We Need to Make Every Effort to Enter Through the Narrow Gate of Heaven

After being baptized and becoming a Christian, there are many people who do not know what else they need to do. They do not know that God call us is to let us be holy and to take off the life and conducts of the old Adam, such as disobedience, selfishness, and pride. It is to let us trust in and rely on LORD, make every effort to be holy, do what is good and righteous through faith, lead others to LORD, be one in LORD Jesus Christ, and live the new life of Jesus Christ -- the holy life with faith that is obedient, humble and willing to deny and give up oneself.

However, some said that: “The new life given by LORD will flow out naturally from us. Since we have the new life given by God, we will all have good deeds naturally.” In fact, how many Christians whom you met with let you say that: ‘ I feel like that I meet with Jesus.’?

Naturally, we all like to eat the delicious, wear the beautiful clothes, live in a spacious room, and show off ourselves and be considered better than others. If now God give another test similar to that of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, many people won’t object that they will naturally do the same as what Adam and Eve did. The fruit will make one’s eyes “opened” and let one know “good and evil” , and “was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom”. Why not take it? However, God gave the strict command: when you eat of it you will surely die. But the temptation of the devil and the selfish desire of man said: You will not surely die. As a result, men are separated from God and are cut off from the source of life, and become those who will surely die.

Naturally, no one likes the painful and humiliating cross and the way of cross. However, God sent the Son whom He loves -- LORD Jesus Christ to walk through this way of cross, and also walk through the way for us to go to heaven. The gate of the heaven is built by the cross.

The way to heaven is accomplished through the cross. LORD Jesus Christ did not walk through this road in the flowers and applauses; could we naturally expect that we enjoy the flowers and applauses to walk through this road? Could we naturally expect that God will give us a sedan chair and lift us all the way to the heaven? Those who hold the saying of “Once Saved, Always Saved” do have such psychology of sedan chair, and they call it by a fine-sounding name: believing in the great power of God.

“This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words and say, "This is the temple of the LORD , the temple of the LORD , the temple of the LORD !" If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever. But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.

" 'Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, "We are safe"-safe to do all these detestable things? Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the LORD . ” (Jer 7:3-11)

He who has an ear, let him hear!

“Then he (Christ) called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ” (Mar 8:34)

We Christians are all the disciples of Jesus Christ, and are the people who follow Jesus Christ. Have we taken up our own cross? Are we obedient, humble, and willing to deny and give up ourselves? Do we live a life of Jesus Christ and conform to Him?

LORD tells us that we should make every effort to enter through the narrow gate of heaven:

“Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" ” (Luk 13:23)

“He said to them, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. ” (Luk 13:24)

After we are justified though faith, we should do what is righteous through faith, and make efforts to do good deeds that are worthy of the faith.

“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder. ” (Jam 2:17-19)

Some might ask: “What kind of conducts should we have to be worthy ?” The answer is clear if one reads carefully the teachings of LORD Jesus Christ and the truth in the Bible.

These messages are written and enlightened under the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, for the purpose to bring people back to the truth of the Bible, so that the believers will take up their own cross, make every effort to enter through the narrow gate of heaven, and know the will of God for us is to let us trust in and rely on LORD, do what is good and righteous through faith, lead others to LORD, make every effort to be holy and be one in Jesus Christ. All thanks, praises, and glories be to God!