“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” — Matthew 7:13-14
God did not design the path to heaven wide because He knew the great majority of people would refuse to surrender fully to Him. There is a good reason there will be few people ushered into heaven. Certainly, the number that fully surrender will be significant, but only because of God’s interaction with humanity for thousands of years. Satan drew a third of the angels into rebellion. He will draw many more into deception. There will be a small number that remain faithful relatively to how many that reject or depart from God.
The most dangerous view of God is that He loves us so much that He will not allow us to enter hell. The truth is God allows people to receive exactly what they chose. In eternity, God will eternally separate people that wished to be separated from Him on earth. They did not wish to surrender their lives to Him. They did not communicate with Him, listen to Him, or obey Him. He was too inconvenient to fit into their lives. They were dead in their sins when they left this realm. Eternal separation from God is the Second Death.
Many professing Christians today attempt to use Him to cater to their entitlement-minded wishes. Satan answers those wishes to enforce their false concept of God and so that they will compel others to believe the lie. With the great apostasy now beyond critical mass, they will probably never know God.
I read almost daily horrible things people say about God, how wrongfully they depict Him, and what they insist He will do for them. But I seldom read about someone properly honoring Him and trying to conform to His will. Perhaps 90 percent of preachers, teachers, prophets, authors, bloggers, singers, songwriters, et cetera, focus on making the persona of God palatable to the flesh and carnal mind and favorable to the emotional system. Everything false weakens the biblical depiction of God as One to be feared. They project Him as anxiously waiting on them as a supernatural concierge. It further strengthens people’s unwillingness to regard Him as God omnipotent. They do not respect Him any more than they respect those who wait tables. Maybe that’s why I’ve heard that the worst tippers are the Sunday Christian crowd.
I wish to state it once more, but not for the last time—God owns me. I was bound in chains of sin and darkness. He redeemed me and paid for me at a priceless price. I am no longer autonomous. I am His property. Nothing matters in my life as much as obeying His will.
I did not just convert to Christianity. I wasn’t looking for a religion that could help me overcome drugs and alcohol. I was looking for freedom from the torment of my spiritual and physical bondage. I found freedom and more. I found love and joy. I am a negative watchman on the wall who sees the enemy coming. Certainly, some will awaken. Other ones hear the negative warning, cover their heads, and go back to sleep. But the warning must continue to sound.
When I look at lost humanity, I envision a vast valley of people. Some are walking in circles, veering to the right or left, then caught again in the flow. The majority are striding happily down the broad path and never stepping over its boundaries. It is like a large city with an immeasurable number of people. However, looking back at their source there appears to be an end to the great stream. A smaller number are being added. Could it be that the broad path is near the end of its practicality? Is the age of salvation by the atonement of Christ coming to an end?
The large path, perhaps a mile or wider, is flowing toward an apparent cliff’s edge. The great river of humanity does not slow down when it reaches the edge. People flow over it like a great waterfall. The outcome is realized by the thick smoke and flames that none of them notices as they approach the edge. There are screams and cries from the depth, but no apparent concern in the ones going over the edge.
Included in the great multitude are famous preachers, teachers, prophets, theologians, and denominational leaders. There is the Roman Catholic Pope with his priests, bishops, and cardinals, and millions of followers. Mingled with them are pagan leaders, shamans, witches, wizards, Imams, lamas, Swamis, Gurus, popular singers, authors, actors and actresses, bloggers, TV hosts, et al, are striding happily and confidently along with billions of deceived ones. They all believe that they are on the path to eternal life. Their confidence is based on the large number traveling with them. Sadly, they are on the path to eternal destruction. No amount of church attendance with “siren songs” and pandering sermons is going to change their course. No arranging sticks, drinking potions, contemplative praying, fire tunnels, wafers on their tongues, idol worshipping, incense burning, candle lighting, mantra chanting, conjuring up spirits, yoga, meditation, mindfulness, magic, ring kissing, crystals, praying to Mary or crucifixes, circle making, visualizing, positive confessing, impartation, conferring, attending church meetings, et cetera, is going to change their outcome. Very sadly, they are on a collision course with hell and hell will swallow them whole.
Some people may remark, “You’re trying to scare me into accepting your religion.”
If one believes God’s Word and Jesus Christ, he or she should know that hell is a destination to be feared. The Scriptures repeatedly warn about hell. It is much a place to fear than we would fear standing on the edge of a rumbling and unpredictable volcano. Christ revealed one man went to hell for coveting wealth and refusing to help a poor, starving, man. Some went to hell for being deadly religious. God will cast death and hell into a lake of fire.
If it takes the fear of hell to convince people to seek God, it is infinitely better than hell as their final destination. I would rather have eternal life in God’s great kingdom whatever the cost than laugh at the concept of hell and fall into its gaping mouth.
The fact is millions of professing Christians do not know God and would not like Him very well if they did. They have fashioned a flawed philosophical, fantastical, and even pagan image of Him. It is comparable to Old Testament Israel building idols.
Time is running out to search for the true God with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strength. He is not in the dead churches. He is not in most of the massive buildings where many people addicted to the “church” ritual gather. It will require professing Christians to give up their heretical smorgasbord and face the reality that they are happily on the interstate to eternal separation from God.
God seeks the humble ones—those people that realize their sins and fragility in the light of His presence. It is past time to search for and meet Him. People can still discover Him prayerfully crying out for Him to fill their hungry souls.
I do not enjoy breaking the harsh news that He is not present in the near majority compiling what is called “Christianity” today. He is not in the pagan New Age religions. They will not find him in any other place than spiritually at His feet—you broken and contrite—Him forgiving.
Sad but so very true. Spot on!