LEARNING DAILY

Matthew 7:14, “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and few are on it”.  Jesus

If you have read this blog for a while, you know that this verse is the center focus of what is written. This is because every day of the believer’s life is about their lives being in preparation for an eternity in God’s eternal kingdom. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind about the importance of faith in the gospel of the Good News – the truth that every man and woman in this lost world may receive the gift of salvation in the believing faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. That belief brings each person saved by Him to the narrow way where God wants to fully prepare you in your daily life so that you will be ready for heaven (A.W. Tozer).

The narrow way, as I understand it, is a way of discipline and necessary corrections in our behavior that is aimed at bringing us out of the world system and all the evil in it. Yes, God disciplines us as an earthly father disciplines the children he loves in order to help them become honest, hardworking adults. Hebrews 12:10 tells us the motives of God are loving and for our good, “that we might be partakers of His holiness”. As His children through His Son, we should be attracted to and desire to be holy because He is holy; we want to be like our Father in heaven!

The narrow way is to prepare us for eternity, for fellowship with the Apostles, the prophets, all those we read about and consider heroes of the faith. Think of spending time with Abraham or Daniel or Elijah or any of your favorite Bible characters. Consider seeing your loved ones who have already walked into the kingdom of God. The need for you and for me to keep walking the narrow way is to continue cleansing us for that time; if you were ready and God did not need you on this earth anymore, don’t you think He would have taken you there already?

The God who saved each of us is “unspeakably pure. He is sinless, spotless, immaculate, stainless. In His person is an absolute fulness of purity that our words can never express. This fact alone changes our entire human and moral situation and outlook” (Tozer). Each of us must understand and see how important and necessary that we walk this narrow way each day as each day is another day of spiritual preparation, perhaps some testing, and maybe some discipline. But now consider it all with heaven in mind, as another day closer of being made ready to enter eternity in God’s kingdom. Becoming ready is not an instant or painless process.

From experience, the training to be who God wants me to be has not always been an easy one. There has been testing. There has been discipline, even some punishment at times. There has been much correction and the need to experience some things to make me less gullible (So I would not believe everything people tell me!). Instead of being discouraged, although that did occur, I tried to use these times as ways of being faithful and trusting they were for my benefit. It has not been easy but I have seen where God’s way, His plan was best as it took me further down the narrow way.

The person who has professed his/her faith in Jesus Christ is forgiven and saved. The next step is to walk that narrow way to be made ready for heaven and all the glories found there. “In summary: Down here the orchestra merely rehearses; over there we will give the concert. Here, we ready our garments of righteousness; over there we will wear them at the wedding of the Lamb.” (Tozer)