scriptures also speak of Christians becoming saved in the future when they stand before their judge at the final general judgment of mankind so let's consider salvation as a present reality as well as a future pledge first salvation is a present reality thankfully and the

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Bible teaches that those who have repented of their sins have believed on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior have been saved salvation is a present reality the wicked and despised tax collector

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Zacchaeus upon his faith in Christ experience salvation Jesus said to him today salvation has come to his hat this house because he also is a son of Abraham clearly

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Zacchaeus became saved at that time on that occasion that he put his faith in Christ on the day of Pentecost 3 ,000 people repented of their sin and believed on Christ they're described as having repented of their sins believed on Jesus as Lord confessed their repentance and faith in public baptism and then in Acts 2 46 we read so continually continuing daily with one accord in the temple breaking bread from house to house they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart praising

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God having favor with all the people and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved they were then being saved past tense the

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Apostle Paul wrote of Christians having been saved using the past tense to refer to the time of their conversion

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Paul wrote for we were saved in this hope Romans 8 he wrote in first Corinthians 1 we who are being saved talking about our present life as Christians again it's a present possession he voiced that also in 2nd

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Corinthians 2 to the church to the Christians in the church of Ephesus he wrote that they had been saved which is in the past tense but God who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in trespasses made us alive together

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Christ by grace you have been saved past tense this is also stated in verse 8 of Ephesians 2 for by grace you have been saved through faith same truth was declared to Timothy he spoke of God who has saved us past tense to Titus he wrote according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration past tense true believers in Christ may say with biblical authority they have been saved but in the same way that many look to the meaning of eternal life only as a present possession many

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Christians view salvation in terms only of their present possession but the

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Word of God declares in numerous places salvation is a future pledge that will not be received until the future time when we're saved from the wrath of God on the final day of judgment so when you hear people talking about salvation they only speak in terms

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I was saved I have been saved and the biblical question we should ask okay you say you are and I hope you are will you be saved on the day of judgment that's the question that we need to ask ourselves not that you can be saved and then lose your salvation we're certainly not teaching that but the

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Bible presents future salvation that we're moving toward and so let's consider salvation as a future pledge in the synoptic

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Gospels the Lord Jesus spoke of salvation as a future pledge granted to his disciples who continue in faith overcoming all challenges and obstacles

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Jesus sold his disciples and you will be hated by all for my name's sake but he who endures to the end will be saved that's future isn't it similarly in the

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Olivet discourse he who endures to the end shall be saved the Apostle Paul wrote of God's promise of salvation it'll take place on the final day of judgment of the work of Christ Paul wrote much more than having now been justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him talking about the future day of judgment and to the

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Christians at Corinth Paul exhorted the church to deal faithfully with that sinning church member caught in an egregious sinner sin the church was to discipline him excommunicate him in order that he would be saved he had to separate from his sin in order that he would be saved on the future day of judgment and so Paul instructed them in the name of our

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Lord Jesus Christ when you're gathered together along with my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved in the day of the

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Lord Jesus future salvation and Paul also wrote to the church at Rome yet toward the end of the epistle he said now our salvation is nearer than we first believed he's indicating you know we're not in it yet we have received it yet but it's nearer than it was when we started out salvation is set forth as a future promise the epistle to the

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Hebrews described salvation as a future inheritance of the elect to whom

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God has sent angels to protect and preserve are they angels not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation and Peter wrote of our salvation not being revealed to us until we stand before the

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Lord one day the last day he wrote of Christians they're kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time talking about Judgment Day and then a few late verses later he declared that salvation will be granted to Christians in the future as the outcome of their life of faith though you have not seen

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Christ you love him though you do not see him you believe in him and rejoice with joy that's inexpressible and filled with glory obtaining the outcome of your faith say the end of your life of faith the salvation of your souls and so we see the

