Matthew 7:13-14
The Narrow Gate
“YOU CAN ENTER GOD’S KINGDOM ONLY THROUGH THE NARROW GATE.
The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.
But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”
John 10:7-16
“Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I AM THE GATE FOR THE SHEEP. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.”
Going through The Gate
➡️ step 1 – Self-Reflect and admit to your own wrongdoing.
Anyone who thinks they do not need to change will never change. Those who think they are good enough or even perfect the way they have always been have no insight, no ability to self-reflect, are unable to acknowledge their own sinfulness, have remorse over it.
Mark 2:17 “When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
1 John 1:10 “If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.”
Anyone who knows they are a sinner, but is convinced they will always be sinners – have no faith. They do not believe in God’s power of transformation – being Born Again. They justify their wrongdoing to themselves and assume they will be saved, even though they keep on sinning. They claim they know God and have faith in Jesus Christ, but their sinfulness testifies against them. They have no understanding about the meaning of the cross, so they remain slaves to sin and death.
Romans 6:12-14 “Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.”
Anyone who thinks they are saved but continue to sin is lying to themselves.
Job 11:10-11 “If God comes and puts a person in prison or calls the court to order, who can stop him? For he knows those who are false, and he takes note of all their sins.”
1 John 3:1-10 “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will NOT SIN. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family DO NOT make a practice of sinning, BECAUSE GOD’S LIFE IS IN THEM. So THEY CAN’T KEEP ON SINNING, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.”
John 5:14
“But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so STOP SINNING, or something even worse may happen to you.”
Matthew 7:21-23
True Disciples
“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I NEVER KNEW YOU. Get away from me, YOU WHO BREAK GOD’S LAWS.’
➡️ Step 2 – Faith; believe that Jesus Christ has the power to change your heart – remove your sinful nature, so that you would stop sinning.
Hebrews 11:6 “And it is IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD WITHOUT FAITH. Anyone who wants to come to him MUST believe that God exists and that he rewards those who SINCERELY SEEK HIM.”
- Please learn the difference: Faith vs. Belief
This is why Jesus Christ came from Heaven – to take away the sins of those who desire to live in Him and Him to live through them! A person needs to be go through HEART CIRCUMCISION for this to happen, for Christ never sinned, and He will not join with unrepentant sinner!
Hebrews 9:27-28
“And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered ONCE FOR ALL TIME as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.”
Hebrews 10:26-27 “Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies.”
TRUE REPENTANCE HAPPENS ONCE; JUST AS CHRIST WAS CRUCIFIED ONCE; HE DID NOT SURVIVE THE CRUCIFIXION BUT PHYSICALLY DIED AND WAS RAISED TO A LIFE IN THE SPIRIT OF GOD.
1 Peter 3:18 “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.”
THOSE WHO WANT TO FOLLOW CHRIST IN THIS PATTERN MUST CRUCIFY THEIR SINFUL NATURE – KILL IT, SO IT DOESN’T SURVIVE. ONLY THEN THEY WILL BE RAISED TO A NEW LIFE IN THE SPIRIT OF GOD.
👉🏼 It STARTS with the DEATH OF EGO = the FALSE identity; a lie. It must be dead and buried, forever. Two main ingredients of ego: arrogance and pride.
Jeremiah 4:4 “O people of Judah and Jerusalem, surrender your pride and power. Change your hearts before the Lord, or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire because of all your sins.”
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
The Temple of the Living God
“Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
Acts 2:38 “Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. THEN you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
John 3:5-12
“Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”
“How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.
Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things?”
➡️ Step 3 – Love God and Other People
How to fall in love with God? By getting to know Him! Read the Bible! Bible Versions
John 17:1-5
“After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.”
Hosea 4:6 “My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children.”
