The Way

"Christian: But will it not be counted trespassing against the Lord of the City who we are bound, to violate his revealed will?
Formalist: and Hypocrisy: They told Christian, That as for that, he needed not to trouble his head; for what they did they had precedence; and could produce, if need be, testimony that it had been done for more than a thousand years.
Christian:  But, said Christian, will your precedence stand at trial?
Formalist: and Hypocrisy: They told him, That custom, being longer than a thousand years, would doubtless now be admitted as legal by an impartial Judge; and besides, said they, if we get into the way, who cares which way we get in? If we are in, we are in; you are on the way, who came in at the Gate; and we are also on the way, though we came tumbling over the wall; how is your condition better than ours?" John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress

Christian is on the path to Celestial City. He has run into two men, who have gained entrance to the path by climbing over the wall. They have not responded to Evangelist. They were not greeted at the gate by Good-Will. They have gained access by their own actions. When Christian questions whether the Lord of the City would welcome them, they respond that they don't know, but that the action of self effort had been done by many for over one thousand years.

Our services are full of people who have never been saved by Christ. They may have walked down the aisle. They may have shaken a pastors hand or prayed a magic prayer, but they have not been saved. What is the answer? What do we do?

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? " 

II Corinthians 13:5

Are you a new creature? Do you love the things of God? Have you been set free? Many pray the prayer, but how many believe what they pray? Is your heart saying what your mouth proclaimed?

"But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." Romans 10:8-10

This isn't works, because only God can give us the grace to believe. We can voice a prayer, but only God can give us the faith to believe. This is the difference between those who come through the gate and those who climb over the wall.

"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life."I Timothy 1:12-16