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Word of God teaches that eternal life is both a present possession and a future prospect but also that salvation itself is both a present reality and a future pledge and by the way if we could take the time we probably will do so in the future we can show that this is also true of the biblical understanding of the kingdom of God the scriptures declare we've already entered the kingdom of God through the new birth but the

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Word of God also teaches us that one day we will inherit the kingdom of God after our exoneration on the day of judgment the

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Lord Jesus will say to the sheep on his right hand come you blessed of my father inherit the kingdom see it's something we'll yet enter into prepared for you from the foundation of the world so the point that we've been making in all of this is that too often evangelicals only give emphasis to the present possession and reality of our salvation in terms of our forgiveness and right standing before God in Christ but they fail to give due emphasis to the future realization of God's promise that we will be saved and that we've not yet entered into eternal life that God has promised to his people but the

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Holy Scriptures set forth a great need for us to exhibit faithful responsible obedient living through which we will one day inherit his promises the scriptures declare if we fail or refuse to order our lives in this manner

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God gives us no promise of our entry into his coming kingdom God gives no promise that those who live in disregard of his word will inherit eternal life you live like the devil you're gonna be damned with the devil

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God gives no promise of full and final salvation to the one who fails to accomplish his journey you have to overcome now he'll see to it by his grace that you will overcome if you belong to him but you must overcome that is to continue in faithful obedience to the

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Lord throughout life the narrow gate is but an entrance to a way and it's a difficult way an eternal life is only received by those who successfully accomplish or complete this journey of faith this is the way that leads to life now let's consider the difficulty of the way that leads to life again

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Jesus spoke of two gates two roads enter by the narrow gate why should this be done because wide as the gate broad as the way that leads to destruction and there are many who go in by it and so to refuse or fail to go through this narrow gate of conversion means you will have chosen the wide gate the broad way that leads to destruction in other words eternal damnation it's important eternally important but when the natural man views these wrote two roads side by side one is obviously wider it appears more desirable to be the best course to take to the natural man the broad roadway is thought to be the right proper road but the scriptures declared there is a way that seems right to a man but it's and is the way of death

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I wonder if the Lord drew this metaphor from that verse in Proverbs to the unconverted it appears to be the road which leads to a happy and fulfilled life the broadway many go that way everyone says it is his own heart fallen heart and mind agree but on the other hand when he looks over at that narrow road it doesn't appear to be the right way at all and so he says to himself it looks to be such a little thing a difficult way in comparison with the superhighway over here it appears that only a few misled persons mistakenly think it leads to life it does not appear to lead to life surely that's the way the fool the weak the uneducated the ignorant surely any who have chosen that way of a man in all good sense and the reason that they were given at birth the one who walks a difficult way is a stranger to others in the world he thinks strange things he asserts that all are condemned that God will regard no man's good work but only regard his son's atonement for sin as a basis on which you'll receive anyone but this is foolishness and repugnant to the natural man the man on the difficult road affirms that he is no more deserving of God's favor than the worst reprobate that's ever lived

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Paul I'm the chief of sinners to accept this as the gospel and submit to coming to God on grounds other than one's own merit is not desirable or reasonable to the world but this narrow road permits only one kind of traveler in contrast to the

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Broadway that permits all kinds of people all manner behavior all kinds of religion is very inclusive the difficult way makes allowance for one kind of person only a disciple of Jesus Christ there's no not room on this road for every kind of religion every kind of philosophy travelers are not permitted to conduct themselves in any kind of behavior they choose the difficult way is the way of intolerance according to the world

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God will not put up with anyone that refuses to submit to him of course he puts it into our hearts that we want to submit to him that's why it's a delight to us who are

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Christians is his commandments aren't grievous what grieves us when we don't keep them there's a

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Broadway over there that will allow for that kind of thing choose that path if you want to live that way but travelers on this narrow and difficult road order their lives according to the teachings of their master and indeed this narrow road is a difficult road but you can be assured if you go through that narrow gate and you embark on this road and you persevere in it and he'll see to it that you do you will inherit everlasting life every pilgrim following this course comes to us desired in the grace of God will see to it but Jesus gave another reason for entering this narrow gate into this other way of living he said because there was a gate and difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it it's a way of difficulty on many occasions

