Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
Luke 13:24
There are no more ominous words written in Scripture. When the door shuts, it will not open. Do you understand the gravity of this statement? There will not be an amnesty day for salvation. If you miss it, you miss it. It’s like driving down the interstate and missing the exit. Once you miss it, you can’t go back. Over. Done. Finished. Door closed.
Do you think Jesus said this to scare potential followers? I don’t think so. I think it was a stern warning.
Enter the narrow door
The Pharisees worked hard to enter heaven through the wide gate of good works and keeping the law. They lived their lives by a list of doing certain things and not doing other things. Their idea of getting to heaven was doing more good than bad. It was a religion in itself that based its concept of heaven as something they attained by their intolerant and arrogant lifestyle. This thought process is just not right. You cannot enter heaven based on how good you are to others.
But Jesus said this would not work. Only one door would let them into heaven, and the door they were seeking was the wrong door.
Have you ever been riding down the road and realized you were going the wrong way? Let’s say you wanted to spend a few weeks in the Florida Keys but were on I-95 headed north. Riding in that direction would never get you to Florida, and you would end up in a place you never intended.
Jesus calls this path the wide door. It’s easy, but it’s wrong.
Enter before it’s too late
Jesus indeed has unlimited love, and His compassion is incomprehensible. However, there will be a day in the near or far future when Jesus shuts the door (Luke 13:25). God is patient, but the clock is running out. There will be a time when it is too late to make a decision about Jesus in your life.
I don’t know when that day will be, but it could be today, tomorrow, or in 2051. But there will be a day. Some people believe that God is going to receive everyone into heaven. This is just not true. And by the way, the narrow gate is much more difficult to pass through than the wide gate.
My burden today is that you don’t wait. Life is short, and God offers eternal life for us. But the door will one day shut and not open again. At that point, it will be too late. When that day comes, you don’t want to be outside looking in through the window.
Enter by trusting Jesus
How do we enter the narrow gate? I include a link that explains things very well. If you chose to follow Jesus today, I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected]. I would love to talk with you more about your decision.
Click the link below for more information about trusting Jesus.