Years ago, I made the comment to someone, "It's easy to become a Christian.
Just ask God to forgive you for your sins, and accept Jesus as your Savior, and you
will be saved." I was so wrong!
There is so much more to salvation than that. It's not as easy as 1-2-3.
In fact, even Jesus talked about how difficult it is to be saved.
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*The Narrow Gate
"(Jesus said), Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is
the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate
and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14
John MacArthur comments:
"Christ is drawing the line as clearly as possible between the way that leads to
destruction and the way that leads to life."
"Both the narrow gate and the wide gate are assumed to provide the entrance
to God's kingdom. Two ways are offered to people. The narrow gate is by faith,
only through Christ, constricted and precise." It represents true salvation in God's
way that leads to life eternal."
"The wide gate incudes all religions of works, and self-righteousness, with no
single way, but leads to hell, not heaven."
MacArthur continues:
"Christ continually emphasized the difficulty of following him. Salvation is
by grace alone, but it is not easy. It calls for knowledge of the truth, repentance,
submission to Christ as Lord, and a willingness to obey his will and word."
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*Eye of a Needle
"And Jesus said to his disciples, 'Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will
a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again you I tell it is easier for a camel to
go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, 'Who then can
be saved?' But Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with
God all things are possible." Matthew 19:23-26
A rich young man had just asked Jesus what he must do to have eternal life.
When Jesus told him to keep the commandments, the man told him that he had
done so.
Next, Jesus told him (since he was evidently perfect, because he had claimed to
have kept all the commandments) to sell all he had and give it to the poor, and he
would have treasure in heaven.
Jesus knew the man was not blameless, and he lacked true faith in Him. He was
not teaching salvation by works either, but that the man had to give Him first place
in his life to truly be saved.
Salvation comes only by the divine grace of God.
"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his
grace AS A GIFT, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put
forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith." Romans 3:23-25a
The disciple were surprised that Jesus had said it was so difficult for a rich man
to enter God's kingdom, since the common thinking at the time was that God had
shown favor on the wealthy by enriching them, and therefore they were more likely
to go to heaven.
Jesus emphasized that salvation is not earned by works, but comes only through
grace, by faith in Him.
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*Many are Called, But Few are Chosen
"(Jesus said), For many are called, but few are chosen. Matthew 22:14
John MacArthur comments:
"The call spoken of here is sometimes referred to as the 'general call' - a summons
to repentance and faith that is inherent in the gospel message. This call extends to all
who hear the gospel."
"Many hear it; few respond. Those who respond are the 'chosen,' the elect. This
call is God's irresistible calling extended to the elect alone (Rom 8:30), known as the
'effectual call.' The effectual call is the supernatural drawing of God that Jesus speaks
of in the gospel of John .
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise
him up on the last day." John 6:44
"The 'chosen' enter the kingdom only because of the grace of God in choosing and
drawing them."
The choosing:
"...even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world..." Ephesians 1:4
Matthew Henry wrote: "Many are called to the wedding feast, but few chosen to
the wedding garment, that is to salvation, by sanctification of the Spirit. This is the
strait gate, and narrow way which few find."
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Since man is dead in sin (Ephesians 2) and hostile toward God (Romans 8), He not
only must elect them, and call them, but also regenerate them. He must change their
heart that is unresponsive toward him because of sin.
"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will
remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put
my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my
rules. ... and you shall be my people, and I will be your God." Ezekiel 36:26-28
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So who then can be saved?
"For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all,
bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the
Lord will be saved." Romans 10:12-13
"And they said,' Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your
household." Acts 16:31
"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given
among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12
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Yes everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved, but only because
of the amazing grace of God who chooses, draws, and regenerates them, so that they are
willing and able to come to Jesus for salvation.
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