Anchor My Faith

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Author: Stephen Weller
592 words, 3 minutes read time

Seek the Lord While You Still Can

Scripture: Luke 13:22-24

With the previous lesson we finish the section in which Jesus did another healing on the Sabbath in order to illustrate the meaning of the Sabbath as opposed to illustrating the fact that he was Lord over the Sabbath. The Sabbath was to be a time of rest or release from bondage, not a time to be burdened with man made traditions concerning it. With this lesson we will begin a very well-known section about the “narrow door.”

 ^{Lk 13:22} “He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. ²³ And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?”’

Our narrative opens with Jesus traveling toward Jerusalem, and as he goes through towns and villages, he takes time to teach. At some point along the way, someone asked him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” Apparently, someone had recalled his teaching about the few who will enter through the narrow gate. In what follows, Jesus answers that question.

And he said to them, ^{Lk 13:24} “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”

To enter through the narrow door, one must be convicted of their sin and repent, seek forgiveness and believe. In Luke 13:3 ESV, Jesus said, “I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” In 1 John 1:8 – 10 ESV, John said, ⁸ “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” Paul tells us in Romans 10:8 ESV that “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” and in Ephesians 2:8 – 9 ESV: ⁸ “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Unless one strives to take these steps there will be a time when one will no longer be able. Clearly, if one dies before salvation there will be no further opportunity to decide, for “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” It may be possible under a particular condition to have sinned and then be unable to seek forgiveness. For example, ⁴ “It is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶ and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt” (Hebrews 6:4 – 6 ESV).

Conclusion

If you haven’t placed your faith in Jesus yet, now is the time to do that because you don’t know for sure that you will live through the day. Don’t put off any longer what has eternal consequences at stake.