24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Luke 13:22-24.
Many want to be saved on their own terms and conditions. They want to live their own lives just as they want. They want to believe just what they want. They think that just because (in their own minds) that they are better than someone else, they will be saved. They think that just because (in their own minds) that they comply with some verse that they pick and choose, they will be saved. They create their own “god” (in their own minds) who they think will save them.
But, Jesus exhorts all of us to “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Luke 13:24. The word “Strive” reminds me of the Apostle Paul’s words in Philippians 3:14: “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Paul wrote more of the New Testament than anyone else, and no other Apostle (except perhaps Peter) was more well known and appreciated by the Christian Church throughout history, and yet, he did not rest on his laurels. He stated: “Not that I have already obtained it (the resurrection from the dead) or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14. (Parenthetical identification is mine).
Paul also said: “I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:23-27.
But, there is more need to be saved than “just” this striving. Jesus exhorts us to “enter through the narrow door”. What is this narrow door? It is a good question to ask and consider and discuss, but I don’t think any of us would be so bold as to claim that we can answer everything that should be considered.
First, if there was one exclusive definitive answer, I think it would be “Jesus is that narrow door” according to Scripture such as John 14:6 (“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”) and John 10:9 (“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”).
But, I think that Jesus meant more than just identifying Himself as the only Savior, because He states just one verse later, that there will be those who say: “Lord, open up to us!”, but the “the head of the house” will answer and say to them, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ See Luke 13:25. Moreover, there would be no need for striving if salvation was as simple as claiming Jesus as Savior.
Second, as another thing that should be considered, I think that part of what should be considered as this “narrow door” is more specific (or narrow) knowledge of the truth. For one example, but there are other examples, we read in Romans 10:2-3 about the zeal of the Jews. They certainly strived for salvation. “For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.” (Emphasis added.) Thus, it is not sufficient to generally know and believe in God. We must have more specific knowledge and beliefs.
Third, as another thing that should be considered, I think that part of what should be considered as this “narrow door” is the Third Point of Calvinism, the “L” in “TULIP”, “Limited Atonement”. This “Limited Atonement” is narrow. In contrast to “Limited Atonement”, Arminianism believes in “Universal Atonement”, including that God loves everyone, Christ died for everyone, and God wants to save everyone, and that the only difference between the unsaved and saved is that some take what I will call “a leap of faith” from that wide bridge of universal atonement (which wide bridge illustrates that Christ died for everyone). Arminians believe that everyone has an equal opportunity to be saved (at least in comparable situations), but that Christ’s death saved no one, only those who take the leap of faith (to the other shore as the illustration) will be saved. Thus, the bridge is wide, but it only goes halfway across the stream.
In contrast, Calvinism believes that God only loves His elect and only wants to save them. Christ died only for the elect, and God does everything necessary for the salvation of His elect. In comparison to the wide bridge of Arminianism, Calvinism is the narrow bridge because salvation is only available for the Elect, but unlike the Arminian bridge which only goes half-way across the stream, Calvinism’s narrow bridge completely crosses the stream because God handles all the points of salvation. Because Man is so totally depraved (first point of Calvinism) that he is “dead” in sin, hostile to God, cannot please God, cannot understand the things of God, and is in bondage to sin and Satan, God must make His elect “born again” or “alive” or “draw” them to Christ, or else no one would believe and be saved. God does everything for the elect, including giving them faith, sanctifying them, and preserving them to salvation, so that all the elect will be saved. See the golden chain of salvation in Romans 8: 29-30.
Arminian doctrine believes that man’s work of faith is the only variable which can bring man from universal atonement to salvation; whereas, Calvinist doctrine believes that God’s work is the only variable which brings man from total depravity to salvation. What appears to be “a doctrine of the precepts of man”?
Remember Jesus’ words in Luke 13: 24: “Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and not be able.” Likewise, Jesus tells us in Matthew 7: 12: “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” These Scriptures should cause us to pause and consider whether or not Arminian’s doctrine in universal atonement and a doctrine based on “man’s leap of faith” may be the broad way that leads to destruction.
Arminianism appears to rest on “the wisdom of man” while Calvinism appears to rest on “the power of God”? Is it true faith to believe that salvation is ultimately dependent on man’s choice – “the wisdom of man”? Certainly, Arminianism is more attractive and wise and just to our natural human mind to believe that everyone has an equal opportunity to be saved and to believe in free will and to believe in sufficient goodness in man and to believe that salvation is ultimately controlled by us as to whether or not we will choose Christ and be saved. However, our faith should not rest on the wisdom of men (Arminianism) but on power of God (Calvinism). See I Corinthians 2: 5.
In conclusion, these three points to consider are just some of the points to consider in meditating on what Jesus meant by “the narrow door”. I pray this daily devotion will motivate all of us to consider all that Jesus meant by “the narrow door” and to “strive to enter by the narrow door”.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 