"CHRISTIAN: Why, to be truthful, I do not know what would
have become of me there had not Evangelist arrived at just the
right time. But it was the mercy of God that he came to me again,
for otherwise I would never have come to this place. Nevertheless, I
have come, unworthy as I certainly am, and am more deserving of
death by means of that mountain than the privilege of standing
before my Lord to talk with him. But oh, what a gracious privilege
it is for me to gain entrance here.
GOOD-WILL: We do not object to any entering here,
notwithstanding all that they have done in the past; in no way are
they cast out. Therefore my good Christian, walk a little distance
with me and I will instruct you about the way ahead that you must
pursue. Look just ahead of you; do you see this narrow way and
how it goes ahead of us? Then that is the way along which you
must go. It was established by the patriarchs, prophets, Christ, and
his apostles; it is as straight a way as it is possible to find. This is
the way that you must go." John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress
That Christian has gotten this far is a miracle. He is thus far the lone survivor of the City of Destruction. We do not know how many inhabited the town, but there were at least many. There are millions and millions that presently have not responded in our world to the call of Evangelist. Of those few that have, many have turned away when they faced various trials. Most are just sleeping through their lives and may only awake in Hell.
Sometimes people respond to the warnings of Hell like horses respond to fire in their stalls. Some people think just because they know there is danger they are safe where they are. They do not run to the safety of the cross. They believe the knowledge of the danger is enough. Horses will not run either.
"Unfortunately the prognosis for a horse that has been involved in a barn fire is not good. Horses tend to panic in emergency situations and do not always behave in the most rational manner. Dr. R. Dean Scoggins says, " This is because horses will not run away from a fire because they associate the barn stall with safety. "I remember one barn fire that I witnessed in which the stalls of 22 horses were opened and only two of the horses inside the barn came out", says Dr. Scoggins. Horses that stay in their stalls a large amount of the time are especially reluctant to come out in the event of a fire. If you succeed in getting the horse out of the barn, it is important to tie him up to something solid or he may try to run back inside the burning barn." 'Horse Barn Fires: An Avoidable Tragedy' Jennifer Browning-Stone
Salvation does not come by just knowing you are in a desperate situation. If you are robbed and a policeman asks how much was taken, simply knowing the damage does not bring reward. There must be action taken. Like the horse, we must be rescued. We must be led to safety.
Christian has been told he was in danger. He was then led to the Wicket-Gate and rescued. Now he is shown the path again. It is a narrow way. This means that few can travel on it at a time. The person that designed it knew few would travel on it.
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14
Jesus is the path and many have stumbled over this fact. Many try to take Jesus out of the equation. His name provokes anger and division. Narrow has a negative connotation today. One who is narrow in his view point or beliefs is accused of lack tolerance. On this we cannot bend, there is no gray area, there is no debate! Jesus' redemptive death on the cross for our sins is the only route of rescue. To take Jesus out of salvation is like removing oxygen out of water. Salvation without Jesus is like water without oxygen, impossible! Jesus said He was the Messiah, the Son of God, and more.
"Jesus answered, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
I John 5:12
"It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." Acts 4:10-12
have become of me there had not Evangelist arrived at just the
right time. But it was the mercy of God that he came to me again,
for otherwise I would never have come to this place. Nevertheless, I
have come, unworthy as I certainly am, and am more deserving of
death by means of that mountain than the privilege of standing
before my Lord to talk with him. But oh, what a gracious privilege
it is for me to gain entrance here.
GOOD-WILL: We do not object to any entering here,
notwithstanding all that they have done in the past; in no way are
they cast out. Therefore my good Christian, walk a little distance
with me and I will instruct you about the way ahead that you must
pursue. Look just ahead of you; do you see this narrow way and
how it goes ahead of us? Then that is the way along which you
must go. It was established by the patriarchs, prophets, Christ, and
his apostles; it is as straight a way as it is possible to find. This is
the way that you must go." John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress
That Christian has gotten this far is a miracle. He is thus far the lone survivor of the City of Destruction. We do not know how many inhabited the town, but there were at least many. There are millions and millions that presently have not responded in our world to the call of Evangelist. Of those few that have, many have turned away when they faced various trials. Most are just sleeping through their lives and may only awake in Hell.
Sometimes people respond to the warnings of Hell like horses respond to fire in their stalls. Some people think just because they know there is danger they are safe where they are. They do not run to the safety of the cross. They believe the knowledge of the danger is enough. Horses will not run either.
"Unfortunately the prognosis for a horse that has been involved in a barn fire is not good. Horses tend to panic in emergency situations and do not always behave in the most rational manner. Dr. R. Dean Scoggins says, " This is because horses will not run away from a fire because they associate the barn stall with safety. "I remember one barn fire that I witnessed in which the stalls of 22 horses were opened and only two of the horses inside the barn came out", says Dr. Scoggins. Horses that stay in their stalls a large amount of the time are especially reluctant to come out in the event of a fire. If you succeed in getting the horse out of the barn, it is important to tie him up to something solid or he may try to run back inside the burning barn." 'Horse Barn Fires: An Avoidable Tragedy' Jennifer Browning-Stone
Salvation does not come by just knowing you are in a desperate situation. If you are robbed and a policeman asks how much was taken, simply knowing the damage does not bring reward. There must be action taken. Like the horse, we must be rescued. We must be led to safety.
Christian has been told he was in danger. He was then led to the Wicket-Gate and rescued. Now he is shown the path again. It is a narrow way. This means that few can travel on it at a time. The person that designed it knew few would travel on it.
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14
Jesus is the path and many have stumbled over this fact. Many try to take Jesus out of the equation. His name provokes anger and division. Narrow has a negative connotation today. One who is narrow in his view point or beliefs is accused of lack tolerance. On this we cannot bend, there is no gray area, there is no debate! Jesus' redemptive death on the cross for our sins is the only route of rescue. To take Jesus out of salvation is like removing oxygen out of water. Salvation without Jesus is like water without oxygen, impossible! Jesus said He was the Messiah, the Son of God, and more.
"Jesus answered, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
I John 5:12
"It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." Acts 4:10-12
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