Seek the Lord and ask Him for guidance. Prayer is the conversation we have with God. He hears our thoughts without us speaking out loud. Think of telepathy. Whatever you say to yourself in your mind is heard out loud in the Spiritual realm. Gain an understanding of what He has done for us, and ask Him to grant you more understanding, but have only Faith in Him, not in human wisdom. Loving God means hating evil. It’s impossible to love both. God requires us to Love Him above anything and anyone else. So, yes, He is jealous and does not compromise on loyalty. Therefore, anyone or anything other than God taking priority in our lives becomes an idol.
Matthew 22:36-40
“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
Matthew 10:37 “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.”
Proverbs 19:8 “To acquire wisdom is to love yourself, people who cherish understanding will prosper.”
Learn more: Love Your Neighbor
➡️ Step 4 – Hate this evil world
God’s Kingdom is NOT of this world! It is NOT located in the Middle East where wars, slaughter and hatred for the neighbor rules!
Revelation 11:8 “And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city that is figuratively called “Sodom” and “Egypt,” the city where their Lord was crucified.”
Egypt as well as other locations are used interchangeably depending on their context; physical or spiritual.
*to hate this evil world does not include God’s creation; nature and animals. It is about the evil in it.
Hebrews 11:13-16
“All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, A HEAVENLY HOMELAND. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”
John 18:36
“Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is NOT of this world.”
Galatians 1:4-5 “Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.”
1 John 2:15-17
Do Not Love This World
“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we SEE, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”
2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we live by believing and NOT BY SEEING.”
Galatians 6:14 “As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.”
John 12:25-26
“Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.”
➡️ Step 5 – Call out to the Lord to save you
It must be done, literally —it’s NOT a metaphor. Physically – get on your knees and cry out to God with all your heart! But don’t pretend; if your heart isn’t broken and you feel no remorse, or still want to enjoy your sinful acts, you will only look like a fool. People may fool themselves, but they cannot fool God.
Calling out to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to save you means you acknowledge you are NOT perfect and better than others, and are remorseful over your sins; you do not want to continue living that way; you hate that kind of living. Those who can’t do that much; don’t believe they need saving and/or have no faith. Feeling entitled to salvation does not save; it’s self-righteousness. Again, this is arrogance and pride; deadly sins.
Romans 10:5-13
“For Moses writes that THE LAW’S WAY of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. But FAITH’S WAY of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” n fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.”
And that message is the very message about FAITH that we preach: If you openly declare that JESUS IS LORD and BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is BY OPENLY DECLARING YOUR FAITH that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who TRUSTS IN HIM will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have THE SAME LORD, who gives generously to ALL WHO CALL ON HIM. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
2 Samuel 22:1-7
“David sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence. I CALLED ON THE LORD, who is worthy of praise, AND HE SAVED ME from my enemies. The waves of death overwhelmed me; floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path. But IN MY DISTRESS I CRIED OUT TO THE LORD; YES, I CRIED TO MY GOD FOR HELP. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears.”
Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.”
Isaiah 30:18-22
“So the Lord must wait for YOU TO COME TO HIM so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help. O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will be gracious IF YOU ASK FOR HELP. HE WILL SURELY RESPOND TO THE SOUND OF YOUR CRIES. Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. YOU WILL SEE YOUR TEACHER WITH YOUR OWN EYES. Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, “Good riddance!”
John 6:40 “For it is my Father’s will that all who SEE HIS SON and believe in Him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”
👉🏼 This is also NOT a metaphor. I, Monika, have seen with my own eyes the Glory of the Lord on September 25th, 2022, after I have gone through all those steps = after I believed and expressed my FAITH through my actions. Make no mistake about it:
- this was NOT the “Thomas situation” who did not believe until he saw;
John 20:28-29 “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” - this was the “Lazarus situation” – I saw because I first believed and acted on it!
John 11:40-44 “Jesus responded, “DIDN’T I TELL YOU THAT YOU WOULD SEE GOD’S GLORY IF YOU BELIEVE?” So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”
—and that’s how I was raised to a NEW LIFE in Christ! I was dead because of my sins, but God raise me from my grave by giving me the eternal life – the Holy Spirit. All miracles that Jesus Christ performed during His earthly life, although done in physical appeal, have Spiritual meaning and message.
