What is the narrow way?

This should be an interesting conversation. I will do some studying, and put in my two cents.

I will start with this though.

Isn't the Narrow Way to follow Christ? To do His Will, while denying our flesh? To ignore the distractions that lure us off that path and onto the Broad one?

I mean even religious duty can be on the Broad Way...

Some believe that the narrow way is nothing more than what Peter was speaking of when he said, "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). That verse actually doesn't describe the narrow way - it describes the [b]only way[/b]. The narrow way and the broad way are discussed by the Lord in Matthew 7:13-14 and are in the context of His discussion on false prophets and many people perishing who think that they are saved. The broad way that the false prophets offered was not a gate marked Allah or Moroni or Buddha or Jehovah but it was a gate marked Jesus! They called Him [i]Lord[/i], they prophesied [i]in His name[/i], and they misled many by it!

The wide gate is a counterfeit of the narrow gate and is marked "Jesus Christ the only way." But what the wide gate does is it [i]expands[/i] to accomodate a person's love of self and love of money and love of pleasure and allows them access - so they think.

The narrow gate [i]restricts[/i] access and is the gate of death to self and money and pleasure. The narrow gate puts one to death so that he or she can be raised to walk in newness of life with Jesus as his or her Lord. The wide gate allows one to live and [i]adds[/i] Jesus to his or her life with him or her still in control. There is no newness of life (resurrection) because there has never been a death of self.

I pray that this helps and clarifies. The Lord has kept me studying in this area for some time now as He has shown me my calling as a pastor. Check out this link if you have time - it is a booklet dealing with the narrow gate and the wide gate - http://www.devcobaptist.org/templates/cla19bl/details.asp?id=31831&PID=267176

brethren
i am led to share that also another part of this puzzle has to do with how far we go in Christ as far as death of self. many people come to Christ to get rid of a few blatantly evil things and then hold onto the things which they think are worthy of God. things such as love, patience, talents etc. the fact is even these things which we think are good are abominable in God's sight and grossly insufficient for the lofty purposes of an All-Holy God. most people don't want to give up these things, they will go so far in Christ and no further and because they are not wholly dead, they are unsaved when they think they are. as a result they end up in hell.

the word says that many will say in that day "Lord Lord" and speak of all the miracles they have done in His name and yet they will be called workers of iniquity. seems to me not many will make the cut because they are deceived that they only need to go so far, with God it's all the way or not at all, there is no inbetween.

i pray we're all the way in.AMEN

hi, as there were two trees in the garden so there aretwo ways. the tree of the knowlege of good and evil has always been mans choice instead of the tree of life. Jesus is the way, the gate, the pathfinder, the light...no man comes to the father except THROUGH Jesus and His finished work on the cross. anything else is the wide way or the wrong way or the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.intimacy with jesus is only brought about by a work of the Holy Spirit in our life and if you are not known by God it is because you are not intimate with Jesus.(i NEVEr KNEW you) jim p
IRONMAN wrote:
brethren
i am led to share that also another part of this puzzle has to do with how far we go in Christ as far as death of self. many people come to Christ to get rid of a few blatantly evil things and then hold onto the things which they think are worthy of God. things such as love, patience, talents etc. the fact is even these things which we think are good are abominable in God's sight and grossly insufficient for the lofty purposes of an All-Holy God. most people don't want to give up these things, they will go so far in Christ and no further and because they are not wholly dead, they are unsaved when they think they are. as a result they end up in hell.

the word says that many will say in that day "Lord Lord" and speak of all the miracles they have done in His name and yet they will be called workers of iniquity. seems to me not many will make the cut because they are deceived that they only need to go so far, with God it's all the way or not at all, there is no inbetween.

i pray we're all the way in.AMEN

Are you mainstream, or do people give you funny looks for living as if you're dead to self?

'Don't do that man, you might die !'

and we say...

