Christian Blogs, Millpond Ink Musing
Millpond Ink Musing, 2015 – Of the Strait Gate and Our Walk Thereafter
I haven’t thought about it before, but this morning I wondered what our Lord meant when He said to enter at the strait gate. (Matthew 7:13,14) I mean, at what point in time do we enter or not? When we come to know Jesus? When we die?
Based on what I’ve come to believe doctrinally, a sincere and true believer in Christ enters when the Holy Spirit quickens God’s elect to believe in Jesus by faith alone. They deeply acknowledge the depths of their sin and repent, and gratefully receive His blood ransom in full satisfaction of God’s wrath.
The preceding is theologically defined in terms as God’s election, calling, regeneration and justification of the saint. It is at that point a person enters at the strait gate; years before the Lord may call his child home to glory and eternity. What leads me to conclude that? Well, other than Jesus’s promise that no one shall pluck us out of His Father’s hand, the verse in Matthew related to the ‘sinner’s way’ alludes to a period of time and travel.
Consider now what is said of the ‘gate of the sinner.’ It is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction. Jesus does not say that those who go that way immediately suffer judgment in eternity. Their way ‘leads to’ destruction. In this same way, the strait ‘leads to’ glory. Once the saint enters the strait, the way remains necessarily narrow as we are called to be sanctified and holy even as He is Holy. While it might widen again as we live our lives and periodically fall into sin, this cannot be so at the end for the Father preserves us.
However, for those who deceive themselves by wantonly thinking the way re-widens and will remain that way after the strait gate is entered? It may not be the strait that we’ve entered and that is another reason we work out our salvation in fear and trembling. Given the destructive outcome, shouldn’t we be certain of our path? It’s worth praying about.
