And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them,“Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and
Luke 13: 23-27
will not be able…
I have read these verses many times with thoughts of thankfulness. Thankful for being in an intimate relationship with the Lord, thankful for enjoying His presence as I walkout each day, and knowing that when He calls me home; I will be enjoying the light of God’s presence for eternity.
However, it wasn’t until recently when reading these verses, I felt a deep foreboding of ALL IS LOST. How many have been lost and how many more will be lost for not seeking Him? Salvation only comes from personal faith in Jesus. No one can want it for us. It has to be of our own free-will.
How many cemeteries are filled with the remains of people who lived a “good” life on earth as defined by mankind? They were model citizens who obeyed the civic laws, they were always courteous and considerate, the first to reach out and help their neighbors, generous people with their time and/or their money; and yet they never accepted Jesus as their Savior. How many people are noted in history books for amazing accomplishments that made the world safer, healthier, or more peaceful only to end up at ALL IS LOST?
If it were up to mankind and the door to heaven was attained by personal accomplishments and or popularity, many of these individuals would be in pretty good shape.
But how many “non-believing” laureates have entered into heaven because their award winning contributions earned them the Nobel Prize?
How many beloved entertainers over the years who never opened their hearts to Jesus walked through that narrow door?
How many record setting athletes who turned their backs on Him are enjoying His presence?
If you believe the Bible – Zero!
An attorney was telling me about a very successful couple who live in a very desirable community in Naples, Fl. They own a luxurious well appointed home that backs to a golf course in in gated community. They have their own pool not to mention the neighborhood club house offering many amenities including an olympic size pool, sauna, fitness center and various ball courts. They are just a few minutes from an exclusive beach. They have everything most people want in life and when asked how life is going, they say they are bored. They finally obtained all the pleasures in life that they had strived for and they have lost interest in them. Wealth can pay for a lot of stuff but the adage “money doesn’t buy you happiness” certainly rings true in their case.
Jesus implores us to “STRIVE to enter through the narrow door”. Strive! We must endeavor, seek, and make an effort toward the kingdom of heaven which has a very narrow door. The door is narrow and it takes effort to pass through it because of the many obstacles in life preventing us from getting there. This fallen world is full of stupid friends, con artists, and other distractions that offer us the promises of pleasure, and yet all those pleasures are temporal at best. The devil is always going to do his level best to keep us from obtaining eternity with God. He is a master at using our lust of the eyes, our lust of the flesh and our pride of life to keep us distracted (see https://enjoyinghispresence.com/who-are-the-children-of-god/). Sometimes he will use a friend or acquaintance to do his bidding.
Back in the day, I belonged to a car club and this one guy would chastise you if you did not agree with his ideas. He had this tactic of trying to shame you with the phrase “I thought you were my wing-man”. He also loved to quote the idiotic idiom, “a good friend will bail you out of jail but a true friend would be sitting next to you in jail”. The irony was that he had a very loving and devout wife who was the true wingman in his life. I thought if he had half a brain, he would thank God for his wife and ask God to be his co-pilot rather than rate his friends by who was willing to sit in jail with him.
“God Is My Co-Pilot” is a 1943 autobiography by Robert Lee Scott Jr. that was adapted into a movie in 1945. “God is My Co-pilot” has become a common phrase in various cultural contexts and definitely when referring to God’s involvement in an individual’s life. So if one views their life as an airplane that they pilot, it’s a pretty good idea to have God as your co-pilot. It’s not a bad analogy when you think about it. God gives us free will so we are in charge of flying the airplane we call our life, while God sits in the number 2 seat. He will never take the controls from you unless you ask Him. Unfortunately, too many of us wait until our life is in a downward spiral before asking God to take the controls. Which reminds me of the very popular 2005 song by Carrie Underwood, “Jesus take the wheel”. It is about a woman in a desperate situation asking for Jesus’ to take control of her life.
Watching the evening news is a daily reminder of just how far this world has fallen. It is no wonder why the door to God’s eternal kingdom is narrow given the dark obstacles we have to navigate in this world. But we don’t have to navigate this world alone.
If you are a non-believer,
ALL does NOT have to be LOST!
I respectfully ask that you give God a chance. Turn towards Him and accept Jesus’ work on the cross for your salvation. Allow Him to fill you with the light of His Holy Spirit. You can thank Him for His gift of free-will by offering it back to Him, and allowing Him to guide your life.
In lieu of making God your co-pilot, make Him the pilot of your life. Give Jesus the wheel so He can steer you around the obstacles. Let the Holy Spirit light the path for you to His narrow door. – Amen
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