Studying Matthew chapter seven, I had to come to the conclusion that I really did not know what Jesus meant when he said the following verses. "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 there at: Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13,14)
Under the impression that there are two roads and all we do is choose one or the
other. If we pick the narrow road, which we believe represents accepting Jesus Christ as our savior, we go to church on Sunday, say our prayers and try to live a moral life and live happily ever after. Wasn't that what we were taught?Not that simple is it. Jesus taught us to fulfill the great commission which is sharing the Gospel with others and when that becomes our primary goal, we attract opposition. The Antichrist spirit begins to fly in our face to wear us down over time. Keeping that in mind, let us look at the word "strait" #4728 in the Greek Dictionary and the Lexical Aid is `stenos' which is derived from the word `Histemi' #2476: the road becomes narrow from obstacles standing close by.
Here is why God wants us to try to walk the line as much as possible. We reap the whirlwind (Antichrist spirit) when we step out of line, he puts us in a spin, demoralizes us with our own behavior when we are caught off guard. Jesus stated in another Scripture Matthew 5:25 "Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison."
It takes a lot of self discipline to keep from being a target of the devil. That is the reason Jesus said that we must die to our own desires (die to ourselves). Every time we pursue something that we want to do, Satan is going to be sitting there making it hard on us, because we have made a commitment to take on the cross and we have become his archenemy.
Speaking to the Roman Christians, the apostle Paul stated in 14:7-9 "For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living." Paul goes on in 1 Corinthians 15:30,31: "And why stand we in jeopardy every hour? I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily." The German Bible explains this last passage as "because of the special position I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily."
Romans 8:35,36 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak [this] to your shame." (1 Corinthians 15:33,34) In other words: some teachers speak heresy, which will hurt us.
"Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of [his] time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of [our] life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles {heathens in Scriptural terms}, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries {we were all on the broad road at one time and now}:
"Where in they think it strange that ye run not with [them] to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of [you]: Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity {don't forget where you came from} among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:1-8)
Back to the strait gate. Because life is as it is, we have to attend school, earn a living, mature, we begin on the broad road. Over time we begin to sort out our goals and if the final goal is eternal life in heaven, the priorities begin to narrow down to Jesus Christ and what must happen to gain the promise. There is then a tendency to make decisions with Christ's teachings in mind. We ask ourselves, how would He feel about this and so forth and gradually we grow into Him and into the narrow road.
With growth comes responsibilities, trials and opposition which only increases our strength in Him. God begins to trim us down, a snip here and a snip there which doesn't feel too good, but we learn to realize that it needs to happen. The more we grow into
Jesus the narrower the road becomes until finally it is just Him and me (or you).This is were the Greek word `histemi' #2476 comes in, from which `strait' (4728) is derived: to set, place, to stand, to remain, abide, continue, to establish, confirm or to be established, to stand firm, to be confirmed in the Word is the bottom-line to the word `strait' gate. To get through the obstacles that are placed before us by the enemy, we need to concentrate on the meaning of `strait' and put it to work. The Antichrist spirit is so prevalent that the Bible confirms to us that the whole world will be deceived by the time the Antichrist makes his appearance. (see Revelation 12:9)
Not only is the world being set up for this deception of accepting the number of the beast, but it will thereby be bowing the knee to the Antichrist, reaping eternal hell. The true believers who took the Bible serious and focused on Jesus Christ and His teachings at all cost have been removed when this occurs.
The rapture has taken place before the seven year tribulation begins. (see 1. Thess. 5:9) In summary to be established in the Word and following instructions are without a doubt essential to our victory in Christ.