Chapter 19 - The Great Divide
Mat 7:13 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:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Mat 7:21 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.
Mat 7:22 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 in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Bonhoeffer- 'A little band of men, the followers of Christ are separated from the rest of the world. The disciples are few in number and will always be few. This saying of Jesus forestalls all exaggerated hopes of success. Never let a disciple of Jesus pin his hopes on large numbers. "Few there be…" The rest of the world are many, and will always be many. But they are on the road to perdition. The only comfort the disciples have in face of this prospect is the promise of life and eternal fellowship with Jesus.
The path of discipleship is narrow, and it is fatally easy to miss one's way and stray from the path, even after years of discipleship. And it is hard to find. On either side of the narrow path deep chasms yawn. To be called to a life of extraordinary quality, to live up to it, and yet to be unconscious of it is indeed a narrow way. To confess and testify to the truth as it is in Jesus, and at the same time to love the enemies of that truth, his enemies and ours, and to love them with the infinite love of Jesus Christ, is indeed a narrow way.'
My thoughts-
The day before the following-
Joh 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
-Jesus fed 5000-
Joh 6:10 ...So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
5000 people.
5000 PEOPLE.
And the next day- '...many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.'
Joh 6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
ALL BUT His chosen 12?! So that Jesus turned to them and asked them if they were going to leave too! His chosen 12! 5000 people down to 12! From the many so very quickly to the few.
Peter answered for the 12-
Joh 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
Joh 6:69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
When we read Bonhoeffer expounding on the fact that there truly will be FEW, that we are deceiving ourselves if we believe that EVERYONE and their BROTHERS will be HIS, we have to believe it-- because it's not Bonhoeffer's truth, it is CHRIST JESUS' TRUTH! Christ tells us that FEW will truly be HIS! How do we dare hope to be among them? How? We have to, we have to have HOPE.
Bonhoeffer- 'A little band of men, the followers of Christ are separated from the rest of the world. The disciples are few in number and will always be few. This saying of Jesus forestalls all exaggerated hopes of success. Never let a disciple of Jesus pin his hopes on large numbers. "Few there be…" The rest of the world are many, and will always be many. But they are on the road to perdition. The only comfort the disciples have in face of this prospect is the promise of life and eternal fellowship with Jesus.
The path of discipleship is narrow, and it is fatally easy to miss one's way and stray from the path, even after years of discipleship. And it is hard to find...'
My thoughts continued-
Isn't this a very scary thought- 'The path of discipleship is narrow, and it is fatally easy to miss one's way and stray from the path, even after YEARS of discipleship.'
Fatally easy to miss one's way.
This is truth, isn't it? It has to be. If it were EASY then Christ would NEVER have said the things He said, never! He wouldn't tell us this--
Mat 7:13 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:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Strait and narrow.
We hear about the straight and narrow, but we hear it in a different sense don't we? We hear it in an offhand way. 'He's on the straight and narrow.' Meaning he's no longer living his life in ways that are detrimental to him, but not necessarily Christ's path.
Our Savior tells us the path is NARROW and it's STRAIGHT. It is NOT the WORLD'S PATH. All we have to do is look at the WORLD'S path and we know what the broad path entails. Remember up there Bonhoeffer saying 'it is fatally easy to miss one's way'? The broad path, we could be on the narrow path for years and then a side street catches our attention. That side street leads right to the BROAD path of destruction but it's not advertised as such. That side street is covered in deception, it's a wolf in sheep' clothing meant to trick us into believing it is still part of the narrow way. We have to surrender to our SAVIOR in all things! We have to be on guard, we have to have our armor on, we have to be fully committed to CHRIST our SAVIOR, forever seeking forgiveness and repenting of our sins, our evils.
Bonhoeffer- ' On either side of the narrow path deep chasms yawn. To be called to a life of extraordinary quality, to live up to it, and yet to be unconscious of it is indeed a narrow way. To confess and testify to the truth as it is in Jesus, and at the same time to love the enemies of that truth, his enemies and ours, and to love them with the infinite love of Jesus Christ, is indeed a narrow way.'
Truth.
What is impossible with us is ONLY possible with CHRIST JESUS!
Mat_19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Mar_9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
READ this again--
Bonhoeffer- ' On either side of the narrow path deep chasms yawn. To be called to a life of extraordinary quality, to live up to it, and yet to be unconscious of it is indeed a narrow way. To confess and testify to the truth as it is in Jesus, and at the same time to love the enemies of that truth, his enemies and ours, and to love them with the infinite love of Jesus Christ, is indeed a narrow way.'
Deep chasms… on either side of the narrow path we walk.
'To be CALLED to a life of extraordinary quality, to LIVE up to it, and yet be UNCONSCIOUS of it….is indeed a narrow way.'
Live up to it, and yet UNCONSCIOUS of it-- ONLY THROUGH CHRIST, not at all through us!
'To confess and testify to the truth as it is IN JESUS, and at the SAME time love the ENEMIES of that truth - his and ours, and to LOVE them with the INFINITE love of JESUS CHRIST….. Is INDEED A NARROW WAY.'
TRUTH! TRUTH! TRUTH!
Please LORD SAVE US!
