Jesus warned in Matthew 7:13,14 that FEW would FIND the Father’s strait gate and walk His narrow way that leads to His kingdom. What did Jesus mean by the words “gate” and “path”? Ask 100 people from 100 different denominations and one will hear 100 different answers, not one of which will be Scriptural. Proof of this statement is found in the fact that anyone giving the correct answer would have already been put out of his former denomination, declared a reprobate and rejected by the whole of professing Christendom. The general answer to the question is: TO LEARN GOD’S WILL AND DO IT. Ask those same 100 people to define God’s will and one will receive 100 different answers, not one of which will be correct. For proof see previous statement. The rich man asked Jesus WHAT HE MUST DO IN ORDER TO BE SAVED.  Jesus answered them immediately. His answer to the rich man is expanded upon in Matthew 12:46-50, John 15:13 and John 14:21,23 and concerns BROTHERHOOD, FRIENDSHIP AND LOVE.

Throughout the Holy Scriptures we are told that only Jesus’ spiritual brethren/friends who love Him in this age will spend eternity with Him in the age to come. In the Matthew 12 segment we find a messenger telling Him that His mother and brethren want to speak with Him. His response reveals that His biological mother, brothers and sisters occupied no special place in His heart because they did not believe in Him and were, in fact, embarrassed by what He was saying and doing. He made His attitude toward them clear when He pointed to His 12 disciples and said: “WHOSOEVER DOES THE WILL OF MY HEAVENLY FATHER is My brother, sister and mother.” His biological family were spiritual strangers to Him. Clearly, only His spiritual brethren were His true brethren.

In John 15:13 the Lord makes that Truth even clearer. Here He is speaking to His 12 disciples: “Greater love has no man than this, that He lay down His life for His friends. You (disciples) are My friends IF YOU DO WHATSOEVER  I COMMAND YOU.” In John 14:21,23 He brings His message to the finest of points when He says to the 12: “He who … KEEPS MY COMMANDMENTS is he who LOVES ME. And he who LOVES ME WILL (THEN) BE LOVED BY MY FATHER, and (THEN) I WILL LOVE HIM and manifest Myself to him. IF anyone LOVES ME he will KEEP MY WORD.” Note several things: Jesus and God COMMAND, They do not suggest. Obedience to Their commands (the Holy Bible/Law/Commandments/Truth) proves one’s love for Them. One’s obedience to Their commands causes Them to love him. THEIR WORDS AND THEIR COMMANDMENTS ARE ONE AND THE SAME. Collectively, they constitute Their LAW. Their “cause and effect” rule is played out perfectly in this verse: obedience to the Law (works of righteousness) proves one’s love for Christ. Love for Christ causes God to love the Law keeper, which causes Them to make Their abode with him in the form of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God’s power which enables one to resist Satan’s temptations, which keeps one from breaking the Law, which creates righteousness, which keeps the Holy Spirit abiding in him. Sin–breaking the Law (1 Jn. 3:4)–causes the Holy Spirit to leave, causing one to be separated from God (Isa. 59:2). Recall that King David, his sins having been exposed, pleaded with God not to take His Spirit from him (Ps. 51:11). The message is clear: TO DISOBEY GOD’S WORD/LAW/COMMANDMENTS/TRUTH is SIN. SIN SEPARATES US FROM GOD (Isa. 59:2), LEAVING US POWERLESS BEFORE SATAN. GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT WILL NOT ABIDE WHERE SIN ABIDES. WHEN THE SPIRIT LEAVES A MAN, SATAN IMMEDIATELY FILLS THE VOID LEFT BY THE SPIRIT’S DEPARTURE.

Sinners are sinners because sin abides in them. Runners run; painters paint; writers write; SINNERS SIN–are unholy. Sinners cannot be holy and therefore cannot be saved for SALVATION IS THE END RESULT OF HOLINESS (Rom. 6:22). In this verse the Apostle Paul tells us that we must be “set free from (not to) sin” and become “slaves of God” who bear “fruit” (works) unto “holiness.” “THE END RESULT of holiness is EVERLASTING LIFE.” Holiness=bearing good fruit (works) which lead to salvation (Mat. 10:22).

A fruit tree’s “fruit” is its “works.” A tree bears either good fruit OR bad fruit. It cannot bear both. (Mat. 12:33). The fruit we bear, whether good or bad, constitutes our “works.” Our “works” are either good (obey the Law/Word/ Commandments/Truth) or bad (disobey the Law/Word/Commandments/Truth). There is no mixing good fruit/works and bad fruit/works or of hot (righteousness) and cold (sin)–Revelation 3:15,16. Sinners saved by grace do not believe this very clear Truth of God.

Let us return to the Book of Romans for more information relative to the Law/Word/Commandments/Truth/Works connection. In chapters two, three and eight we find the following statements relative to the Law/Word/Commandments/ Truth.

Chapter 2 vss 2,6,7,10: God will judge man according to His Truth and according to man’s good deeds/works (obedience to His Truth). Vs 12: God will judge man according to His Law. Vs 15: Man must show the work of the Law written in his heart (mind). Vs 20: God’s Truth is found in the Law. Vss 23,24: Man dishonors and blasphemes God by breaking the Law. Vs 25: Breaking the Law makes one a Gentile (heathen, dog). Vs 26/8:4: Keeping the righteous requirements of the Law makes one righteous. Vs 27: Law keepers will judge Law breakers. Chapter three Vss 1,2: Having the Law (“oracles of God”) is an advantage. Vss 5-8: God reveals His righteousness when He judges according to His righteous Law and inflicts wrath on those who break it.

A favorite verse used to justify a no-works, all-faith approach to salvation is Ephesians 2:8,9 where we are told that one is saved by faith, not by works. This is true. But we must note two very important words: “BY” and “FOR.”  In verse 8 Paul says that we are saved “BY” our faith in God, meaning faith in His Word which promises salvation to those who believe and obey it to the end of life (Mat. 10:22). WE DO NOT DO WORKS IN ORDER TO BE SAVED. End of conversation, right? No. If we believe verses 7 & 8 we must also believe verse 10 which begins with the word “FOR,” meaning that what follows “for” refers to what came before it (vss 8,9). Here we are told that saints are God’s workmanship (creation) and that He created them IN Christ FOR GOOD WORKS WHICH HE (CHRIST) WORKED.  First John 2:6 confirms this command, saying that if we call ourselves His people we must “walk (work) even as He walked.” We prove that we are “IN CHRIST” when we “WALK AS HE WALKED.” He “walked” in perfect obedience to God’s Law. Therefore we must “walk as He walked”–in perfect obedience to God’s Law–in order to join Him in paradise. Walking Christ’s walk means doing His “good works” which He did by obeying the Father’s Law.

Revelation 19:7,8 was written for those who would marry Christ at His Second Advent. Here we find those saints dressed in “FINE LINEN WHICH IS THE RIGHTEOUS ACTS (WORKS) OF THE SAINTS.”  Note that they are called “saints”–“righteous ones”–who did works of righteousness during this life. With the above information in mind, we will end this series next time by “hearing” the Lord’s answer to the rich salvation seeker. L.J.