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“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide [is] the gate, and broad [is] the way, that leadeth
There is the work that is now taking place in the earth, to gather all nations into one church. And although this might appear to be the good thing to do, there are some question that my brothers and sisters need to consider, before jumping in with heart and soul, without informing their minds. And the questions are these: Will you be keeping the unity of The Spirit in the bonds of peace in The One Body of Christ Jesus, and of His Spirit where by you are called into one hope of your calling? Will you be of The One Lord, one faith and one baptism, and of The One GOD and Father, WHO is above all, and is in us all, to give us grace according to the measure of the Gift of Christ? Are souls being called into, The One True Church, to be one with GOD by The Truth of HIS Word?
For it is revealed by The Word of GOD through His servant Solomon, who testified of HIM and said to those, who will be sons of God, to “My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:5-7).
GOD will have HIS church, to trust in HIS Word, to lead, sanctify and purify us by HIS Word of Truth. And all, who receive and follow GOD’S word, they will acknowledge and know His Way, to be directed in that way of Truth. The True Church will be of those, who stand up for The Truth. They have stood up for The Truth in the past, and they will stand up for The Truth today, and continue to stand for The Truth for time and for Eternity. And while the work to reach those, who are still searching for The Truth continue, we are to shine The Light of The Word of Truth to let those, who are in darkness that they might see why it would be unsafe to give up The Truth, to forsake The Holy One, Who is The Life of their souls that they might not to join in unity against GOD. Many are being led to trample upon The Truth, and to over look certain beliefs that are linked to one’s source of life. Those who, are described, as the wide gate, or the broad road, they are led to destruction, because they trample upon The Truth of GOD’S Word. But The True Church that is following The Strait Gate, it is a church in which The Truth is lifted up high above her members that The Truth might shine and give Light to those, who see The Way, to receive GOD’S Gift of Eternal Life.
In preparing the hearts of the people to receive The Holy One, Who is The Truth, John the Baptist preached a message of great importance, to those, who would accept The Truth, to follow Him The Truth to Life. In speaking of John the Baptist, Matthew testified of him, who was preaching in the wilderness, saying, “…Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Matthew 3:2, 3).
Notice that John the Baptist saw that there is a straight path--The Straight Gate is The Way of The Lord, Who leads all, who follow Him unto Life, but few there be that find it. Through His servant David, The LORD by HIS Word revealed to us HIS Way. And David testified of The LORD by HIS Word and said, “Thy way, O God, [is] in the sanctuary: who [is so] great a God as [our] God? Thou [art] the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people” (Psalms 77:13, 14). Notice that The Sanctuary is The Way of The LORD. It reveals The Truth about GOD to all, who will follow The Straight Path unto The Throne of GOD. And speaking of GOD’S Word, David said, “[As for] God, his way [is] perfect; the word of the LORD [is] tried: he [is] a buckler to all them that trust in him” (2 Samuel 22:31). Notice that The Word is a buckler--a shield to all, who trust in him.
The message of repentance is a message given through John, to point the receivers of the message, to follow that path of repentance back to GOD, as the perfect path is revealed in the sanctuary. John the Baptist said, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and [with] fire” (Matthew 3:11). The ministry of John the Baptist was a ministry that took place outside The Tabernacle.
As John the Baptist was baptizing with water unto repentance then went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan to be baptized by him. All, who would repent by forsaking their sins, they are baptized by water into a death of turning away from their sin. Although John baptized by water unto repentance, he made it clear that He, Who would come after him; He is Mightier than him, and His shoes John was not worthy to bear. John made it clear that The Mighty One shall baptize men, not with water, but with The Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is given to those, who will live by His Power to overcome their sin, and return to The One fellowship with GOD. The repentant sinner will live by The Holy Ghost, Who gives Power to live Righteously.
"Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin" (Psalms 51:1, 2).
