Who are these
people?
By Elder Timothy Binion
“The cheap grace evangelism so widespread in our day, with its high pressure
techniques, makes merchandise of the souls of men”. Matthew chapter seven
verses twenty-one thru twenty-three, awaken our minds by attention demanding and
thought provoking words. Surely anyone who has a real concern and vital interest
in his soul will reflect upon the passage, asking himself, "Am I really saved?
Do I, in truth, belong to the Lord? Have I a genuine hope?" Listen to the
passage. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?
and in thy name have cast out devils?. . . And then will I profess unto them, I
never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:21-23) This
passage clearly teaches us that many religious people who expect to go to Heaven
when they die will instead be cast into hell. Oh what a sobering thought, that
many religious people will one day receive from Christ the terrible declaration,
". . . Depart from Me . . . " There is a day coming when millions of religious
people who thought beyond any shadow of doubt that they were saved and ready for
Heaven, will be consigned to everlasting punishment. In answer to the question,
who are these people? I would answer that they are good, moral people, church
members, church workers, church leaders, and even preachers, popes, priests,
prophets, bishops, elders, deacons, and such like who will be condemned to
everlasting torment. We live in a time of great deception. It's not easy to find
one who truly knows the Lord as we interact with other people on a Christian
level. John Wesley said, "Many people have been inoculated with a mild dose of
Christianity that makes them immune to the real thing." Wesley’s statement best
describes our present religious day. The most important question is, are you one
of these people? Just where do you stand at this present moment? Are you saved
or deceived? Are you religiously lost? What should interest you the most is not
what you think or what anyone else thinks about the matter, but how the Lord
sees you right now!
Most evangelical preachers of today offer people a foolish presumption (gate
system) that in my estimation, aggravates the gospel. I know we don’t like to
think about it, but Matthew 7:21-23, plainly teaches that many religious people
are lost. Why? In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus gives us the reason why. Jesus said;
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way,
that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because
strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few
there be that find it." These passages clearly identify the problem. The
religiously lost use the wrong gate system and need to “enter the strait gate”.
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably entered one of these two religious gates
and never examined the gate system of which you entered. Jesus repeatedly warned
us that there are two religious gates, two roads, two destinations and two
crowds. The gate Jesus invites us to enter is narrow and the other gate is wide.
One religious gate is difficult to enter and the other is very easy to enter.
The entrance of the straight gate requires an effort. Today, most religious folk
just kind of drift though the wide gate, without any kind striving. Jesus is
contrasting human religion and the religion of God. This is not a contrast
between ungodly/godly or religious and non-religious. The people that went
through the wide gate, went through a gate marked as “this is the way to
heaven.” This dual marquee of Christian religion has been around now for a long
time. One paved by human achievement and the other by Divine accomplishment. How
do people read this sermon of Jesus Christ and miss the main point? Over and
over again to the end of the chapter this contrast continues with two roads; two
destinations; two kinds of travelers, two kinds of trees the good and the
corrupt; two kinds of fruits, two builders one wise and one foolish, two
foundations one a rock and the other sand; two houses and two storms. Jesus
repeatedly stresses two very different ways. Both point to God, both point to
heaven, both point to blessing; BUT both roads don’t go there. One is comprised
of self righteousness and the other of divine righteousness.
“Jesus repeatedly stresses two very different ways. Both point to God, both
point to heaven, both point to blessing; BUT both roads don’t go there!!
”If you want to be saved you must enter the narrow gate. The Greek aorist
imperative verb used here, demands an immediate determination. Jesus said;
“enter at once through the right gate”. This is not a new condition for
salvation. All through the Bible, God has explained the terms for entering this
gate. Even in the beginning of the sermon on the mount (Matthew Chapter 5),
Jesus stressed the need of having a beggar spirit, morning over sin, a meekness
before God, and a spiritual hungering and a thirsting for righteousness. You
must enter the kingdom by these clearly expressed terms or you will not enter.
You must enter this narrow gate for the blessings of Christ’s Kingdom or these
blessings will not be yours. You must enter through the right gate, the narrow
one and not the broad one.