'I'm already dead. Christ in me lives, let God be glorified in all I do.'

'I'm already dead. Christ in me lives, let God be glorified in all I do.'

I knew you had it in you all the time. :-D

In Christ: Phillip

J-bird wrote:
What exactly are these two ways? I would like to discuss this if anyone has time. I may be slow in responding so please bare with me.

I would have to say that a good point of reference would be:

The Two Trees
Deut 30 (in light of Rom 10)
Hos 6:6

Will elaborate at a later time...

:-)

Note also that [b]Path[/b] is to be understood in relation to the [b]Gate[/b].

This would beg the question as to whether the Path can be walked if the Gate has not been "entered" through??

The narrow gate is the true gospel (the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ who was God in flesh) with proper application. Did Christ die for me because I'm good? No! "There is none who does good, there is not even one" (Romans 3:12 NASB). And, "While we were yet [i]sinners[/i], Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8 NASB). Christ died for me because He is good and if I don't see His goodness and my badness then I will never come to the place where I am baptized into His death as my very own (because of my badness) and I will not come to the place where I am raised from the dead (born again) so that I might walk in newness of life (see Romans 6:3-7).

The narrow gate isn't entered through treading the narrow way - the narrow gate opens up to the narrow way of life under a new life priniciple which is, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).

The wide gate is the fundamentals of the true gospel (death, burial, resurrection and diety of Christ) with improper application. Did Christ die for me because I'm good - that's what wide gate evangelists will tell you! Did Christ die to make me happy - that's what wide gate evangelists will tell you! But the Bible says that Christ didn't die to make men happy - He died to make men holy - "Who gave Himself for us to

[i]redeem us from every lawless deed[/i] and to [b]purify[/b] for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds" (Titus 2:14 NASB).

To misapply the gospel and make it man centered instead of God centered; to make it for the happiness of man instead of the holiness of man - without which no man shall see the Lord; to make it salvation from hell instead of salvation from sin; is to turn the grace of God into licentiousness and open a wide gate that leads to destruction.

Paris Reidhead preached [i]Ten Shekels and a Shirt[/i] in the mid-sixties and spoke as clearly a I have ever heard about this perversion of the gospel with philosphical humanism.

Here is an excerpt from that sermon - http://www.devcobaptist.org/clientimages/31831/excerpt6fromtenshekelsandashirt.wma

Have you seen this [url=http://www.inspirationart.com/images/insart2000_1744_1171862.jpg]poster[/url], I couldn't find it bigger, if someone has it, it could post it. The details could be seen only on a bigger one.

Both legalism (salvation by works) and libertinism (salvation by words; "easy-believism") are deadly. Neither of those are God's way as prescribed in the true gospel. True salvation is a matter of Lordship (salvation by worship) - which can only be effected by the true gospel and the Holy Spirit of God. This is explained in this booklet - http://www.devcobaptist.org/templates/cla19bl/details.asp?id=31831&PID=267179

A.W. Tozer does a good job of explaining the dangers of "easy-believism" in "What does it mean to accept Christ" - https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?lid=131

OverSeer wrote:
Both legalism (salvation by works) and libertinism (salvation by words; "easy-believism") are deadly. Neither of those are God's way as prescribed in the true gospel. True salvation is a matter of Lordship (salvation by worship) - which can only be effected by the true gospel and the Holy Spirit of God.

Unfortunately there is too much emphasis on what salvation [b]isn't[/b] and not enough on what it [b]is[/b], in the body of Christ. Whether it is by the [b]false prophets[/b] who proclaim "Peace, peace, where there is no peace" or by the [b]would be reformers[/b] (and I mean this as [b]almost[/b] if they got a grasp of the answer, not as a slur) would run around like Chicken Little, crying out "The sky is falling!!!", the true gospel is slighted.

While salvation is not too be understood in terms of [b]legalism[/b] and [b]libertinism[/b], it is too be fathomed as "[b]Mercy[/b] triumphing over [b]Judgement[/b]".

Judgement works [b]condemnation[/b] upon the [b]guilty[/b], and [b]acquittal[/b] for the [b]innocent[/b]. Mercy offered to the innocent is both illogical and injust, as it implies guilt where there is none. (Ray Comfort) When the guilty is acquitted (on the basis of a legal loophole, for example, rather than innocence) then the Guilty has [b]received[/b] mercy, expressed through [b]forgiveness[/b]. When this happens Mercy triumphs over Judgement, because Judgement does not get what Justice offers, namely Condemnation.

This "Mercy over Judgement" principle is how we are to understand the word [b]Justification[/b]. (Ron Bailey)

Note that the one prevailing condition of Mercy (ie, Forgiveness) is that "Someone has to pay." (J Edwin Orr) In this legal illustration, Christ pays the penalty, and the Holy Spirit offers supervision over the [b]Parolee[/b] (really "Aquitted", however not simply [b]let off the hook[/b], but released undr supervision hence my use of "Parolee"). He promises to Rehabilitate the Parolees Attitude and Behaviour, and present him before the [b]Judgement Seat[/b] at the appointed time (this illustration breaks down, at a point due to the rarity of Parolees actually rehabilitating. The Scripture clearly states that the Holy Spirit will complete the work that He begins, stating that no negaitive circumstances, however extreme can separate us from the love of God...so with the Holy Spirit, rehabilitation is assured [Chip Bogden]).

So God pays the price, through His Son, at the Cross, and pays again by investing His Spirit's labour it the process of rehabilitation. Our only requirement is to "work out" what He has "worked in".

I say this to point out that, as Christians we must be diligent to replace the things that we [b]pull down[/b] with things that need [b]building[/b], in their place. Disillusionment is a beneficious thing, but only if it is going somewhere.

Note: The Cross is the [b]Gate[/b], and the Rehabilitation is the [b]Path[/b], in this illustration. It's by no means comprehensive, but my hope is that it opens the door a crack.;-)

Unfortunately there is too much emphasis on what salvation isn't and not enough on what it is, in the body of Christ.

Great illustration given on the legal aspect of God justifying the sinner and yet remaining Himself just!

Note: The Cross is the Gate, and the Rehabilitation is the Path, in this illustration.

Grace and peace
Olan

There is an interesting document called the Didache, that can be found with a Google search. This document will clarify some of your questions.
Blessings Greg

P.S. This document is also refered to as "The teaching of the Twelve Apostles." It clearly lays out the 2 "ways", or the two paths that one can travel.

Just a small taste of how this document begins.

THE DIDACHE
or
THE TEACHING OF THE LORD TO THE GENTILES BY THE TWELVE APOSTLES

Translated by J.B.Lightfoot, 1891
Edited ever so slightly by Baruch, 1993

1. There are two ways, one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between the two ways. The way of life is this. First of all, you must love the God who made you; secondly, your neighbour as yourself. All things you wouldn't have befall yourself, neither do to another.

Blessings Greg

I believe God repeats things in the bible, but says them in different ways, helps to understand.

Dear God, please help these talks, please forgive our sins, help us to know You more, thank you for forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ, in Jesus' name I pray, amen.

it seems to me, with the many teachings of Jesus that we are to follow as lead by Holy Spirit, the narrow way is also connected to His cost of being His disciple "...anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:27. We have to learn from God Himself what His personal cross, plan is for us, and do what He wants us personally to do.

I also learned a lot from the persecuted christians' testimonies, like Richard Wurmbrand from www.persecution.com and www.gfa.org (India christians who face beating, threats, and sometimes death for Christ, even today).

I highly recommend people to continue seeking what God's will for them is, and studying His cost for discipleship, He is worth it. It took me a while to even learn what the cross was, I didn't understand, but I persevere even today.

Jesus says "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Matthew 7:21-23