30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 13 22-30 The narrow door 07 In Christ alone
📖 Luke 13:22-30
20Oct19 - *In Christ alone* - _Luke 13:22-30_ - Bible reading: _Romans 6:3-5_
_Luke 13:24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able._
Yesterday, we said that we must give attention to the three preparations. This is what must occupy our life. We need to be trained in these three areas. This is why Jesus told us to strive to enter through the narrow gate. _Matthew 7:13-14 “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. (14) Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it._
What is the narrow gate?
The law was not the narrow gate. The Jews held on to the law but the law was only a tutor. _Galatians 3:24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith._ A tutor to bring us to Christ.
How do we appropriate Christ for Him to become the narrow gate for us? Man’s problem is with the self. God gave us free will to willingly surrender and be submitted to Him. In doing so we will enjoy the fullness or the abundant life. When we rejected God and chose for ourselves, we did not actually become free but we now came under the bondage of satan and he is dictating his will on us. We are therefore now his prisoners.
This is why Jesus died for us, in order to set us free. To experience our freedom in Christ, our ‘self’ must go to the cross. _II Corinthians 5:15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again._ The self must go to the cross and be crucified with Christ, repeatedly. This is why this process of identifying with Jesus, is the narrow gate.
Even though many us claim to be believers and even involved in ministry, we see that the self in us, is not being taken to the cross, rather the self, rules our lives.
_Galatians 2:19-20 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God._ The law being a tutor, taught Paul that he has to die to the law, so that he could live for God. _(20) I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me._
If we do not take the self to the cross, satan will be operating through us and that is the reason why we see the confusion, misunderstandings, squabbling, infighting and lack of oneness amongst believers. The solution to all our problems, is very simple. Take the self to the cross.
*Thought to ponder*
```Is your self still ruling?```