What are the properties of this gate? What does this gate look like? First, you
must strive to go through this gate because going through it is not easy.
Secondly, it is narrow meaning you must enter alone. Perhaps, the best
expression of this word narrow is a turnstile. If you ever go through the narrow
gate you’ll go through alone. In other words, we go through the right gate one
at a time. You can’t go through as a group. Any kind of wholesale mass
evangelism will not get people though this narrow gate. The Jews thought they
could go through as a group. They said “We’re the seed of Abraham.” A group of
people can not go through a turnstile and a group of people do not go through
the narrow gate together. Salvation is exclusive and intensely personal. Your
gate experience must be personally based on an individual act of faith. You can
not go through this gate as a family, nation, church, or with the use of a
counselor. Personal means no third party involved. Jesus also said you must
enter with great difficulty in contrast to the easy. What kind of gate would you
assign walking the isle and signing a card? God has said you’ll find me when you
search for me with all your heart. Scripturally by the name of our Lord Jesus, I
warn you, beware of cheap grace!! If you believe the words of Jesus, clearly the
wrong gospel is the one with no striving in it! Then said one unto him, Lord,
are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the
strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be
able (Luke 13:23 &24).
The word strive in the Greek language is ag-o-nid́-zom-ahee; it means to
struggle, to compete for a prize, to contend with an adversary, to endeavor to
accomplish something, or to fight. Notice how the word is used or translated in
other places of the Bible. 1 Cor. 9:25 translates the word “fight”. In Col. 4:12
it is translated “warfare”. Whereas, 1Tim. 6:12 the word is used for “labor”.
Jesus said; entering the gate requires warfare like striving or a fervently
laboring of spirit. The “many” (who are lost) opposed to the few (that are
saved) hinges on one primary different practice . . .a striving or agonizing to
enter in. Jesus said many won’t be able. Why? Because many refuse the scriptural
process or present different terms for entrance. The scriptures even at times
speaks of entering the Kingdom of God in a harsh and violent manner. Notice in
Matthew 11:12; “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of
heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” In Luke 16:16
conditions of entrance also include pressing. “The law and the prophets were
until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man
presseth into it.” One of Satan’s biggest lies today is that entrance in to the
Kingdom of Heaven does not require striving, pressing or agonizing and mourning
over sin. Through the wide gate a crowd can come, you can keep your sins, you
can come through as you are and you’re told not to expect a change. This broad
way has no requirements, no commands, no theology, no rules, no striving, no
labor, no warring, and no agonizing. Masses of people who have been
high-pressured into making a decision or commitment have therefore, been
persuaded into believing that they are saved. When the Holy Spirit lays hold of
a sinner's heart in conviction in an attempt to save him, we may be sure that
He's the One Who puts the real pressure on. The Holy Spirit will bring him down
in humiliation and break his love for sin and love of self and bring him up in
Christ’s salvation. The cheap grace evangelism so widespread in our day, with
its high pressure techniques, makes merchandise of the souls of men. It leads
and causes people to think and confidently imagine that they are in the narrow
way which leads to life when they are in the broad way which leads to
destruction. True religion strives, agonizes, mourns over sin, and causes one to
plead with God to change a heart and life. You must endeavor to enter Christ’s
Kingdom or you won’t enter. You must be broken and unloaded to go though the
gate. The narrow gate is one of self-denial and a gate of Lordship. In Matthew
chapter 19, the rich young ruler searched for God but would not unload. You must
remove your self-righteous robe and receive a robe of righteousness. Jesus spoke
often of this process like in Matthew 18:3 “And said, Verily I say unto you,
Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into
the kingdom of heaven.” Charles Spurgen wrote “you and your sins must separate
or you and your God will never come together.” You must enter alone, with
difficulty, and completely surrendered to Christ. You can’t simply add Christ to
your life or take him into your heart. Salvation is not by addition; but, by
transformation. Salvation is marked by a changed life. Are you one of these
people whom the Lord spoke of? The fact that many people are traveling the broad
road with you should not comfort you. It should alarm you. Enter in at the
straight gate . . . get off the broad road that leads to destruction or you will
be one of these people whom the Lords says; “depart from Me!”