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Jesus warned his disciples of the great hardship and difficulty they would encounter as they lived as disciples in this fallen world but they were to endure they were to overcome they were to persevere on to the saving of their souls

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Jesus said watch out for yourselves they'll deliver you up to councils you will be beaten in the synagogues you will be brought before rulers and kings for my sake for a testimony to them and the gospel must first be preached to all the nations but when they arrest you and deliver you up to them don't worry beforehand or premeditate what you will speak whatever is given you in that hour speak that for it's not you who speak but the

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Holy Spirit and now brother will betray brother to death father his child children will rise up against parents cause them to be put to death and you'll be hated by all for my name's sake but he who endures to the end shall be saved the salvation as progressing and enduring through this difficult life as living as a disciple of Jesus Christ and we've been very privileged in this land you know of liberty and freedom but those times are coming to an end as I think probably all of us recognize so be it the scriptures teach a

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Christian in this present age is living in the time of tribulation most evangelicals don't understand this they view the tribulation as of future end time seven -year period of great tribulation will come upon the earth but the

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Lord Jesus declared to his disciples his apostles they would encounter great tribulation in their lives in this world you'll have tribulation but be a good cheer we shouldn't be discouraged or defeatist in as we look at the world about us be of good cheer why

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I have overcome the world is what Jesus said the world cannot hurt you cannot prevent what

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God has purposed and designed for you it's a done deal the

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Lord Jesus warned the church at Thyatira at the end of the first century to repent of their sins or he would cast them into great tribulation this church ages kingdom age is the age of tribulation he wasn't referring to a future seven -year tribulation after a supposed rapture of the church but he was referring to the difficult days that lie before them as Christians living in the

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Roman world toward the end of the first century after Paul had evangelized the city of Lystra certain ones came and stoned him drug him out of the city left him for dead but they're just a whole bunch of new people coming to Christ and you can imagine what was going through their minds this guy's a man of God look what

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God allowed to happen to him he went off and preached elsewhere but then he came back to Lystra he had to teach these new

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Christians this isn't an unusual thing that you saw happen to me we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God many tribulations you put a godly person in this world and they crucify him and if you and I are living godly the godly will suffer persecution we may get away with it for a while but it will come

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Jesus said the narrow roadway is a difficult one but true

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Christians must persevere continue in faith through all the hardship and difficulty they encounter

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Bunyan set forth the pilgrimage of Christian in pilgrims progress on our journey we must climb hills of difficulty passed by lions on our way travel through the valley of the shadow of death and the valley of humiliation on to the celestial city that lies before us some of us may have to contend with Apollyon more directly and severely than others some may have to contend with giant despair in doubting castle we all must be vigilant through the enchanted ground that we pass through but we must continue on this way for it is the only way of our full and final salvation and this is what we read in the book of Hebrews therefore do not cast away your confidence they were being threatened for their faith and we're we're thinking maybe we ought to abandon

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Jesus he said don't do it don't cast away your confidence which has great reward for you have need of endurance or perseverance so that you after you've done the will of God you may receive the promise for yet a little while and he who is coming will come and will not tarry now the just shall live by faith just because you believe that Jesus died for your sins doesn't make you a

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Christian if you're Christian you believe that but just believing that doesn't make you a Christian no you believe on him as your

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Lord and Savior you're following him you entrust yourself to him you're surrendered to him you want his will to be done in your life not your own

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God has put that in your heart when he calls you to be born again the just shall live by faith but if anyone draws back that is abandons

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Jesus apostatizes my soul has no pleasure in him not talking about somebody losing their salvation it's talking about a believer who doesn't endure but then he confidently said of himself and of his readers but we are not of those who draw back to perdition to damnation but of those who believe what onto the saving of the soul salvation is a future prospect and so our