Colossians 2:11-15 “When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.” 🙌🏼
2 Corinthians 16-18 “But whenever someone turns to the Lord, THE VEIL IS TAKEN AWAY. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed CAN SEE AND REFLECT THE GLORY OF THE LORD. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”
- this was NOT the “Thomas situation” who did not believe until he saw;
➡️ Step 6 – Confession
We don’t confess our sins to inform God about what we had done. God already knows everything. There’s nothing you can surprise Him with! The purpose of confessing sins to destroy the ego.
Do it in private, behind the closed doors. You don’t need a priest or other 3rd party. God hears your thoughts, so turn directly to Him. Expose yourself to God without trying to hide anything. If you think you don’t remember something, ask God to remind you. Confess all SPIRITUAL SINS: pride, envy, jealousy, hate, greed, gluttony, idolatry, etc. Tell Him how you broke every commandment – yes, you broke them all, admit to it!
This can only be successful if you’re brutally honest with yourself, don’t try to justify anything, or blame shift. It will be painful; like you’re about to die. I’m not exaggerating. That’s ego death; your false identity will die, but you won’t die physically. I’m still here; but as a NEW person, with my new ID; I’m a citizen of Heaven!
Revelation 12:10-12 “Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has come at last—salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth—the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.”
This should be easy to someone who is done with this world, honest and humble, and impossible to those who are in love with their falsehood, not remorseful and not done sinning.
Luke 13:23-27
“Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?”
He replied, “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ And he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.’
FORGIVE, TO BE FORGIVEN
Forgiveness must be granted to everyone who wronged you, even yourself. Show yourself compassion. And yes, you must forgive those who never apologized to you and never asked to be forgiven. Remember, that forgiveness is not for them, but for you. You forgiving others doesn’t save them; they too, must acknowledge their sins and repent. But you cannot hold grudges if you don’t want God to hold grudges against you. You must trust God and His righteous judgment against those who continue to do wrong. He is the Judge, not you. That’s the deal.
Forgiveness like like removing poison from your heart.
Matthew 6:14-15
“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
- Grief all the “should been’s,” and “could be’s.” Process all the unfairness that happened to you.. Sit with this painful feeling, and just feel it. Cry it out, even if it takes days or weeks.. When it’s processed, it will be gone. You will survive it and come out of it stronger.
- Diamonds don’t become diamonds unless they go through fire. Stop avoiding pain; it’s a necessity.
➡️ Step 7 – Receive the Holy Spirit
Going through the first 6 steps is all you can, and are required to do. If you have not been baptized in water, do so – it a sign to others that you have obeyed God by having repented of your sins, and are prepared to receive the Holy Spirit. This is opportunity to OPENLY DECLARING YOUR FAITH, as required. But, it’s not up to you whether God gives you His Spirit, and it is separate from water baptism. God promised to give the Holy Spirit, but only IF the previous steps are completely true in faith. God alone makes this decision because He is the Judge, not you. Your faith will be tested.
Psalm 75:7 “It is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall.”
Proverbs 21:2 “People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart.”
If God does send His Spirit to you, it will be when least expected, and you will SEE HIS SON with your own eyes. You will see His Glorious Light, and if you recognize Him as Jesus Christ, you will experience His unfailing love, peace and forgiveness. He will transform you into a NEW person, baptize you with His Spirit prompting you to call out “Abba, Father!” The Holy Spirit will work through you. You will no longer live for yourself, but for Christ, and the world will hate you. It’s an event of a lifetime, and not something imagined. It can’t be missed.
If you continue to sin, well… don’t expect this to happen. Still need people’s approval? That’s not good.
But that doesn’t mean you should give up trying. Keep examining yourself. It’s a fight for your own soul, and it’s worth fighting for! Seek God’s approval!
Matthew 16:24-28
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.” 🙌🏼
Learn more: Baptisms
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