Reference: Psalms 25:, and Matthew 7:13-14
In the thirtyfifth chapter of the book of Isaiah,the prophet Isaiah speaks about a way and it shall be called the way ofholiness. This way of course is referring to God's way in which he requires fora man to walk in. As we look at today's confessing religious movements andorganizations in the world today I wonder how many people there are that willbe found walking in this way when Christ shall return to this earth for hisbride.
Now according to what the word of God hasto say in reguards to this way, there will not be very many people found to bewalking on this highway and the reason for this is simply because there are fewpeople in the world today that has been seeking for this way as God's wordreveals that we must. Now Jesus tells us in our text above found in Matthew 7:13-14that this way is strait and narrow and very few there will be that will findit.
The reason why there will be just a fewpeople found walking in this way of holiness is simply because of the fact thatthere is hardly anybody that is seeking for this strait and narrow way. Theaverage person today don't even believe that they have to seek and search forthe things of God. It seems that most peole has got what is called a "takeit by faith attitude" meaning that all that is necessary to inheriteternal life is just to confess belief on Christ and to say he is their Lordand Saviour.
Ninety some percent of confessingchristians today will not accept the fact that a person absolutely has to seekdiligently for God and his kingdom, but Jesus plainly tells us to do exactlythis as so stated in Matthew 6:33. This verse of scripture tells us to seek first thekingdom of God and his righteousness, but the average person today has been ledto believe that God imputes his righteousness to a person when they acceptChrist as Lord and Saviour.
There is absolutely no seeking for thekingdom of God and his righteousness if a person thinks that righteousness hasbeen imputed to them the very moment that they confessed belief on Christ astheir own personal Lord and Saviour. Most people today won't accept the factthat one must seek diligently for the things of God simply because they havebeen taught that this would be trying to earn your salvation by works.
If we were to examine each and everyreligious belief in the world today, just how many of them do you think wouldfit the description of being on the way that Jesus said that few would find?What about you my friend, can you say that you are on the way that is straitand narrow, of which there would be few that will find it?
Have you searched diligently for the waythat you are traveling on in your confessing christian life, or are you justfollowing the crowd? Whether you know it or not my friend, every individualabsolutely must seek diligently for the kingdom of God and his righteousness.You will never get anywhere with God by following some crowd no matter howsincere they may seem to be. Salvation is somthing that each and everyindividual must work out for themselves. You will not inherit eternal life byjoining up even with those who are truly saved and born again and proclaimingthe truth of God's word unless you are seeking diligently for the things of Godand counting your own life as lost and unimportant.
Take a good sincere look at any of today'sreligious movements and see if they have searched diligently for the way thatthey are traveling. Do you think today's Pentecostal movements are on the waythat is strait and narrow as Jesus spoke of in his word? If you will noticeeach and every religious group, it shouldn't take you very long to realize thatevery one of them are not proclaiming ways that requires an individual search.
The Pentecostals as well as all the othermovements today do not teach an individual relationship with God having beensought dilignetly for in a personal way. The word of God reveals the fact thatsalvation is something that each and every individual must work out forthemselves, but looking at the average belief in today's religious world todaywill easily reveal to you that all that is necessary to inherit eternal life isjust to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour.
Just accepting Christ as Lord and Saviourhas absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with seeking diligently for the kingdomof God and his righteousness. God's righteousness is not just saying thatChrist is the righteous one and to accept him is having him imputed to yourbehalf. God's righteousness is revealed in the gospel as Paul tells us inRomans 1:16-17.
We are imputed this righteousness as wewalk in and obey the truths of the gospel. The truth will perform a spiritualwork on your whole being by transforming your mind and crucifying the desiresof the flesh etc.
Go to any religious group or organizationin the world today and you will find that all that is necessary to receivesalvation (so they say) is just to accept what they tell you. This has nothingto do with one searching diligently for God's kingdom and his righteousness.It's utterly impossible for any person to receive salvation and be transformedto Christ's image without that individual submitting themselves unto God andallowing the Holy Spirit to do his saving and transforming work on their wholebeing.
Even a church that proclaims the truth ofGod's word cannot bring forth Spirit filled converts unless each and everyindividual works out their own salvation by submitting themselves to God's wayas his word reveals that they must. Just being a hearer of God's word will notjustify a person. We must be both a hearer and a doer of the word of God.
The church can be a proclaimer of the wordof God, but it takes doers to bring forth true born again Spirit filledchristians. The way that leads to life eternal is a very strait and narrow wayof which very few will find. The Holy Spirit is the one responsible forrevealing this way to a person. This way is not going up to the front of thechurch and shaking the preacher's hand and placing your name on their churchmember book. And it's also not just saying that you accept Christ as your ownpersonal Saviour and then struggling to live as good a life as you can etc.
Some churches will say that you must firstget saved by coming to the altar and confess your sins and accept Christ asyour Saviour. After this you are told to become an active member in some churchand do your best to get others saved. Other churches will tell you to first getsaved at the altar and then get sanctified. Other churches will tell you tofirst get saved, then get sanctified, and then get filled with the Holy Ghostspeaking in tongues, and get involved in getting others saved etc. The truth ofthe matter is that neither of these ways are the strait and narrow way revealedin God's word of the Bible. God's way is submitting yourself to his word and allowinghis word to do the saving process on your whole being.