Few there be...

 1Jn 3:1  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 

What do you suppose is truly meant in this verse- 'therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.' ?

Popularity was never something Christ was interested in. He never sought crowds for the sake of being popular. Jesus always wanted the truth to be heard- hard truths, eternal truths.

Today if you believe in the hard truths you will NOT be known of the world. The world loves its own and hates us.

Joh 15:18  If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 

Joh 15:19  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 

People don't want to know hard truths, they want simple religion, in fact a religion they can practice completely inwardly without any complication to anything in their lives. People want to be fed the food of their egos, they want to be soothed in their sins, told they aren't really sinners at all. They believe that no matter what in the end, truth keepers or not, they'll be in heaven. The world has made attaining heaven so incredibly easy, so why did Jesus tell us- 'few there be that find it?' 

Let's recall this truth-

After five thousand very hungry people were fed miraculously by him, after hearing his message, the truth, the same people sought Jesus out the next day supposedly wanting more truth, but when they were given more, almost all of them turned back, rejecting the truth, rejecting him. They wanted food, they wanted miracles, they wanted anything but the hard truths. 

Too many people know of the 5000 being fed it's a common part of the Bible, but very few go on past that 5000 being fed to them turning their backs on Jesus, that's a very hard truth.

Joh 6:66  From that time 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? 

Imagine it. 5000 people fed. How many of the 5000 went in search of Jesus the next day it doesn't say, but there were MANY. The day before they'd wanted to crown him their king, but Jesus left before they could even try. This day they sought him again, and when he gave them hard truths they couldn't comprehend because their hearts truly didn't want truth, they left-- all of them but the 12. Jesus even said to the 12, "Will ye also go away?" 

It's no different today, nor has it been throughout history after Jesus' life, death and resurrection. People don't want truth. They want to hear things pleasing to their ears. The hard truth of poverty over riches has been ignored for so very, very long. The hard truth of doing good to those that hate you, despitefully use you, it's ignored. The hard truth of looking upon another and lusting after them, that's ignored all the time to the tune of 'I was only looking.' Or 'You can look but don't touch'. Another hard truth, turning the other cheek, of walking 2 miles when asked only to go 1, or giving your coat and shirt when just asked for your coat, a truth ignored. Feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, imprisoned, helping wherever needed as if you were helping JESUS himself, yes, ignored as we dole out our generosity to fit our means keeping ourselves comfortable. 

So many people call themselves Christians and they even do many wonderful works in Christ's name- did you read that? MANY wonderful works. They do all the above but they do it to earn merit, they do it selfishly, they are doing it for themselves not Christ- even though they use his name, and stick a Jesus label on those works.

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. 

Hard truths are the truths you don't want to hear- such as - not one dot of an i 

will be taken from the law, not one cross of t will disappear from the ten commandments, these are also ignored. 

People have played very loose with the Ten Commandments- twisting them, turning them, pruning them, all in order to make them easier to follow. They've even latched on to the Apostles saying the law was done away with, as if they don’t know that was the ceremonial law- that the veil in the temple was torn in half by unseen hands when Christ died. They read the word 'law' and stop there not delving into the hard truths. They don't want the Greek words explained or the Hebrew language understood, they don't want to know that mistakes that were made by men copying the word, but if you compare earlier and the scholarly researched the true meanings are revealed. They want easy. The want to drink the baby's milk all their adult lives, never taking a bite of solid food.

Hard truths. Jesus said- if you love me keep my commandments. Jesus also said…

Joh 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent 

And- 

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

And- 

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments. 

ONCE you believe - you love Jesus, and if you love him you keep his commandments. You don't stop at love as if that's the end. Faith without works is dead, even though for by grace are you saved through faith and not of works lest any man boast.  Grace is FIRST, BELIEF is FIRST, but after the first step you take more and more and more. Jesus is the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE and no one comes to the Father except through HIM.   The way… the truth… the life…. 

Say what you will-- Jesus had A LOT to say to us, and to just take a tiny bit and ignore the rest of his words is wrong. We will be held accountable for our ignoring truth, even if we are the seemingly most perfect Christian in existence. 

When Jesus ministered upon earth people wanted easy, they didn't want to have truth so they were ALLOWED to be blind.

Instead of getting to the heart of the matter they turned and walked away. Jesus didn't want their crown, and he still doesn't want their crown. 

Is Jesus King? Yes, but NOT with an earthly crown. That earthly crown people place upon his head every time they fit his words into their molds, is rejected.

Be scared, please. 

Mat_7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and FEW there be that find it.

Take time to allow yourself to be frightened by the realization that FEW will find him- NOT the masses and masses of people that everyone seems to want to believe are his. Don't all our loved ones supposedly go to heaven? Not many are said to be supposedly in hell. Those lies about heaven and hell are things people embrace, ignoring hard truths. We have NO right to say a single person is in heaven (if they went there when they die, which they don't- HARD truth). We have NO right to pass eternal judgment on a single person, that's not given to us! Yet people do it all the time!

Be terrified, please.

For a moment let the words sink in-  'Get away from me, I never knew you.' Words we don't want to believe Jesus will say, but He will. He is going to say those words to all the pretend Christians, even those who believe they are real Christians. They rejected truth! Embraced the lies and deceptions willfully and Jesus knows this. They've deluded themselves, believed their own lies so they will be shocked to hear those words. They aren't blatant robbers, adulterers, murderers, idol worshipers, blasphemers- they are those who believe they are all about the good works in Jesus' name. And there won't be just a few deceived but the Many. You know… those broad road people, not the narrow road followers. 

If you aren't wrestling with word of God seeking the deep meaningful truths, then you aren't seeking Jesus Christ. You've stopped growing, and are clinging to the things you like and are familiar with, the traditions, the deceptions. You've embraced the wolf in sheep clothing, adoring the false god. 

May God help all those who are seeking Him in all truth, to find Him, to find that narrow way that few are going to find. 

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever. Amen!