Enter through the narrow gate
Matthew 7:7-23
Message
Jesus commands us to enter through the ‘narrow’ gate (13a). The wide gate leads to destruction and the small gate to life (13b, 14). Matthew 16:18 mentions about gates of hell. The gate of hell is wide. Many enter through it. John 10:9 says Jesus is the gate of salvation. Jesus is the narrow gate that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Step 1: Find the narrow door
Ask and it will be given to you (7a)
You ask when you know you need help from God – healing, recovery, restoration, liberation, life, forgiveness, wisdom, ...
Jesus asked the 38-year invalid man “Do you want to get well?” in John 5:6. By asking this question, Jesus gave him hope & desire for healing so that he might ask for help from Jesus. We ask God when we desire life over death (Proverbs 8:35, 36). We ask God when we desire heaven over hell. We ask God when we desire soul over possession (Matthew 16:26).
Seek and you will find (7b)
When Jesus says “only a few find it”, He implies the narrow gate requires us to “seek” to “find”. Many people do not find it because they do not seek it (7b). v7b promises we will find if we seek.
Step 2: Enter through the narrow door
Knock and the door will be opened to you (7:7c)
The narrow door is the ‘door’, which may be closed. We have to open it before entering through. Jesus commands us to knock. He promises the door will be opened to us if we knock.
Agonizing struggle
Once opened, we have to enter through it. Problem is that it is hard to enter through the gate because it is narrow. So it may require agonizing effort to get through.
Agonizing struggle in prayer is shown in Luke 22:44.
44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Watch out for false gates
See v15.
15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
Be good trees and thus bear good fruits (5 – 20). Fruits tell who you are in God than your claims or miracles (22).
v21 gives important information about entering through the narrow gate.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Therefore, “doing the will of my Father who is in heaven” is what we have to focus on than religious appearance.
Some more info from the Holy Bible
Wealth is one of the things that make it hard for us to enter the narrow gate (Matthew 19:23 - 24, Mark 10:23 - 25).
Being like little children (humble & lowly) makes it easy for us to enter the narrow gate (Matthew 18:3, 4). The kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3). The kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are persecuted because of righteousness (Matthew 5:10).
With the above hints, enter through the narrow gate from now on!
Another helpful biblical article
http://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible-questions/what/narrow-is-the-gate