"Repentance is one of the first fruits of saving grace. Our great Teacher, in His lessons to erring, fallen man, presents the life-giving power of His grace, declaring that through this grace men and women may live the new life of holiness and purity. He who lives this life works out the principles of the kingdom of heaven. Taught of God, he leads others in straight paths. He will not lead the lame into paths of uncertainty. The working of the Holy Spirit in his life shows that he is a partaker of the divine nature. Every soul thus worked by the Spirit of Christ receives so abundant a supply of the rich grace that, beholding his good works, the unbelieving world acknowledges that he is controlled and sustained by divine power, and is led to glorify God.--God's Amazing Grace, p. 138.
"There are those who, notwithstanding all the gracious invitation of Christ, continue to reveal ungodliness in their lives. To such ones God says: "How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? . . . Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you" (Prov. 1:22, 23).--Signs of the Times, June 28, 1905.
"Repentance for sin is the first fruits of the working of the Holy Spirit in the life. It is the only process by which infinite purity reflects the image of Christ in His redeemed subjects. In Christ all fullness dwells. Science that is not in harmony with Him is of no value. He teaches us to count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. This knowledge is the highest science that any man can reach.--The SDA Bible Commentary, Ellen G. White Comments, vol. 6, p. 1068." (Ye Shall Receive Power, Page 70)
The disciple John has shown to us GOD Will by HIS Word that all men might repent of their sins and live. John said by The Word, Who was in him that, “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:6-10). Speaking of The Word of Truth, the disciple John has testified of Him and said, “In him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4).
With this understanding that The Word is Life and The Life is The Light, of men, John has revealed The Truth, that man is the sanctuary in whom The Word of Light and Life seeks to dwell. As John said, “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” The Word, Who makes His dwelling in us to give us light and life, He came and dwelt in a Tabernacle of flesh and blood, like unto men, to reveal to man The Perfect Pattern for man to follow. The Whole Sanctuary was a moveable dwelling--A Tent for The Divine Word of GOD to dwell in among His people Israel, who traveled from place to place in the wilderness in His Own Tent. The Sanctuary building was a visible prophecy of The Word of GOD, coming and dwelling, not in a tent, as He did among the nation of Israel during the Exodus from Egypt, but in a garment of flesh and blood, to reveal His divine Nature through the nature of humanity.
In her writings of Christ veiled Divinity by His humanity in a garment of flesh and blood, Ellen G. White wrote and said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but not one jot or tittle of the word of God will fail. It will endure forever. All men, whatever their position, whatever their religion, loyal or disloyal, wicked or righteous, are fitting themselves for a part in the closing scenes of this earth's history. The wicked will trample one another down as they act out their attributes and fulfill their plans, but they will carry out the purposes of God.
“Christ, the foundation of the whole Jewish economy, stood before the Jewish rulers, to be condemned by his own nation. With his divinity clothed with humanity, he stood to be judged by the beings he had made. His garment of human flesh was to be torn from him. He could have flashed the light of his glory upon his enemies, but he bore patiently their humiliating abuse.
“Our Redeemer humbled himself, fully identifying his interests with the interests of humanity. Look at him girding himself and washing the feet of the disciples. Mark how tenderly he performs his act of ministry, to give them a lesson in true service. He who was one with God, who thought it not robbery to be equal with God, humbled himself, and took upon him the form of a servant. Constantly he ministered to the needy, the sorrowful, the distressed. But in the hour of his need, who was tender and compassionate to him? During his trial, what friend had he who dared to say as much as the heathen judge said, "I find no fault in him"? Christ's divinity was so completely veiled that it was difficult for even his disciples to believe in him; and when he died on the cross, they felt that their hope had perished.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made." "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us," . . . full of grace and truth." "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not."
“How different was the true High Priest from the false and corrupted Caiaphas. Christ stood before the false high priest, pure and undefiled, without a taint of sin.
“Christ mourned for the transgression of every human being. He bore even the guiltiness of Caiaphas, knowing the hypocrisy that dwelt in his soul, while for pretense he rent his robe. Christ did not rend his robe, but his soul was rent. His garment of human flesh was rent as he hung on the cross, the sin-bearer of the race. By his suffering and death a new and living way was opened. There is no longer a wall of partition between Jew and Gentile. "By one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified." This enabled him to proclaim on the cross, with a clear and triumphant voice, "It is finished." "Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with the blood of others; for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." "This man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God." Christ entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." He has qualified himself to be not only man's representative, but his advocate, so that every soul, if he will, may say, I have a Friend at court, a High Priest who is touched with the feeling of my infirmities. (Review and Herald, June 12, 1900 par. 12-16)
The Word’s True Nature is Spirit, and the disciple John testified of Him and said, “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:10-14).
“Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal” 1 Kings 19:18). "Today, as in the days of Elijah, the line of demarcation between God's commandment-keeping people and the worshipers of false gods is clearly drawn. "How long halt ye between two opinions?" Elijah cried; "if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him" (1 Kings 18:21). And the message for today is: "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen. . . . Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities" (Rev. 18:2-5).
"The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The observance of the false sabbath will be urged upon us. The contest will be between the commandments of God and the commandments of men. Those who have yielded step by step to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will then yield to the powers that be, rather than subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death. At that time the gold will be separated from the dross. True godliness will be clearly distinguished from the appearance and tinsel of it. Many a star that we have admired for its brilliance will then go out in darkness. Those who have assumed the ornaments of the sanctuary, but are not clothed with Christ's righteousness, will then appear in the shame of their own nakedness.
"Among earth's inhabitants, scattered in every land, there are those who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Like the stars of heaven, which appear only at night, these faithful ones will shine forth when darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people. In heathen Africa, in the Catholic lands of Europe and of South America, in China, in India, in the islands of the sea, and in all the dark corners of the earth, God has in reserve a firmament of chosen ones that will yet shine forth amidst the darkness, revealing clearly to an apostate world the transforming power of obedience to His law. Even now they are appearing in every nation, among every tongue and people; and in the hour of deepest apostasy, when Satan's supreme effort is made to cause "all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond," to receive, under penalty of death, the sign of allegiance to a false rest day, these faithful ones, "blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke," will "shine as lights in the world" (Rev. 13:16; Phil. 2:15). The darker the night, the more brilliantly will they shine (Prophets and Kings, pp. 187-189). (Lift Him Up, Page 164)
"There followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication" (Revelation 14:8).
"The second angel's message of Revelation 14 was first preached in the summer of 1844, and it then had a more direct application to the churches of the United States, where the warning of the judgment had been most widely proclaimed and most generally rejected, and where the declension in the churches had been most rapid. But the message of the second angel did not reach its complete fulfillment in 1844. The churches then experienced a moral fall, in consequence of their refusal of the light of the advent message; but that fall was not complete. As they have continued to reject the special truths for this time they have fallen lower and lower....
This is the same message that was given by the second angel. Babylon is fallen, "because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." What is that wine?--her false doctrines. She has given to the world a false sabbath instead of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and has repeated the falsehood that Satan first told to Eve in Eden--the natural immortality of the soul. Many kindred errors she has spread far and wide, "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.". . .
In the last work for the warning of the world, two distinct calls are made to the churches. The second angel's message is, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." And in the loud cry of the third angel's message a voice is heard from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities."
"The religion of Christ never degrades the receiver. It never makes him coarse or rough, discourteous or self-important, passionate or hardhearted. On the contrary, it refines the taste, sanctifies the judgment, and purifies and ennobles the thoughts, bringing them into captivity to Jesus Christ.
"God's ideal for His children is higher than the highest human thought can reach. The living God has given in His holy law a transcript of His character. The greatest Teacher the world has ever known is Jesus Christ; and what is the standard He has given for all who believe in Him? "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5:48. As God is perfect in His high sphere of action, so man may be perfect in his human sphere.
"The ideal of Christian character is Christlikeness. There is opened before us a path of continual advancement. We have an object to reach, a standard to gain, which includes everything good and pure and noble and elevated. There should be continual striving and constant progress onward and upward toward perfection of character. . . . Without the divine working, man can do no good thing. God calls every man to repentance, yet man cannot even repent unless the Holy Spirit works upon his heart. But the Lord wants no man to wait until he thinks he has repented before he takes steps toward Jesus. The Saviour is continually drawing men to repentance; they need only to submit to be drawn, and their hearts will be melted in penitence.
