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Weekly Reminder...
The Weekly Reminder is an informative tool to help people who read it consider what the man of God has said. This weekend’s articles are based on what was heard on October 24 & 25, 2009 in the Westbury assembly.written by Br. Samuel Damus
We all have a hope that when we die we will go to paradise; a world with no death or sorrow. The apostles talked about a new heaven and a new earth that will be governed by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Ever since the fall in the Garden of Eden man has held on to this hope. But to get there is not easy. Jesus tells us, “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 thereat: 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).
When what you have to do, many people can do it, then we can say that it is a fairly easy thing to do; but when a few can do it is has to be hard. Our quest to enter into the strait gate is not an easy task because Jesus tells us that “few there be that find it”. When someone asked Jesus, “are there few that be saved?” Jesus answered him by telling him to strive to enter into the strait gate. The definition of strive reads like this:
We learned that we must give ourselves completely to this task in order to succeed. We tend to feel that by having many religious activities or by performing a great religious feat we are a sure bet to make it in. This way of thinking is wrong. We must remember that everyone that calls upon the Lord will not enter into heaven. Jesus said, “Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23). What the ‘many’ lacked was devotion to keep away from iniquity. It is good to know all that is required of us to enter into heaven but even with the knowledge we must strive to get in (example: rich man in Luke 18:18-24). This is why the church that Christ has left for us is so important.
The ministry that the Lord has given us is “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:” (Ephesians 4:11-13). These men are here exhorting us as Jude said to “earnestly contend for the faith” (Jude 1:3). While they are helping us they also are striving themselves because Paul said, “Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily” (Colossians 1:28-29). We were told not to fall asleep but to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).
Will we be able to sell all that we have and give it to the poor and then follow Jesus if we are promised the kingdom? Or can we suffer in tribulation at the hands of the Devil even being faithful unto death as the church in Smyrna was told (Revelation 2:8-10). Many are not willing to face opposition in their quest but if we are commanded to strive then we must face opposition. Let us therefore strive according to His will for our lives that we may be one of the few that enter in.
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