FORGIVE US!
Mat 7:13 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:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Mat 7:21 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.
Mat 7:22 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 in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Bonhoeffer- 'A little band of men, the followers of Christ are separated from the rest of the world. The disciples are few in number and will always be few. This saying of Jesus forestalls all exaggerated hopes of success. Never let a disciple of Jesus pin his hopes on large numbers. "Few there be…" The rest of the world are many, and will always be many. But they are on the road to perdition. The only comfort the disciples have in face of this prospect is the promise of life and eternal fellowship with Jesus.
The path of discipleship is narrow, and it is fatally easy to miss one's way and stray from the path, even after years of discipleship. And it is hard to find. On either side of the narrow path deep chasms yawn. To be called to a life of extraordinary quality, to live up to it, and yet to be unconscious of it is indeed a narrow way. To confess and testify to the truth as it is in Jesus, and at the same time to love the enemies of that truth, his enemies and ours, and to love them with the infinite love of Jesus Christ, is indeed a narrow way.'
My thoughts-
The day before the following-
Joh 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
-Jesus fed 5000-
Joh 6:10 ...So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
5000 people.
5000 PEOPLE.
And the next day- '...many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.'
Joh 6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
ALL BUT His chosen 12?! So that Jesus turned to them and asked them if they were going to leave too! His chosen 12! 5000 people down to 12! From the many so very quickly to the few.
Peter answered for the 12-
Joh 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
Joh 6:69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
When we read Bonhoeffer expounding on the fact that there truly will be FEW, that we are deceiving ourselves if we believe that EVERYONE and their BROTHERS will be HIS, we have to believe it-- because it's not Bonhoeffer's truth, it is CHRIST JESUS' TRUTH! Christ tells us that FEW will truly be HIS! How do we dare hope to be among them? How? We have to, we have to have HOPE.
Bonhoeffer- 'A little band of men, the followers of Christ are separated from the rest of the world. The disciples are few in number and will always be few. This saying of Jesus forestalls all exaggerated hopes of success. Never let a disciple of Jesus pin his hopes on large numbers. "Few there be…" The rest of the world are many, and will always be many. But they are on the road to perdition. The only comfort the disciples have in face of this prospect is the promise of life and eternal fellowship with Jesus.
The path of discipleship is narrow, and it is fatally easy to miss one's way and stray from the path, even after years of discipleship. And it is hard to find...'
My thoughts continued-
Isn't this a very scary thought- 'The path of discipleship is narrow, and it is fatally easy to miss one's way and stray from the path, even after YEARS of discipleship.'
Fatally easy to miss one's way.
This is truth, isn't it? It has to be. If it were EASY then Christ would NEVER have said the things He said, never! He wouldn't tell us this--
Mat 7:13 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:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Strait and narrow.
We hear about the straight and narrow, but we hear it in a different sense don't we? We hear it in an offhand way. 'He's on the straight and narrow.' Meaning he's no longer living his life in ways that are detrimental to him, but not necessarily Christ's path.
Our Savior tells us the path is NARROW and it's STRAIGHT. It is NOT the WORLD'S PATH. All we have to do is look at the WORLD'S path and we know what the broad path entails. Remember up there Bonhoeffer saying 'it is fatally easy to miss one's way'? The broad path, we could be on the narrow path for years and then a side street catches our attention. That side street leads right to the BROAD path of destruction but it's not advertised as such. That side street is covered in deception, it's a wolf in sheep' clothing meant to trick us into believing it is still part of the narrow way. We have to surrender to our SAVIOR in all things! We have to be on guard, we have to have our armor on, we have to be fully committed to CHRIST our SAVIOR, forever seeking forgiveness and repenting of our sins, our evils.
Bonhoeffer- ' On either side of the narrow path deep chasms yawn. To be called to a life of extraordinary quality, to live up to it, and yet to be unconscious of it is indeed a narrow way. To confess and testify to the truth as it is in Jesus, and at the same time to love the enemies of that truth, his enemies and ours, and to love them with the infinite love of Jesus Christ, is indeed a narrow way.'
Truth.
What is impossible with us is ONLY possible with CHRIST JESUS!
Mat_19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Mar_9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
READ this again--
Bonhoeffer- ' On either side of the narrow path deep chasms yawn. To be called to a life of extraordinary quality, to live up to it, and yet to be unconscious of it is indeed a narrow way. To confess and testify to the truth as it is in Jesus, and at the same time to love the enemies of that truth, his enemies and ours, and to love them with the infinite love of Jesus Christ, is indeed a narrow way.'
Deep chasms… on either side of the narrow path we walk.
'To be CALLED to a life of extraordinary quality, to LIVE up to it, and yet be UNCONSCIOUS of it….is indeed a narrow way.'
Live up to it, and yet UNCONSCIOUS of it-- ONLY THROUGH CHRIST, not at all through us!
'To confess and testify to the truth as it is IN JESUS, and at the SAME time love the ENEMIES of that truth - his and ours, and to LOVE them with the INFINITE love of JESUS CHRIST….. Is INDEED A NARROW WAY.'
TRUTH! TRUTH! TRUTH!
Please LORD SAVE US!
FORGIVE US!
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