{"id":1481,"date":"2018-05-01T13:07:28","date_gmt":"2018-05-01T17:07:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/riveroflifetwinlake.com\/RiverOfLife\/?p=1481"},"modified":"2020-10-04T08:08:31","modified_gmt":"2020-10-04T12:08:31","slug":"are-you-really-biblically-personally-following-jesus-part-1-few-end-in-heaven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/riveroflifetwinlake.org\/riveroflife\/are-you-really-biblically-personally-following-jesus-part-1-few-end-in-heaven\/","title":{"rendered":"Are you really, Biblically, personally following Jesus? Part 1 Few End in Heaven"},"content":{"rendered":"

Few<\/b> <\/span>Enter Heaven, Will You?<\/span>
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Matthew 7:13-14 (NLT) <\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can enter God\u2019s Kingdom only through the narrow gate.<\/b> The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many<\/b> who choose that way.<\/em><\/p>\n

14 \u00a0<\/b>But the gateway to life is very narrow<\/b> and the road is difficult<\/b>, <\/b>and only a few<\/b> ever find it.<\/em><\/p>\n

Jesus Christ is God! The second person of the Triune God. He came to earth 2000 years ago and revealed His Good News to mankind. He died for our crimes, was buried and resurrected from the dead. He offers forgiveness to everyone who accepts His sacrifice and follows Him. Millions claim to be Christians, but are they really, Biblically, personally following Jesus?<\/p>\n

How many will end in eternal hell?<\/b> MOST<\/strong> people go on the easy way that ends in eternal damnation in hell. Just simply do what you want, follow your dreams, and believe in yourself. Millions and millions will be eternally separated from God.<\/p>\n

How many will end in eternal life with Jesus? <\/b>Notice Jesus was clear only the people who enter the narrow gate go to heaven. This means those who think they deserve heaven and even if they truly believe they are Christians must be verifed by one criteria, have they entered through the narrow gate? The very narrow gate that takes every Christian on a very difficult life only a FEW<\/strong> ever find.<\/p>\n

But why do so few find the narrow gate?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

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The Lord Jesus immediately points to false preachers for the reason that so few will find heaven. False preachers are deceived about the narrow gate and the wide gate. They really think they are going to heaven. They have wolf-like evil hearts and are not really Christians. In spite of their sincere beliefs their actions are not good. Their evil hearts expose them. Their actions reveal them to be really traveling down the wide road to hell.<\/p>\n

Actions always expose an evil heart. Never trust what a person says until you see the fruit of their lives.<\/p>\n

What can a preacher do to block people from entering heaven? How do some try to widen the narrow gate to heaven?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jude 1:4 (NLT)<\/b><\/p>\n

I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches<\/strong>, saying that God\u2019s marvelous <\/strong><\/i>grace allows us to live immoral lives<\/i><\/strong>. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have <\/i>denied<\/i> our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.<\/i><\/p>\n

Some add to the gospel Jesus and the apostles preached 2000 years ago. And Jude reveals the deceived people who do this are inside the \u201cchurch\u201d. Not just those we call themselves preachers, but many who are in all appearance accepted by the church as Christians, are ungodly, not godly. Wolves not sheep.<\/p>\n

Their message contradicts the words of Jesus. They try to widen the gate to let their loved ones and friends to be falsely assured that they all get to heaven. They make excuses for sin and stretch grace to mean constant forgiveness in spite of the absence of repentance. As the Amplified Bible reveals of the depth of the Greek, \u201cpervert the grace (the spiritual blessing and favor) of our God into lawlessness<\/strong> and<\/i> wantonness<\/strong> and<\/i> immorality<\/strong>, and disown and<\/i> deny our sole Master and Lord, Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).\u201d<\/p>\n

This is not the gospel message of the Bible. Let\u2019s look closely at Jesus\u2019 words.<\/p>\n

Matthew 7:21-23 (NLT)<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cNot everyone who calls out to me, \u2018Lord! Lord!\u2019 will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father<\/b> in heaven will enter. 22 \u00a0On judgment day many<\/b> will say to me, \u2018Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.\u2019 23 \u00a0But I will reply, \u2018I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God\u2019s laws.\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s examine Judas Iscariot\u2019s story to prove this terrible evidence of false believers.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Judas Iscariot followed Jesus. He was one of the inner circle of apostles who was trained by Jesus. He preached (prophesied) the gospel, cast out demons, and performed miracles in Jesus name.<\/p>\n

Matthew 10:5-8 (NLT) <\/b>
\n5 <\/sup>\u00a0Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: \u201cDon\u2019t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans,<\/span>
\n6 <\/sup>\u00a0but only to the people of Israel\u2014God\u2019s lost sheep.<\/span>
\n7 <\/sup>\u00a0Go and announce<\/strong> to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.<\/span>
\n8 <\/sup>\u00a0Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy<\/strong>, and cast out demons<\/strong>. Give as freely as you have received!<\/span><\/p>\n

In spite of Judas being able to look like the other apostles, he was a wolf in sheep\u2019s clothes. Unlike the others, he did not \u201cactually do the will of my Father<\/strong>\u201c. Jesus never knew him spiritually like the other apostles because he was one of the many \u201cwho <\/strong>break God\u2019s laws<\/strong>\u201d and ended in hell.<\/p>\n

He so hid it that only Jesus knew his secret sin. When Jesus exposed a traitor would sell him out, none pointed to Judas because he was such a hypocrite. No, they did not know his secret. Only many years later was John able to explain, \u201cBut Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him\u2026 Not that he cared for the poor\u2014he was a thief<\/strong>, and since he was in charge of the disciples\u2019 money, he often stole<\/strong> some for himself.\u201d John 12:4-6 (NLT) <\/b><\/p>\n

Even though many, many, many will boldly run to Jesus at Judgment Day calling Jesus their Lord, they will be stunned to find they were deceived because they never stopped doing their will, but kept disobeying God. The haunting truth is the local churches of our day are full of wolves in sheep\u2019s clothes.<\/p>\n