Choosing The Narrow Gate

My Utmost For His Highest

Enter by the narrow gate….Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life…. —Matthew 7:13-14

“If we are going to live as disciples of Jesus, we have to remember that all efforts of worth and excellence are difficult.  The Christian life is gloriously difficult, but its difficulty does not make us faint and cave in— it stirs us up to overcome.  Do we appreciate the miraculous salvation of Jesus Christ enough to be our utmost for His highest— our best for His glory?

God saves people by His sovereign grace through the atonement of Jesus, and “it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). But we have to “work out” that salvation in our everyday, practical living (Philippians 2:12). If we will only start on the basis of His redemption to do what He commands, then we will find that we can do it. If we fail, it is because we have not yet put into practice what God has placed within us. But a crisis will reveal whether or not we have been putting it into practice. If we will obey the Spirit of God and practice in our physical life what God has placed within us by His Spirit, then when a crisis does come we will find that our own nature, as well as the grace of God, will stand by us.” CHAMBERS

A friend took a picture of this gate in Jan Roux Haiti as they were completing a difficult climb to reach the village.  It reminded me of Matthew 7:13-14.  As Christians, we have chosen the narrow gate.  While the rest of the world marches on to their own destruction.  We are light bearers.  Showing the world Jesus.  The life we live is difficult because a war rages within us.  The battle of the Spirit and the Flesh.  Yet, we have entered the Gate.  Our destiny is secured.  The walk on this planet will still be difficult … but if we keep our eyes and hearts fixed on Jesus … our lights will shine showing the way to the Gate to others.  2 Corinthians 4:7-10 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”  That is why we can rejoice in our afflictions.  Think about it.  ELGIN

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)