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Lord declared that the Christian life we were to exhibit this roadway that leads us onto eternal life is difficult it may be a farther a shorter journey depending on what stage of life the

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Lord brought us to faith it may be more difficult for some or for many of his people than for others that know him but all must make this journey overcoming all difficulties through faith as we journey to our promised land the people of Israel did not immediately pass from Egypt into the promised land but they had to go through the wilderness and it was a difficult place and then through the

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Jordan River an emblem of death before the promises of God were fully realized by them and between our initial faith commitment to Christ going through the gate as our

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Savior and Lord when we were saved from the penalty and alienation of sin onto the reception of our full and final salvation a great deal of ground must be traveled through this fallen world through this wilderness and there are a great many foes that we must defeat and overcome perhaps a great period of time must be endured in faith before we reach our promised land of eternal rest and the writer to the

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Hebrews use the Old Testament experience of Israel to depict the spiritual life of true Christians and their need to persevere in faith beware brethren lest there be any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the

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Living God don't you turn away from Jesus and go back to Judaism there's no salvation there but exhort one another daily why it's called today lest you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin sin deceased people causes them to think that you can be saved and still live in sin no you can't for he declared we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end that's perseverance and so while it said today if you will hear his voice do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion referring to Israel when they rebelled against God in the wilderness for you having heard for who having heard rebelled indeed was it not all who came out of Egypt led by Moses now with whom was he angry 40 years was it not with those who sinned whose corpses fell in the wilderness and to whom did he swear they would not enter his rest but to those who did not obey so we see they could not enter in because of unbelief don't you be like them now theirs was a physical promised land theirs was a type the anti type is us going through the wilderness of life to faith overcoming all obstacles not turning back not turning away but believing on to our heavenly land promised land the land of eternal rest and then the

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Apostle Paul of course argued for the failure of the generation of Israel coming out of Egypt as instructions to Christians that we not be like them

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I don't want you to be unaware all of our fathers passed under the cloud were brought to the sea by Moses of course they were baptized into Moses as it were when they came to the sea they all ate spiritual manna spiritual food they all drank of that water that came from the rock which was

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Christ but most of them God was not well -pleased and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness and Paul said these things in the

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Old Testament were written for you and me they are our examples to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they lusted that we not become idolaters as were some of them but rather all these things happen to them as examples and they were written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the ages have come and therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall that is a warning to you and to me and to every professing

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Christian everywhere the point we're underscoring is that salvation is not to be understood as a one -time decision to believe on Jesus but a lifelong commitment of faith to believe upon and to follow in obedience to the

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Lord Jesus Christ he leads his people out of this fallen world on to our heavenly

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Zion our eternal home it matters how you live mentioned last week it was

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Arthur Pink who said there's two great errors in evangelicalism not just evangelicalism in Christendom those who teach salvation is by works and then he hit on Rome and those who say you can be saved without works evangelicals who say all you have to do is believe doesn't matter how you live hey it matters what

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Jesus did not what you do and that is a misunderstanding of what the scriptures teach he saved us so that we might live righteously before him not just be forgiven of our sins and salvation brings a person into this state of life this righteousness he puts it upon our hearts we desire it we long for it and so we ask and seek to enter that gate and he converts us and we start on this way of faith fully assured that we belong to him and that were forgiven of our sins but our destiny of eternal life lies before us and he's going to see to it by his grace that we get there but we are to give forth every effort and use every means of grace he's given us prayer the

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Bible gathering together as Christians exhorting one another daily lest we be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin there's no doubt we're going to get there but we're to use the means that God has appointed to us and they're set down for us in the

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Word of God may the Lord help us thank you father for your word help us our

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God to continue on this difficult way following you as our

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Savior and our Lord thank you for your glorious promises and the present reality that we have of having life in your name and so help us our

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God and help us to be faithful in presenting the Christian life truthfully our

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God to the world about us that you would awaken people who are yet in their sins that need to come to repent of their sin and truly believe on Jesus as Savior and Lord for we do pray in his name