Narrow Way or Narrow Mind?

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In Matthew 7:14, Jesus said, “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

I wonder what He meant by this statement?

Ask most preachers or Christians and they’ll probably tell you that if you don’t follow the letter of the law, you’re missing the mark and sinning and just might end up in the place of “wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

I’m not sure that is what He meant though.

Jesus came to fulfill the law and in doing so, left us with only two commandments….

Well three….

#1: Love the Lord God with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength (Mark 12:29 -30)

#2: Love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31)

#3: “That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:34 & 15:12)

He also exhorted us in Luke 6:37, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.”

If our only instruction from the Lord was to LOVE, to forgive and to judge not – why is it that most attempts outside of traditional Christian thought and doctrine are judged and condemned as heretical?

You may wonder where I’m going with this…just bear with me.

I have some very dear friends who are stout believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. So stout they will not entertain any concept beyond that taught by their pastor and his/her (or even their own) interpretation of scripture. They won't listen to anyone else, read books by anyone else and heaven forbid anything that is not 100% word-for-word in the bible! This they discount or shun and then judge people who dare to question or search.

Is this an example of the narrow way or a narrow mind?

I have other friends who love God and Jesus with all of their heart, soul, mind, body, and strength, but have never set foot in a church and have not read the bible. Are they wrong in their interpretation of God and who He is? Are they less a “Christian” because they are more open to the SPIRIT of God than the doctrines of men?

Scripture was given to us for among other things, instruction (see 2 Timothy 3:16). Ask thirty preachers to read the same scripture and I promise, you’ll get at least twenty different answers.

How then, are we to know the right one? Why is it that we are so sure ours is not only the right way but the only way to God? To Jesus?

Now I believe whole-heartedly in the Lord Jesus Christ. HE is my Lord, my Savior, my Redeemer, the lover of my soul and I respect His sacrifice as ransom for my life, and never, in all of my reading and searching do I deny HIM as such. But I believe God is so much more than any book (including the bible) can explain, clarify, illuminate, describe, or express.

As I mentioned in About This Blog, I have been on a spiritual journey since I recommitted my life to Christ in 1989. I read voraciously and I commune with Him daily through prayer and meditation, not only speaking to Him but listening for His voice and instruction. Do I always get it right?

Not at all!

But He and He alone knows my heart and how very much I love and adore Him.

In John 17:11 & 22, Jesus prayed that we would be one as He and the Father are one. 

How can we accomplish this?

One way might be by opening our hearts and minds to a fresh anointing and interpretation of Scripture, by seeking above all things LOVE, peace, and joy, by sharing those things with our brothers and sisters and by allowing people to seek HIM in their own way.
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JMHO
Something to think about…
 PamT

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