"To man is allotted a part in this great struggle for everlasting life--he must respond to the working of the Holy Spirit. It will require a struggle to break through the powers of darkness, and the Spirit works in him to accomplish this. But man is no passive being, to be saved in indolence. He is called upon to strain every muscle and exercise every faculty in the struggle for immortality, yet it is God that supplies the efficiency. No human being can be saved in indolence. The Lord bids us, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." Luke 13:24. "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 the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matthew 7:13, 14. (Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, Page 365 366)
“Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, [if] we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter [and] former rain unto the earth. O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness [is] as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away. Therefore have I hewed [them] by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments [are as] the light [that] goeth forth. For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.” (Hosea 6:1-7).
"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3).
"It is our privilege to taste the sweetness of communion with a crucified and risen Saviour. But in order for this to be, self must be surrendered to God. Self-indulgence means that Christ is not followed in self-denial and cross bearing. When self strives for the highest place, the spiritual perceptions become dimmed. The eyes are turned from Christ to the poor picture of self. We cannot afford to become separated from Christ. We must keep looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. . . .
"It is as we commune with Christ that precious, holy light shines into our souls, until every chamber is lighted up and we become bright lights in the world, reflecting to others the glory of Christ. We are to keep Christ before us as the example of perfection.
"Communion with God is the life of the soul. It is not a something which we can interpret, a something which we can clothe with beautiful words, but which does not give us the genuine experience that makes our words of real value. Communion with God gives us a daily experience that does indeed make our joy full.
"Those who have this union with Christ will declare it in spirit and word and work. Profession is nothing unless, in word and work, good fruit is manifest. Unity, fellowship with one another and with Christ--this is the fruit borne on every branch of the living vine. The cleansed soul, born again, has a clear, distinct testimony to bear. . . .
To know God is, in the scriptural sense of the term, to be one with Him in heart and mind, having an experimental knowledge of Him, holding reverential communion with Him as the Redeemer. Only through sincere obedience can this communion be obtained. . . .
Following Christ's example of unselfish service, trusting like little children in His merits, and obeying His commands, we shall receive the approval of God. Christ will abide in our hearts, and our influence will be fragrant with His righteousness." (In Heavenly Places, Page 72)
"O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him" (Psalms 34:8). "How shall we know for ourselves God's goodness and His love? The psalmist tells us--not, hear and know, read and know, or believe and know; but--"Taste and see that the Lord is good." Instead of relying upon the word of another, taste for yourself.
"Experience is knowledge derived from experiment. Experimental religion is what is needed now. . . . Some--yes, a large number--have a theoretical knowledge of religious truth, but have never felt the renewing power of divine grace upon their own hearts. . . . They believe in the wrath of God, but put forth no earnest efforts to escape it. They believe in heaven, but make no sacrifice to obtain it. . . . They know a remedy for sin, but do not use it. They know the right, but have no relish for it. All their knowledge will but increase their condemnation. They have never tasted and learned by experience that the Lord is good.
"To become a disciple of Christ is to deny self and follow Jesus through evil as well as good report. . . . Every darling indulgence that hinders our religious life must be cut off. . . . Will we put forth efforts and make sacrifices proportionate to the worth of the object to be attained?
"Every association we form, however limited, exerts some influence upon us. The extent to which we yield to that influence will be determined by the degree of intimacy, the constancy of the intercourse, and our love and veneration for the one with whom we associate. Thus by acquaintance and association with Christ we may become like Him, the one faultless Example.
"Communion with Christ--how unspeakably precious! Such communion it is our privilege to enjoy if we will seek it, if we will make any sacrifice to secure it.
"So everyone may be able, through his own experience, to "set his seal to this, that God is true." John 3:33, A.R.V. . . . He can testify: "I needed help, and I found it in Jesus. Every want was supplied, the hunger of my soul was satisfied. . . . I believe in Jesus because He is to me a divine Saviour. I believe the Bible because I have found it to be the voice of God to my soul." (Maranatha, Page 74)
By Carron Lake @ www.thelightoftheword.org
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).
