Swordworx

OUR CHOICES MATTER
Love Everybody, But Aim High For Your Inner Circle
Proverbs 13:20, 1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Psalm 1:1-2

People and animals share the fundamental ability to learn by observing and mimicking others, but humans take imitation to much higher level than mere behavior. Our character draws our associations, and our associations influence our choices- for better or worse.

Here's a quick spiritually practical tip to change your life immediately if you're in a rut or being inundated by goofballs:

You will find that if you regularly hang around five successful people, you will likely become the 6th.

If you regularly hang out with five intelligent people, you will also likely be the 6th.

In the same way, if you regularly hang out with five knuckleheads, guess what's going to happen? Yessir, you WILL be the sixth. Start checking that inventory.

"UNDERSTANDING THE NARROW GATE MYSTERY"
How Narrow Did Ya’ll Say That Thing Is Again?

Spoiler: The more our academic community has learned about interpreting Holy Scripture, the faster students of the New Testament quickly found out that (uh oh) a whole lot more people will be ending up in hell, rather than heaven. What?! How?! Because few get past what Jesus calls, “a narrow gate”, through which only few can enter their eternal home in Gloryland. This whole story is often butchered like a bad recipe, leading some to erroneously wonder if an additional requirement for redemption is being revealed here. Nope, no rules are being added. This is simply an illustration of the Christian faith's central truth. Not even Zepbound could get anybody skinny enough to fit through the narrow door He's talking about, so let's check out what's up with this mystery.

*TWO GATES
The narrow gate, also called the narrow "door", is referred to by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14 and Luke 13:23-24. He compares the narrow gate to the “broad road” which leads to destruction (hell) and says that “many” will be on that road. By contrast, Jesus says that “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” His riddles can be so cool, but what exactly does that mean? Just how many are the “many” and how few are the “few”?

*JESUS IS THE DOOR
Our key to solving the narrow door (gate) mystery is understanding that Jesus, Himself, is the Door (John 10:9). The point is, He's the One through which all must enter eternal life. If we are walking in Him, we're gonna fit through whatever door He wants. There is no other way because He alone is “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). The way to eternal life is restricted to just one avenue—Christ. In this sense, the way is, obviously, narrow because it is the only way, and relatively few people will go through the narrow gate. Many more will attempt to find an alternative route to God. They will try to get there through manmade rules and regulations, through false religion, or through self-effort. These who are “many” will follow the broad road that leads to eternal destruction, while the sheep hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow Him along the narrow way to eternal life (John 10:7-11).

*A FINAL CHANCE TO BE SAVED
While there will be relatively few who go through the narrow gate compared to the many on the broad road, there will still be multitudes who will follow the Good Shepherd during the Tribulation (post Rapture). The apostle John saw this multitude in his vision in the book of Revelation: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9-10).

*EPILOGUE
Entering the narrow gate is not easy. Jesus made this clear when He instructed His followers to “strive” to do so. The Greek word translated “strive” is 'agonizomai', from which we get the English word "agonize". The implication here is that those who seek to enter the narrow gate must do so by struggle and strain, like a running athlete straining toward the finish line. Remember, though, that no amount of effort saves us; salvation is by the grace of God through the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). No one will ever earn heaven by striving for it.

Let's see how this is done.