We started 3 weeks ago a series of messages about the 3 stages of the Christian life.
This is the third Word of the series of messages The Gate , The Way and the Goal to the kingdom of Heaven.
If you don’t listen the others 2 , the Gate and The Way please go to our website (www.shalomfortheworld.com) or to our Facebook page and listen it.
We have learned that Jesus taught us that the Christian life is divided in three different stages : The Gate , The Way and The Goal !
“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 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.
The gate to Hell is very wide , there is 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.
There is just one way that leads to God and to eternal life !
According to Jesus : You can choose the gate and the path but the destiny is a consequence of your previous choices !
This is an urgent question because many people put their security as a believer under that cliche : Once saved always saved !
You won’t find that in the Bible !
Yes , you can be sure you are going to be saved , and also you can be sure that if you stay on the road to salvation you’re going to reach heaven !
There are over 80 passages in the New Testament that warn Christians not to lose what they have got in Christ
Who did Jesus say would be saved ?
“But the one who remains faithful to the end will be saved.”
Matthew 10:22
It’s very important we understand each Stage of the Christian life and what is our interaction with God in each one of these stages.
In this 3rd message I’m going to speak about the Goal!
“Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement” Brian Tracy
People with Goals succeed because they know where there are going.
To enter through the Gate and to walk through the way just makes sense if you reach the Goal or the destiny and our Goal is the Eternal Life .
The Bible describes the Christian life as a race or a marathon that we cannot stop running.
“Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go. But there is one thing I do:
I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. I keep running hard toward the finish line to get the prize that is mine because God has called me through Christ Jesus to life up there in heaven.”
Philippians 3:13-14
This is what Jesus taught us , after you enter through the gate by faith and the Grace of God, now you need to press on towards the Goal because you have a long way to go and you need the keep running hard towards the finishing line to get the prize !
We all have been called by God and there is a prize waiting for those who persevere till the end of the finishing line !
I said last preaching: I don’t believe in the cliche “Once saved , Always saved” because the prize is for those who persevere running hard towards the finishing line.
“We have all these great people around us as examples. Their lives tell us what faith means. So we, too, should run the race that is before us and never quit. We should remove from our lives anything that would slow us down and the sin that so often makes us fall.”
Hebrews 12:1
Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2
We should run the race that is before us and never quit , run with perseverance ! Jesus is the author of our faith.
He gave us faith when we entered through the gate and we cannot abort our faith along the way.
I know many people that entered through the gate , were true believers and great Christians but today they are not running the race anymore, they put their eyes away from the Goal somewhere along the way.
(Please never take your eyes off the Goal , because there is a prize waiting for you at the end)
After you pass through the gate you need to understand that It is not yet time to stop.
Many people in Church entered through the gate and they are stuck in their Christian life.
How you finish your race is more important than how you begin it!
“for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
1 Peter 1:9
You need to run looking to the Goal which is the result of your faith, “the salvation of your souls”.
It doesn’t make sense for you to just enter through the gate , become a member of a church and say : “Now I’m saved ! I’m just going to wait for heaven!”
Remember you are saved by Grace to do good works !
You are not saved by works but you need to run for the results of your faith that is the salvation of your soul.
We cannot stop along the way! There are a lot of Christians who stopped in their race.
The Christian life is dynamic, it is continuous spiritual growth.
“The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”
Proverbs 4:18
In the previews Word I’ve said that when we are born again, God gives us an experience of sanctification for us to enter through the Gate (1 Co 6:9) but 2 Co 7:1 says that now we are called to be Holy , perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord
“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
II Corinthians 7:1
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 and to keep cleaning ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.
The path of the righteous is like the morning sun , it is not strong in the morning (beginning) but becomes brighter and stronger till full light day !
I have said that we need to understand what God does in each of these stages is different and what we need to do is different too!
“Not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”
Romans 8:23
Paul the apostle said : we have just the first fruits , we do not have the fullness of what God planned for us.
Other thing that Paul said is : We are going to have the redemption of our body just when we reach the Goal !
The Birth of the New Spirit (when we go through the Gate) is an experience in our Spirit !
The Way , the path we have to walk our Christian life is God working in our Soul !
The Goal , we are eagerly waiting for the redemption of our Body!
“Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”
James 1:21
Here James is speaking about someone who is already a Christian !
You are in Church and also reading the Word because the Word is able to save and transform your soul !
At the Gate , in the beginning you were born again in your spirit , now on the Way your old soul has to be transformed and restored by the Word of God.
But this is what Paul said about your flesh:
“But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
I Corinthians 9:27
He speaks about having self control over your flesh.
Jesus said to Nicodemus : “What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6)
Many people think, I am saved, I have been sanctified and everything is perfect. I’m ready for heaven! No !
Your flesh does not convert! Your flesh has to go to the cross every day!
You were born again in the Spirit, but you still have your old flesh, and you must put it to death.
Until now your flesh has not yet been directly touched by the Redemption , Paul said one day your flesh , your body will be transformed.
“What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever. But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.”
1 Corinthians 15:50-53
We can’t enter with this body and this flesh into the kingdom of Heaven so we need transformation!
We are not all going to die but we are all going to be changed !
1 Thessalonians says the same thing :
“The dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And we shall always be with the Lord.”
I Thessalonians 4:16-17
This is the transformation of our bodies !
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body.”
Philippians 3:20-21
We also need to understand the difference of each stage of the Christian life !
We have said that no one can enter through the gate by works !
But after you enter through the gate , If you have faith you need to show your faith through your works or your deeds !
The Bible says that we were created for good works !
But where will your good works will be judged ?
Only when we get to the Goal , to the finishing line !
The Word of God says that you will be rewarded for everything you have done for Him and for His kingdom.
“Each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.”
I Corinthians 3:8
No one enters through the Gate of salvation because of what they’ve done (salvation is not by works)
But the reward that is the final prize is by merit !
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.”
Revelation 22:12
We should live a Christian life looking at the Goal ! We should be looking at Jesus !
“We have sufferings now, but these are nothing compared to the great glory that will be given to us.”
Romans 8:18
My brothers and sister , Jesus said : in this world you are going to have troubles , sufferings , but the affliction of this present time cannot be compared to the Glory that is waiting for you on eternity !
If you don’t look to the Goal , the difficulties can make you give up or slow down on your spiritual life !
Remember that :
But the one who remains faithful to the end (of the Way) will be saved.”
Matthew 10:22
“Begging well is a momentary thing , finishing well is a lifelong thing”
Ravi Zacharias
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”
Matthew 7:21
Only those who do the will of God will enter in the kingdom of God!
And your final Goal should be one day being in the presence of our King Jesus !
That day when you finally cross that finishing line , each one of us will look back and say : no matter what we went through or what we faced along that way, it was worth it!
When we finally are face to face with Jesus and hear from his mouth:
“‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”
Matthew 25:21
There is a great reward to those who finish the race !
I want to encourage you to persevere. Walk this journey with perseverance because it will be worth it at the end!
My only desire is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me !
What matters most to me is to finish the work the master gave me
I want to be able to say at the end of my life : I have finished the race and I kept my faith !
“Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
2 Timothy 4:8
The crown of righteousness is reserved for all those who persevere till the end !
Please don’t stop along the way, you have to keep walking and even running looking to the Goal, looking to the prize that is waiting for me and for you !
God bless you