March 19, 1960 “Entering at the Strait Gate” Late Mr. N. Daniel
Matthew 7:13 & 14
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for 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 is the way, which leadeth unto life? and few there be that find it.” Jesus spoke to His disciples about this narrow way. Very few choose to go in the narrow way. There is a popular religion which leads to destruction. The conditions that exist in the church today must make people weep. During Christ's time there were religious leaders who were going the easy way and the broad way. The disciples could have gone that way; but they chose the narrow way. It is a 'strait gate'. Strait means narrow and difficult. You have to start with repentance. It is easy to start without repentance. Jeremiah 17: 7-10 “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” People must realise that the centre of their personality where from all inspiration springs is deceitful. False signals result in the collision of trains. People must learn not to trust their own hearts. A converted man is different from an unconverted man, in that he does not trust his heart's decision. “Do my decisions confirm to the Word of God? Does the Spirit of God say ‘yes’ to my decision?” he questions. True repentance is a strait gate and difficult to go through. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. When your heart is right and filled with a broken and contrite spirit you cannot bring forth evil fruit.
Not everyone that says, “Lord, Lord”
will enter into heaven. People are used to flattery. Who was a prophet? A man who spoke the truth of God with all his heart in the strength
of God. Every prophet swam against the current of his times. Every true
Christian swims against the current. The narrow way is the will of God. The
strait gate is repentance. God commanded that we should repent. Acts 17:30 “And
the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth
all men everywhere to repent.” People do no want to come through the strait
gate but to climb in another way. They are thieves. The will of God is narrow.
But once you get into the habit of obeying the will of God, you will find the
way broad. Those who climb in another way will say, “Have we not prophesied in
thy name?” And Jesus will say, “I never knew you.” They were just thieves making
use of the name of Jesus and the faith of the people. In our group, since there
is a certain level of faith, young Christians do some miracles. The danger is, they think they are great men and miss their way. Some have
done so. God says you never came by the strait gate and you never walked in the
narrow way because it is difficult and you might have to disobey your parents. A
person wrote to ask me God's will in a certain matter. He wanted to go abroad.
I prayed very much. The Lord said she has missed the way long ago and has been
choosing her own way. She has to confess her sin from
that time that she left the way. She cannot suddenly come into God's will. God
is willing to help us. Where did you miss the way? Go back and set it right. Keep
in the narrow way. One day you will find your life built upon a rock. No winds
can shake you. Such was the life of