Things New and Old

Ancient truths revealed in the Scriptures are often forgotten, disbelieved or distorted, and therefore lost in the passage of time. Such ancient truths when rediscovered and relearned are 'new' additions to the treasury of ancient truths.

Christ showed many new things to the disciples, things prophesied by the prophets of old but hijacked and perverted by the elders and their traditions, but which Christ reclaimed and returned to His people.

Many things taught by the Apostles of Christ have been perverted or substituted over the centuries. Such fundamental doctrines like salvation by grace and justification have been hijacked and perverted and repudiated by sincere Christians. These doctrines need to be reclaimed and restored to God's people.

There are things both new and old here. "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things" 2Ti 2:7.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Strive to enter in at the strait gate...

Strive to enter in at the strait gate...

"How much striving have you observed dead people doing?
The requirement of conscious, deliberate, and specific effort
presumes the pre-existence of life, in this case, spiritual life."

Luke 13
 24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
 25 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:
 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
 28 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.
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A brother wrote: (verbatim)

I write seeking some clarification on the above passage.
a) who are the ones striving to enter the narrow gate?
b) if they are the non- elects, dead without any life to response to the word of God then why are they still coming forward to knock seeking to enter the narrow gate?
c) obviously these are non elects because they are casted out - but surely they have already made alive spiritually when they knock seeking to enter the narrow gate.
d) who are the target audience The Lord preached to?

Hopeful we will get some enlightenment on the subject.

Thanks
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Dear Brother,

Thanks for opportunity to study the Scriptures together!

Here is the Scriptures we are inquiring...
Luke 13
 24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
 25 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:
 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
 28 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.

This is a wonderful subject for study to learn some important biblical truth.

a. Who are the ones EXHORTED to strive to enter in the narrow gate?
- I believe our Lord Jesus Christ is addressing specifically God's children among the Jews... that's the immediate context.
- Such are called to enter in at the strait gate. Such alone are ever called upon by the Lord Jesus Christ to perform any spiritual activity. Striving to enter at the strait gate is a spiritual activity that only God's children can do.
- "Strive to enter in at the strait gate" indicates the URGENCY of doing so. Why the urgency? A time will come WHEN it will be too late for these people to do so. They shall suffer destruction when the old covenant order would be destroyed... i.e. 70AD.
- A time will come when many WILL SEEK (future when Jesus spoke those words) to enter the kingdom of God but will be too late. Destruction would be at the door!!!
- This lesson is powerfully illustrated and brought home with the story of the master of the house rising up to shut the door, ending their access into his house, his kingdom.

b. The details of the story give us clear indications of the identity of the people under consideration:
- when they realized that the door was already closed and that they were locked out, they strove in earnest to get in the master's house! These were those referred to: "for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." These can only be God's children among the Jews who realized their folly of not taking heed of entering the strait gate. They panicked!!!  Many were unbelieving that Jesus was the Christ and has come to establish the kingdom of heaven and urged God's children among the Jews to leave the old earthly geriatric theocratic kingdom of Israel.
- They experienced so much privileges... "We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets." Yet they did not heed Christ's exhortation to "Strive to enter in at the strait gate." They did not leave the old earthly kingdom of Israel in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, the NEW and BETTER covenant. In this unbelief and disobedience, they are workers of iniquity.
- Not entering the strait gate is to remain in the familiar status quo... not forsaking the old covenant that was destined to b abolished.
- To enter the strait gate is leave the old earthly geriatric theocratic kingdom of Israel in order to enter the kingdom of heaven established by the Lord Jesus Christ. To remain in the old earthly geriatric theocratic kingdom of Israel means destruction along with it in 70AD by the Roman armies.
- That destruction together with the destruction of Jerusalem is indicated by "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth..." instead of being safe and secure in the master's house.
- The clause "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth..." is used 5 times in the NT, and each time the context is about the CHILDREN of the kingdom!!!  Mt 8:12 "But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  See also Mt 22:13, 24:51, 25:30, and Lk 13:28.

c. Verse 28 gives a clear indication of what the house of the master refers to... it is the kingdom of heaven.
- It is NOT HEAVEN itself. TOO many cannot make the necessary distinction. Entrance into heaven is NEVER NEVER NEVER conditioned upon any activity of men!!! That's the basic and fundamental implication of salvation by grace alone when that truth is truly and correctly understood.But very few preachers do!!!
- No amount of obedience of a man can gain him entrance into heaven. No amount of unbelief can exclude a man from heaven. A man's place in heaven is based solely upon the finished work of Christ in his stead.
- The unbelief of God children, and unbelief is a work of iniquity, will bring upon him grievous judgment in this life. For those who did not heed Christ's exhortation to enter the kingdom of heaven, they suffered terrible destruction in the hand of the Romans armies.
- Entrance into the kingdom of heaven requires great effort on the part of God's children to leave their old cherished baggage. Those among the Jews were very reluctant to forsake the old covenant religion. They suffered for immensely for their work of iniquity.

May our Lord give us grace to strive to enter His house... willingness to leave the old baggage that will hinder us from doing so.

The same timeless lesson applies to God's children in every generation to forsake the ways of the wide gate and broad way that lead to destruction...

I hope the above give some light, as well as warmth.

Thank you for the honor of studying the word of God.

sing

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