According to a Gallup poll, 80% of Americans (and we can include Canadians in this) consider themselves to be Christians. 80%! That's rather remarkable considering what Jesus Himself had to say on the subject.
The disciples asked Jesus, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" Pay great attention to what Jesus said in His response: "Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many will seek to enter and will not be able" (Luke 13:23-30). What do you suppose the word "strive" implies? It means to make every effort. Why? Jesus gives us the answer: "Heaven has been coming violently, and the violent take it by force" (Matt. 11:12). Jesus also said, "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matt. 7:13-14). As if it couldn't get any more clearer, Jesus declared, "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21-22). When Jesus returns to judge the world on Judgment Day, "many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord...' And I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'"
What does it mean that "the way is hard that leads to life"? Scripture says, "through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). Jesus told us how to test the seriousness of our faith and our desire to follow Him. He said:
The disciples asked Jesus, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" Pay great attention to what Jesus said in His response: "Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many will seek to enter and will not be able" (Luke 13:23-30). What do you suppose the word "strive" implies? It means to make every effort. Why? Jesus gives us the answer: "Heaven has been coming violently, and the violent take it by force" (Matt. 11:12). Jesus also said, "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matt. 7:13-14). As if it couldn't get any more clearer, Jesus declared, "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21-22). When Jesus returns to judge the world on Judgment Day, "many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord...' And I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'"
What does it mean that "the way is hard that leads to life"? Scripture says, "through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). Jesus told us how to test the seriousness of our faith and our desire to follow Him. He said:
- "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26).
- "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:27-32).
- "Therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:33).
To renounce all that we have is to consider everything we have loss for the gain of Christ: "I count everything as loss ... that I may gain Christ" (Phil. 3:8). Bearing our cross is to count what it will cost us if we will follow after Jesus. What will we lose or be willing to give up so that we may have Him? If Jesus is not first in our life, if we do not love Him more than our own family and our own lives, and if we are not willing to leave them for His sake, then we are not fit to be called Christians.
Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it" (Luke 9:23-24). The word "deny" means to disown. You are to disown yourself and any right to yourself. Any rights you think you have in this world are forfeit. Like Jesus, before your accusers you are to keep your mouth silent (Acts 8:32). If they ask you to go a mile with them, you are to go two (Matt. 5:41). If they tell you to pay a certain tax, you are to "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (Mark 12:17) and to "Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed" (Rom. 13:7). Remember that "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor. 9:7). In your work place, you are to "be content with your wages" (Luke 3:14) and to "work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men" (Col. 3:23).
Praying "The Sinner's Prayer," does that sound easy or hard? It sounds easy. "Just pray this prayer and you're in the club." You know what? There are millions who have prayed that prayer and their lives bear no evidence of any changes having taken place: "They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works" (Titus 1:16). They are still on the broad way. They are looking for an easy solution to escape God's wrath and their torment in hell. They do not want to give up anything, let alone surrender themselves and their desires to God. As the proverbial statement goes, "They want their cake and to eat it, too." They want to escape hell but they do not want to give up their sin or their idols. They want to indulge in all the earthly pleasures this world has to offer. They do not want to give anything up for the gain of Christ. Guess what. "The Sinner's Prayer" is a works-based salvation: "Just pray this prayer and you're in the club." How many of these people will say "Lord, Lord" only to be cast away by Jesus into eternal torment in hell?
"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many will seek to enter and will not be able. Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord...' And I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. Therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple."
Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it" (Luke 9:23-24). The word "deny" means to disown. You are to disown yourself and any right to yourself. Any rights you think you have in this world are forfeit. Like Jesus, before your accusers you are to keep your mouth silent (Acts 8:32). If they ask you to go a mile with them, you are to go two (Matt. 5:41). If they tell you to pay a certain tax, you are to "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (Mark 12:17) and to "Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed" (Rom. 13:7). Remember that "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor. 9:7). In your work place, you are to "be content with your wages" (Luke 3:14) and to "work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men" (Col. 3:23).
Praying "The Sinner's Prayer," does that sound easy or hard? It sounds easy. "Just pray this prayer and you're in the club." You know what? There are millions who have prayed that prayer and their lives bear no evidence of any changes having taken place: "They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works" (Titus 1:16). They are still on the broad way. They are looking for an easy solution to escape God's wrath and their torment in hell. They do not want to give up anything, let alone surrender themselves and their desires to God. As the proverbial statement goes, "They want their cake and to eat it, too." They want to escape hell but they do not want to give up their sin or their idols. They want to indulge in all the earthly pleasures this world has to offer. They do not want to give anything up for the gain of Christ. Guess what. "The Sinner's Prayer" is a works-based salvation: "Just pray this prayer and you're in the club." How many of these people will say "Lord, Lord" only to be cast away by Jesus into eternal torment in hell?
"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many will seek to enter and will not be able. Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord...' And I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. Therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple."