This path really does seem to narrow as you travel it. It’s that path Jesus spoke of in Matt. 7:13-14; that path that leads to ‘life’ that many seek after. He also spoke of another path or ‘way’ that would be far more traveled that ‘many’ would be on that would lead them to a ‘wide gate’. The problem is, what lies on the other side of that ‘gate’ would tragically, not be what they ‘thought’ they were looking for. Jesus used the word ‘destruction’ to describe what awaits them. 

 So is God some sort of deity with a twisted mind who only made a way for a select few to travel this narrow road, a small group who many others might view as some high school clique that think they are better than everyone else? I can see why some might want to jump to that conclusion, but we should be reminded that God has made this opportunity for ALL of humanity to experience this ‘life’ that that only He can offer. It’s just that most will refuse it. 

 I only begin with John 3:16 to remind us all that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…that whosoever…believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. Do I really need to expand upon that to explain that ‘whosoever’ and ‘the world’ sounds pretty all-inclusive to me. 

 I would then direct your attention to 1 Timothy 1:15 where we read that this Son, Jesus, came to ‘save sinners’. And since we know that ‘all have sinned’ (Rom. 3:23), that once again seems to make the invitation extended to ‘all of us who have sinned’, does it not? 

 Going back to the line right after John 3:16, we see where Jesus made it clear that He did not come to ‘condemn the world’ but rather that the world through Him might be saved. (17) Allow me to point out the obvious here: There was no need for Jesus to come and condemn anyone because…we ALL were already ‘condemned’ since we had all sinned, which means we had all broken God’s laws. That, is why the wrath of God was already on us from the beginning. (John 3:36) We needed to be saved from the wrath of God. (Rom. 5:9) 

 So let’s go back to 1 Timothy once more and read 2:4 as we learn it is God’s desire for “ALL men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 

 Do you know why He wants us to come to this knowledge of the truth? Because truth is what ‘sets us free’. (John 8:32-36). That’s the place where Jesus taught us that ‘whoever commits sin is a slave to sin’. (34). And a slave is not free. Soooo…if you are continuing to sin, what does that make you? (a ‘saint who sins’ would be the wrong answer). I only say that because of what we know from 1 John 3:6,9. 

 I hope you marked that line in 1 Tim.2:4 that says God wants ‘all men’ to be ‘saved’. (yes, women included…and everyone else ‘in-between’ *smile & wink*) 

 And just to drive home this point that God’s love is all inclusive, I only point you to 2 Peter 3:9 that affirms the truth that the Lord is “not willing that ANY should perish but that ALL should come to repentance.” 

 Are we all good here in understanding and hearing God’s heart now? I’ve not taken anything out of context nor attempted to put a spin on God’s motive and intent. He loves each and every one of us in spite of the condition He found us in…and He wants to save us, deliver us, heal us…and make a way that you might not only experience ‘life’, but experience it ‘abundantly’. (John 10:10) 

 But in order for this to happen, we need to turn or ‘repent’ and come to Him. Do you truly want this abundant life that He offers? Then you have to come to Him…with your whole heart. You do realize you can spend your whole life reading, studying, and yes, even preaching/teaching the word…and still fall short. Look what Jesus told that religious group in John 5:39-40. They simply were unwilling to ‘come to Him’. 

 You can spend your whole life ‘speaking in tongues, feeding the poor, moving mountains with your faith and even offer your body to be burned for God, but still fall short. (1 Cor. 13:1-3) 

 Why…you can even be quite active ‘casting out devils, prophesying and doing great things in the name of the Lord’…and still find yourself on that wide road that leads to destruction where you will be told that ‘He never knew you’…depart from Him’. (Matt. 7:21-23) 

 Where am I going with all this today? I want to share what the common thread is for those who are abiding in Jesus and have truly turned and repented. And that common thread is anyone and everyone who has turned and began this pursuit in following Jesus were ‘called out’. What were we ‘called out of or from’, you ask? Darkness. We were called out of darkness and to walk in this light as He is in the light. (1 Pet. 2:9; 1 John 1:7). And we know all about this spiritual darkness that has been on the earth, and only grows darker. But make no mistake about it, light always prevails over the darkness. Always. But we better be careful to make sure we walk in this ‘light’ as it won’t always be here. (John 12:35-36) 

 Interesting study to go back beginning with Abraham and see how God has this ongoing theme of ‘calling people out’. And usually it is a place of familiarity where darkness prevailed. Abraham lived in the land of the Chaldeans when God called him out. (Gen.11:31-12:7) And did you know that this ‘church’ Jesus came to establish or build (Matt. 16:18) comes from a Greek word that actually means ‘called out ones’? 

 We also know that this call to come out of the darkness and to turn towards this light often falls on deaf ears…and blind eyes, you might say. You know why? Lots of people love the darkness more. (John 3:19-21). But at least we still get to choose and we know it has to be one or the other. Light and Darkness cannot co-exist together. Which is why God does lay down this one condition if/when we come to Him. It has to be with our whole heart. No strings attached. 

 There can be nothing else more important that would take the place of God in our hearts. And He will test you on that. Remember Isaac? 

 God has His reasons. And He will make those known to us…when we turn and come to Him. That, I can promise you. ;-). 

 Oh…anything that we insist on holding on to and not surrendering to God…is what God calls an ‘idol’. And this you can be sure of…no idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of heaven. Join me tomorrow?