Sorry from me too because I never did get back with you.
Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. - Luke 13:24
What would you say that it means to "strive to enter in at the strait gate?"
Mr. Timothy, what I meant by that is living a sanctified life and not like living of the world. Sorry for not clarifying that earlier like I should have. Thank you
The reason I had asked the question was because I wanted to better understand what you say the gospel is. I wasn't sure, but after reading more of what you said and understanding a little more about you I'm more convinced that you're truly born again. There's a lot of people that will say that salvation is not of works but you can tell after talking with them that they mix in works to the gospel often without even realizing it. You've probably run into that some while street preaching and talking with your family.
And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.
-Luke 13:22-30Someone had asked Jesus if there would only be few that would be saved. Jesus had been rebuking people, especially the pharisees, because they thought that they were worthy of God's favor because they considered themselves "good people." But He told them they are no better than the Galilaeans who perished in pagan sacrifices. The people were the ones telling Jesus about the Galilaeans who perished in sacrifices and how they must have been reprobates because of God's judgment on them. But Jesus answered that they are no better than them and if they do not repent, they will end up in hell too.
There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
-Luke 13:1-3Jesus continued to rebuke them for other things and it led to this person asking if only few would be saved. It probably started to seem to that guy after Jesus' rebuking that their were none that were good in God's eyes. Jesus' answer was to
"Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." This isn't to say that one must do any amount of good works to get to heaven. It's striving to gain understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ of repentance and faith, to be the few that are humble and contrite before God because of their wickedness knowing that no work can make up for their sin and that Jesus Christ's sacrifice is the only payment for sin. It's not to strive to live a sanctified life in order to be saved because that would start to get into doing works for salvation depending on what you mean by living a sanctified life. Many that do not understand the gospel would probably come to the conclusion that it is by works because their understanding of a sanctified life is going to church, paying tithes and saying "Jesus" a lot (you've run into those kinds of people a lot, I'm sure). But those people will be the ones outside the master's door saying "We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets." They gave God praise when it was beneficial for them to appear righteous, but they never actually cared for the understanding of the gospel because they "went to church" and there's no way God would send them to the lake of fire.
I just wanted to explain that and why I had asked the question. Sorry again for not getting back with you sooner.
