Clearly understand the way to heaven!
“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.” (Luke 13:24)
“Who will be in heaven?” is an age-old question which receives multiple answers which are often conflicting and can easily confuse some. But it is not complicated and God does not keep it a secret. As a matter of fact, God is crystal clear in the Bible who will be in heaven
In John 10:9 Jesus tells us “I am the gate (door); whoever enters through me will be saved.”. There Jesus clearly tells that he is that “narrow” door to heaven. That means that whoever believes in Jesus as their Savior will have their sins fully and freely forgiven and will be in heaven to enjoy an eternity free from all pain and trouble.
What is troubling to many people is that not everyone will be able to enter the door to heaven. We need to understand Jesus’ words “many…will try to enter and will not be able to”. It is not because Jesus doesn’t want everyone in heaven. As a matter of fact the Bible clearly tells us that “God our Savior, desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4). It is instead that people don’t want to enter the door as Jesus describes – through faith alone in him as the Savior.
God uses the phrase “the narrow door” to help us understand that we can’t try to drag or carry through the door other things which our human nature so often wants to offer to God as reasons or payment to get us into heaven: all the “good things” we think we have done in our lives, our perception that we are “better than most people”, all the things we have “given to God” which think can somehow serve as payment to gain us entry into heaven.
There are many variations of those reasons or “payments” which people think can somehow help them gain entry into heaven, but in the end every one of them ignores the fact that there is only one way to heaven – believing in Jesus as your Savior.
This is often disappointing to many people who view themselves as people who somehow “deserve” to be in heaven or feel that because others in their family or circle of friends will be in heaven, they can ride their coattails into heaven.
It is not easy or popular to tell people that there is only one way into heaven and it has nothing to do with them, who they are or what they do. But if we truly love people, we will lovingly help them to understand that there is only one way to heaven and Jesus is the one and only door which opens to heaven.
May God bless and keep you as you make sure you know and follow the one way to heaven and also work to bring as many as possible along with you through the narrow Jesus door!