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The narrow way to heaven

By Pastor Lazarus Muoka
25 September 2022   |   4:03 am
Heaven is a prepared place for regenerated people, those who have in the course of their earthly lives purged themselves of everything that is against the will of God.

General Overseer, The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries, Worldwide, Pastor Lazarus Muoka ministering in one of the church programmes

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Heaven is a prepared place for regenerated people, those who have in the course of their earthly lives purged themselves of everything that is against the will of God. It is the desire of everyone to be in heaven at the end of his/her life on earth. Unfortunately, it will not be everyone that will be qualified to enter heaven. Making heaven is not bed of roses and anyone working to be there must deny himself or herself of earthly pleasures that are contrary to God’s will.

The flesh has no place in heaven because at the death of a man the spirit, which is of God will go back to where it rightly belongs — heaven or hell depending on the person’s lifestyle while on earth. The Bible describes the road to heaven as the narrow way, hence Matthew 7:13-14 says: “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.14: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

Since the way to heaven is narrow and strait, very few people are able to find it. This simply means that the rules are rigid and only very few people can keep it till the end of their lives on earth. God will not for anyone change His standard. Our Lord Jesus Christ went to the Cross for the salvation of mankind. It was not His will, but that of God, the creator of heaven and earth. Through that sacrificial death on the Cross of Calvary we are saved from sin and the bondage of Devil. We have to follow Christ our Redeemer to make heaven. That is why the Bible says in the lead scripture that the ransom of the Lord shall return. The ransomed of the Lord are the believers in Christ who are purchased and saved by His blood. These are the people who follow our Lord with all their heart and not with their wisdom. They follow Him without questioning His authority or reasons for any action. This is why Christ likened true believers to the life of a child.

Children obey and follow their parents without questioning them. A father may wake up his son in the morning to prepare and follow him to a destination. The father may not tell the son where they are going and the child may not know the purpose of their journey, but he will follow without questioning the father. The child wholly depends on the father, believing that he will not do him any harm. Following God this way through Jesus Christ will take one to heaven. It is not easy to follow someone line, hook and sinker; but that is the requirement from God and that is the only way to make heaven. Suffering in the course of doing the will of God must never be a deterrent, as Christ Himself suffered in the course of doing the will of God.

Matthew 16:20-26 says: “Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. 21: From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 22: Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23: But he turned, and said unto Peter, get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. 24: Then said, Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25: For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26: For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Our Lord Jesus Christ rebuked Apostle Peter for attempting to counter His statement of suffering in the hands of the elders and priests knowing that if He fails to go that way the purpose of His coming will not be fulfilled. Except He was crucified, the work of redemption of mankind would not have taken place. He earlier charged them not to tell anyone He is Christ. The disciples had been proclaiming Jesus as the Christ, the covenanted King of the Kingdom as promised the Jews. The church must be built upon the testimony of Him as the crucified, risen from dead and ascended to heaven, and made the head of all things.

Following Him till the end without questioning His authority and partaking of His suffering will make us inherit all things at the end. The way may be full of thorns and thistles, but it will lead to a glorious end. John 12:23-26 says: “And Jesus answered them, saying, the hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified. 24: Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it dies, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25: He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26: If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.”

The hour has come for Christ to fulfill the purpose of His coming so that He will be glorified. The hour of human decision is now past as far as the establishment of the kingdom is concerned (Luke 19:41-44). The king has been rejected by His own nation; therefore, the predicted temporal blessing of that kingdom for both the Jews and the Gentiles had to be deferred until the king returns in glory (Acts 15:16-17). But now a greater hour has arrived, the hour of the king’s glorification through death and resurrection (John 12:12-24, 28). God is the sole determinant of this hour, which will herald eternal life to all who believe, whether Jews or Gentiles.

Whoever must partake in this glory must be determined to follow the narrow way, the highway of holiness, which is our Lord Jesus Christ. Whosoever follows that highway of holiness must prepare to face personal challenges and be determined to overcome them in favour of following Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul presented himself as a case study in Romans 7:15-24 saying:

“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16: If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17: Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18: For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19: For the good that I would I do not: but the evil, which I would not, that I do. 20: Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21: I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22: For I delight in the law of God after the inward man. 23: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members. 24: O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

Apostle Paul cries out for deliverance from inward battle. This is a passage of profound spiritual and psychological insight. The apostle personifies the struggle of two natures within himself, and of course, any other believer. This is the old or the Adamic nature, and the divine nature received through the new birth (1Peter1: 23, 2 Peter1:4).

The frequent use of the first person pronoun in all the discussion representing the struggle of the believer and the law shows that self-effort can neither achieve holiness nor win the struggle against the indwelling sin. Rather, holiness can be achieved through total identification with Christ — His death and resurrection. The apostle presents his former self: ‘I’ as Saul of Tarsus and the new self; ‘I,’ Paul the apostle are at war, fortunately, Paul the apostle is in the state of defeat.

If you read through Romans Chapter 7 to Chapter 8 you will discover that Paul the apostle was victorious through the spirit of God. You can witness the departing cry: “Who shall deliver me from the body of this death.” This is total admission of man’s inability to deliver himself from the bondage of sin. This is what plays out in the life of every believer. We need to follow that highway of holiness — our Lord Jesus Christ — at all times without asking questions. It is only through total dependence on Christ and obedience to the totality of God’s words that any believer can make heaven. That narrow way is possible through our Lord Jesus Christ; depend on Him, obey Him and you will make it at last in Jesus’ name. Amen!

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