Book 2 of Musings Only a Few Find It

There is an entry level of salvation, and then there is the transformation of character that is the Kingdom of God

That which is unworthy of the Kingdom is thrown into the fire. That which is worthy of the Kingdom, such as human kindness, is brought down to death and then raised in Christ. Nothing remains of the adamic creation. All is made new in Christ.

You know, I have spent a good deal of my Christian life thinking about the fact that there is an entry level of salvation, and then there is a whole program of transformation into eternal life. I know the Bible says "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved." I know this is true because the inerrant Word declares it.

Then we have the Apostle Paul telling us, toward the end of his life, that he has not as yet gained Christ but is pressing on that he might attain to the resurrection.

In fact, a great part of the text of the Epistles of the Apostles are stern exhortations concerning righteous behavior, including severe warnings that if we continue to live in the sinful nature we will not inherit the Kingdom of God, we will die spiritually.

I have heard quite a bit of preaching in my life. Many of these sermons have been salvation messages. The subject has been "Accept Christ and be saved. This is all there is to it."

How many sermons have you heard that proclaimed the good news that all we have to do is believe and receive, and now we are on our way to Heaven?

But when I began to study the Bible, particularly the New Testament, I noticed that this simple way of going to Heaven was not emphasized. The major part of the texts had to do with fighting the good fight of faith.

At first I became angry, and would yell when I was preaching: "What is the matter with everyone? Why can't the Christians see that there is more to salvation than making a profession of belief in Christ?"

Then I began to write what I was seeing in the Scriptures. Eventually the anger dissipated and I calmed down.

I still can observe the discrepancy between what is being preached and what the New Testament teaches. But I see also that people cannot perceive what is so plain unless the Holy Spirit shows them. Oh well!

Any reasonably intelligent person ought to be able to understand that the New Testament does not stress simple belief in Christ but a protracted struggle against the sinful nature as being the normal Christian experience.

I guess this is what the Lord meant when He said, "Only a few find it."

Only a few find what? Only a few find eternal life.

I think "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved" is speaking of being saved from destruction in the Day of Wrath.

Being saved from destruction in the Day of Wrath, and eternal life, may be two different things. You could save a person from drowning, but this did not mean the individual from then on would make a success of his or her life. You saved his life. Period. What happens after that is anybody's guess.

The Lord did not say "Small is the gate and narrow the read that leads to preservation in the Day of Wrath, and only a few find it." Jesus said, "Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." It's a good thing too, because if the Lord had said only a few would be preserved in the Day of Wrath it would mean most people would be destroyed in the Day of Wrath.

I know we preach that being saved in the Day of Wrath, and eternal life, are the same thing, but I don't believe they are.

Being saved in the Day of Wrath means just that. When the Day of Wrath comes you won't be destroyed.

But eternal life has to do with a transformation of your state of being, the source of your thinking, speaking, and acting.

All of us were born without eternal life. The life we were given from our mother is corruptible, consisting of blood. Our life consist of the circulation of blood through our body. This keeps us warm and gives us energy.

Eternal life has nothing whatever in common with blood-life. Eternal life is the Life of God Himself given to us through the Lord Jesus Christ.

So we are talking about two totally different kinds of life-blood-life and Divine life.

Now, why is the gate small and the road narrow that lead to Divine Life? And why is it true that only a few, of the great mass of people who believe and are baptized, find it?

One reason, I guess, is that salvation is preached as a simple ticket that we buy so we can go to Heaven.

Perhaps another reason is that God chooses whom He wants to draw to Himself to this extent. I have come to the conclusion that all ranks in the Kingdom of God are by election, although we have to respond if we are to make our calling and election certain.

It is just as Jesus said: "The gate is small and the road is narrow that lead to Divine Life, and only a few people find it."

We start out with blood-life, human life. The blood-life is not able to cope successfully with the urges to sin that dwell in the members of our body. So we live in a state of sin and spiritual death.

The Lord Jesus comes on the scene. He is the Resurrection. He is eternal Life.

We place our faith in Him and receive forgiveness through the atoning blood that was shed on the cross.

Now we approach the small gate. Will we, as a forgiven person, choose to enter that small gate of crucifixion and self-denial, or will we go through the wide gate and continue on the broad road that leads to corruption and destruction?

Let us say we have chosen the small gate. We assign our first personality to the cross with Jesus. Each day we choose to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow the Lord wherever He leads us.

Each day we decide to turn away from the urgings of our sinful nature and choose to receive more of the Spirit of God. Each day a part of us dies and a part of us is reborn in the Spirit of God.

And so it continues, day after day; week after week; month after month; year after year; decade after decade. The old life perishes. The new life is strengthened.

We keep going through that small gate. We keep traveling on that narrow road. We do not turn to the left or right all the days of our life.

What happens to us? We change from a living soul to a life-giving spirit. We are crucified with Christ. Christ, who is eternal Life, is living in us. We, along with the Apostle Paul, are attaining to the resurrection that is to eternal life.

Now you can see why the Lord said "only a few find it."

How many believers do you know who are denying themselves each day and living in the power of Christ's resurrection each day? How many are even aware they are supposed to be sharing Christ's sufferings as well as His resurrection Life?

How many believers are continuing to live in the adamic nature, waiting for the day they die and go to Heaven to walk on the golden streets? How many are aware that salvation is not eternal residence in the spirit Paradise but the transformation of their state of being from the life of flesh and blood to Divine Life in the Presence of God?

How many are counting all aspects of their life as garbage that they might gain Christ? How many reckon they have not yet attained to resurrection life but are pressing forward toward the mark of the stature of the fullness of Christ?

Are there many or are there few who are living like this? So you see what the Lord meant when He said "only a few find it."

I do not know what God is going to do about the majority of believers who never have found the way to life in the Spirit, but who have placed their trust in Jesus for salvation. Are they going to be taught in the next life? Are they assigned to a lesser place in the Kingdom of God? Personally, I don't believe they are going to be thrown into the Lake of Fire. I think Christian teaching has assigned far too many people to the Lake of Fire. Would God create millions of people so they can be tormented forever in the Lake of Fire? I don't believe so.

The Lord told us, in the parable of the sower, that some would reap the Word thirtyfold; some, sixtyfold, and some a hundredfold. We know from this that not all who are saved will attain to the same degree of eternal life.

As I stated previously, I believe that attainment to Divine Life is by God's drawing. Jesus said, " No one can come to Me except the Father draw him." I think this applies to every level of salvation.

Yet, I believe also no one need feel that he or she is not called to the Throne. If you want a higher level in the Lord, then tell God about it. I don't think He is going to respond by saying you have not been called to a higher level. I think God will receive every one who chooses to draw closer to Him.

You know, there is nothing in life that is as valuable as closeness to the Lord. It is a wise individual, I believe, who perceives that our time and energy are best spent seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. We may have only this one opportunity in all of eternity to show God how desirous we are of being close to Him. I personally want to take advantage of it. How about you?

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:14)