Salvation Assured HARD TO BE LOST
Enter ye in at the straight gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Matt. 7:13.
For a long time there have been people who have had the idea that the road to perdition is downhill all the way, paved with ice, and all you do is slip and slide your way right in.
One day I was visiting a lady in my local church. she was an older lady, approaching 80 years of age, tall, sophisticated, well educated. After we had visited for a while, engaging in typical small talk, I asked her whether there was anything I as her pastor could do to be of help or encouragement to her. She said, "Yes, if you could just get me out of this church and out of this religion, and away from this Bible and this God and this faith." And I said, "I beg your pardon?" She said, "I have been trapped. I grew up in a missionary's family, overseas. I had this whole business and routine of religion ingrained in me. I go to prayer meeting every Wednesday night, I can't help it. I don't want to. I go to church every week. I wish I didn't. I've tried to get away from the church and from God. I've tried to forget the whole business but I can't." And she pleaded with me to help her escape! I assured her that this was not my responsibility as I saw it. She was an exaggerated case of one who has discovered that it's not easy to get away from God and salvation.
On the downhill road, there are huge barriers and mountains and hurdles to cross that God Himself has been responsible for. God is determined that everyone possible will be saved. He will not violate our power of choice, but He has set up mighty agencies to make it as difficult as possible for anyone to be lost.
It is true that the way to life is described as a narrow way. "Yet do not therefore conclude that the upward path is the hard and the downward road the easy way. All along the road that leads to death there are pains and penalties, there are sorrows and disappointments, there are warnings not to go on. God's love has made it hard for the heedless and headstrong to destroy themselves."--Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 139. "The Lord is...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9).
Enter ye in at the straight gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Matt. 7:13.
For a long time there have been people who have had the idea that the road to perdition is downhill all the way, paved with ice, and all you do is slip and slide your way right in.
One day I was visiting a lady in my local church. she was an older lady, approaching 80 years of age, tall, sophisticated, well educated. After we had visited for a while, engaging in typical small talk, I asked her whether there was anything I as her pastor could do to be of help or encouragement to her. She said, "Yes, if you could just get me out of this church and out of this religion, and away from this Bible and this God and this faith." And I said, "I beg your pardon?" She said, "I have been trapped. I grew up in a missionary's family, overseas. I had this whole business and routine of religion ingrained in me. I go to prayer meeting every Wednesday night, I can't help it. I don't want to. I go to church every week. I wish I didn't. I've tried to get away from the church and from God. I've tried to forget the whole business but I can't." And she pleaded with me to help her escape! I assured her that this was not my responsibility as I saw it. She was an exaggerated case of one who has discovered that it's not easy to get away from God and salvation.
On the downhill road, there are huge barriers and mountains and hurdles to cross that God Himself has been responsible for. God is determined that everyone possible will be saved. He will not violate our power of choice, but He has set up mighty agencies to make it as difficult as possible for anyone to be lost.
It is true that the way to life is described as a narrow way. "Yet do not therefore conclude that the upward path is the hard and the downward road the easy way. All along the road that leads to death there are pains and penalties, there are sorrows and disappointments, there are warnings not to go on. God's love has made it hard for the heedless and headstrong to destroy themselves."--Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 139. "The Lord is...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9).
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