Today we are going to start a series of messages called : The Gate , The Way and The Goal. This will be 3 teachings about The 3 stages of the Christian life.
We are going to read now that Jesus thought that Christian life has 3 phases or 3 stages.
I learned this teaching many years ago through my Brazilian friend, pastor Luciano Subirá and this is a very important teaching from the Word of God.
“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
Jesus was very clear in his teaching: Not every religion leads to God , not all paths lead to God and not every Church leads us to God!
He said : there is just one way that leads to God and to eternal life !
Jesus made it clear that in this life you are going to find : 2 gates , 2 ways and at the end of life 2 different destinies.
1- One Gate , one Way and one Destiny lead to destruction, death and Hell.
2- One Gate , one Way and one Destiny lead to eternal life and heaven.
The gate to Hell is very wide , there is a plenty of room on the road and many people go that way.
The gate that leads to true life is narrow, the way to eternal life is difficult and restricted and there are few who find it.
“Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God—is vigorous and requires total attention.”
Jesus said : you can choose the gate and the path but the destiny is a consequence of your previous choices !
Today I’m not going to speak about the consequences, because I want to speak about how God works in our lives in these three stages.
When Jesus speaks about the Gate , The Way and the Goal – He is speaking about Christian life and about our relationship with God. Jesus informs us that the Christian life is divided into three stages.
1-The Gate , 2-The Way and 3-The Goal (our target)
The first Word of this series of messages I’m going to speak about is The Gate , the next will be about The Way and the third will be about The Destiny. (The Goal)
This illustration was given by our Lord Jesus and the understanding of these three stages of the Christian life is very important.
Because in each of these stages the way in which God deals with us is different and also the way we interact with God in each one is completely different.
The sum (Sam) of these three steps will lead us to live the fullness of God!
In this first message: “The Gate” Jesus is speaking about the door to the Kingdom of God.
“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:9-10
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
John 14:6
Not every religion leads to God , not all paths lead to God , The only way to be saved is through the work of the Cross, it is through Jesus Christ !
In the Gospel of John chapter 3 Jesus had a conversation with Nicodemus, a religious teacher in Israel and Jesus said to him :
“Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. ””
“I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.”
John 3:3 and 5
In the moment you are born again from the waters of baptism and receive the Holy Spirit, you enter through the Gate and this is the begging of your Christian life.
Often people mistakenly declare that everyone is a child of God. (have you heard that ?)
No, that’s not what the Bible says. We are beautiful creatures of God, we were created by God but only when we are born again to a new Christian life that we become children of God.
“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”
John 1:12
When you have the experience of genuine conversion , when you recognise that you are a sinner, and repent from your sins, and pass through the door you became a child of God.
The question is :
What level of interaction do we need to go through the Gate ?
1st point : Salvation and deeds (good works)
Many religious people and some churches teach that good works (our deeds) have a part in our salvation. They say that your works are very important for you to be saved.
But this is not true!
But our works are very important in the Christian life after we have passed the gate.
In the next message I’m going to speak about how important our deeds are.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9
“It means that you have been saved by grace because you believed and repented .
We did not save ourselves; this was a gift from God. (a Gift is free and you cannot pay for it)
You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast (boust) about !
By Grace you have been saved – Do you know what is Grace ?
“Grace is unconditional love toward a person who does not deserve it.”
(Another definition)
“Grace is getting what you do not deserve, and not getting what you do deserve”
God offers us salvation : He says : enter into the Kingdom through the Gate by repentance and by an attitude of faith!
That is the message that Jesus, John the Baptist and all the prophets announced:
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Mark 1:15
Christ died for us and He Paid the bill for ours sins. Repentance is the recognition of our condition and our distance from God.
How do we have access to this Grace of God ?
“We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
Romans 5:2
You have access to Grace by faith , by believing. You enter through the Gate by faith and repentance – you do not need any work or deeds.
2 point : Sanctification
When we enter through the gate, when we are saved, we have an initial experience of sanctification.
“To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people”
1 Corinthians 1:2
“And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
1 Corinthians 6:11
God gave us an experience of sanctification (in the past) for us to enter through the Gate but now we are called to be holy.
Our deeds (works) are not important for us to enter through the gate but we are going to see in the next Word that deeds are very important along the way .
3rd point : The Holy Spirit
We as Christians need to understand the action of the Holy Spirit. Is only by the Holy Spirit that we are convinced of our sins and by the Holy Spirit we can be saved.
“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,”
Ephesians 1:13
After you heard the Word and opened your heart , the Holy spirit came over your life.
When we are born again the Holy Spirit begins to dwell in us and He will lead us along the Way.
Recognising each of these steps helps us to understand what God does in each of them and what we need to do by interacting with God and also what is awaiting us in the next steps.
I want to encourage you to enter through the gate !
There is one small gate and its name is Jesus , but if you go through any other gate you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven and you will not be saved !
There is no hope for you without this “Small Gate” that is Jesus !
All those who don’t encounter Christ and as a result of that, miss forgiveness, will go into the devil’s Hell.
Today you are listening to a sermon about the gate but the next will be about the way .
Jesus said : there is One Gate , the gate is small and after that gate there is a narrow Way for you to walk.
My friend, you are saved through faith in Jesus Christ and you need to decide to enter through this small gate and walk down this narrow gate.
Today the great majority of people in Ireland and in the World believe themselves saved when in fact they are not !
You are saved when you enter through that one small Gate and walk through the narrow Way but the majority are walking in the broad way and they are lost.
How do I know they are lost ?
Because they look like the world , they act like the world , they talk like the world and their lifestyle will be the very thing that will condemn them on the day of judgement.
Salvation is a supernatural work of God , when you are saved your heart is transformed and your lifestyle is changed.
Have you been born again ? Have you truly repented and believed in Christ ?
Do you have a passion for Christ ? Is He everything in your life ? Or is He something you just think about on Sundays?
After you pass through the gate you need to understand that It is not yet time to stop.
Many people in Church entered to through the gate and they are stuck in their Christian life.
There are a lot of things for you to conquer . Don’t look for shortcuts and easygoing formulas for a successful life.
The highway to Hell is broad , it is spacious and many enter by it but The gateway to life (To God) is narrow , restricted, difficult and requires total attention.
My prayer is for the Lord to lead you on this journey until you reach the Goal in the name of Jesus.
God bless you