The narrow gate that Jesus was referring to is a personal relationship with God, not doing a bunch of religious rituals and sacraments to try and earn your way to heaven.
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Jesus makes it clear that we all stand at a spiritual crossroads, and there are two paths in front of us. The wide path leads to hell. The second, narrow path leads to eternal life in heaven.
'Gates' in biblical Israel weren't just a doorway into the city. They were where prophets cried out and kings judged, and people met, like in the ancient city of Dan.
BY "striving" to enter in at the strait gate, is meant in general, exerting ourselves with vigour, or using our earnest endeavours to that end; to obtain the salvation of our souls, or finally to gain admission into the kingdom of heaven.
Content. In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which. leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
When Jesus answers by talking about a narrow door, he is saying that this narrow door is precisely how anyone must come to God.
How can we keep ourselves on the straight and narrow way? The Lord gave the answer over and over again. We must learn the word of God by studying the scriptures and apply his word by praying daily to the Lord and serving our fellowmen.
The Narrow Path - Lessons From A Tight Rope Walker
There are 2 paths in life; the broad way that leads to destruction and death, or the narrow way that leads to everlasting life. Traveling the narrow path requires discipline and determination to stay on task and not fall or step aside, like that of a tight rope walker.
The "Eye of the Needle" was indeed a narrow gateway into Jerusalem. Since camels were heavily loaded with goods and riders, they would need to be un-loaded in order to pass through. Therefore, the analogy is that a rich man would have to similarly unload his material possessions in order to enter heaven.
Biblical scholars refer to God's gates as when we come into the presence of God. In other words, whenever we worship God, we enter His presence.
A gate is an exit or entry point. There are two types of gates, the physical and the spiritual gates; every physical gate has a corresponding spiritual gate! Before you conquer a physical gate, it's imperative that you conquer a spiritual gate. Upon every gate, there are strong men!
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Surprisingly, Jesus does not begin this story by describing himself as the “good shepherd” but rather as the “gate” into the sheep pen. He thereby claims to be the one and only way into the pen—a theme he will repeat in some of his other “I am” statements.
the name of one of the gates of the temple ( Acts 3:2 ). It is supposed to have been the door which led from the court of the Gentiles to the court of the women. It was of massive structure, and covered with plates of Corinthian brass.
In essence, the author is saying, "just as Jesus suffered and died outside the gates of Jerusalem for the purpose of making you holy and acceptable to God, you too need to go outside your gate, your camp or barracks and suffer for him.
In the Book of Revelations (Revelation 21:12), there is reference to the twelve gates, each of which represents a different passageway to heaven. Additionally, in folklore and mythology, it is commonly believed that there exists twelve gates, or entrances, to the underworld.
1. (1-2) The shut east gate. Then He brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary which faces toward the east, but it was shut. And the LORD said to me, “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the LORD God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut.
“As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it” (Luke 19:41). He wept, but he continued on his way into Jerusalem, uniting his destiny with that of the city and its Temple. Coming down from the Mount of Olives, Jesus must have entered the city through its eastern gate, the Golden Gate.
Pearly gates is an informal name for the gateway to Heaven according to some Christian denominations. It is inspired by the description of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:21: "The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate being made from a single pearl."
informal. : the way of living that is honest and morally proper. His wife keeps him on the straight and narrow.
The revelation to John supports Matthew 8:11, which says that many will come from every corner of the earth to sit with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The number 144,000 that were sealed or chosen are not pre-chosen. The number 12 itself is symbolic.
Although we can say with certainty that God loves to save sinners and even the most vile person can be saved, we must also recognize that God is not obligated to save anyone. Furthermore, we must realize that God is not unrighteous by not saving everyone.
Everything we go through is purposed to draw us closer to God, to whom we come to through Christ Jesus alone. “The narrow way that leads to life is found only by faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ,” The Moody Bible Commentary explains. We were created to bring glory to God.
The promise here is he will make our paths straight. Path is our way, the course and fortunes of life. Straight means to make smooth, straight, free from obstacles, successful.
And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.