Many are called, but few are chosen
Luke
13:23-24
“Then said one unto him,
Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, strive to enter in at
the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not
be able.”
**Finding salvation requires more concentrated effort than most
people are willing to put forth. Obviously we cannot save ourselves—there is no
way we can work ourselves into God’s favor. The work we must do “to enter in at
the strait gate” is earnestly desiring to know Jesus and diligently striving to
follow him whatever the cost. We dare not put off making this decision, because
the door will not stay open forever. **
I. FEW WILL BE SAVED
A. MANY THINK MOST WILL BE SAVED...
1. Or to put it another way, that most people will go to heaven
2. Yet Jesus taught that few would be saved
“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: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
**The gateway to eternal life Is called “strait”, an old word for “narrow”. This does not mean it is difficult to become a Christian, but that there is only one way to live eternally with God and that only a few decide to walk that road. Believing in Jesus is the only way to heaven, because he alone died for our sins and made us right before God. Living his way may not be popular, but it is true and right. Thank God there is one way! **
B. WE DO WELL TO REMEMBER...
1. Only eight souls were saved during The Flood –
“And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: 22All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. 23And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.”
“Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. ”
“And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;”
2. Only three souls escaped the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
“Then
the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD
out of heaven; 25And
he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the
cities, and that which grew upon the ground.26But his wife looked
back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.27And Abraham
gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD: 28And he looked toward
Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo,
the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.29And it came to pass,
when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and
sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the
which Lot dwelt.”
3. Only two men out of 603,550 over the age of 20 were permitted
to enter the land of Canaan
“26And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 27How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. 28Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: 29Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, 30Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. 31But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. 32But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.”
II. JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY
A. MANY THINK ALL RELIGIOUS PEOPLE WILL BE SAVED...
1. As some put it, "It doesn't really matter what you believe..."
2. Yet Jesus taught that no one comes to the Father but through
Him –
“6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
B. WE DO WELL TO REMEMBER...
1. The example of Cornelius, a religious person who needed
salvation –
“There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, 2A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. 3He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. 4And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. 5And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: 6He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.”
2. The example of many other religious people who needed salvation
a. The devout Jews on the Day of Pentecost
“And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.”
“36Therefore
let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus,
whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.37Now when they heard this,
they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the
apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38Then Peter said unto
them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for
the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
[Being religious is not enough, and one cannot truly be a Christian who
believes that salvation can be found outside of Christ
(Acts 4:12)
“neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
III. FOR THOSE WHO OBEY
A. MANY THINK THAT ALL WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS WILL BE SAVED...
1. That we are saved by faith only, with no need for obedience
2. Yet Jesus warned of those who believed in Him but were lost
a. They believed Him to be their Lord
b. They spent their lives in service to the Lord
c. But they had not done the Father's will!
B. WE DO WELL TO REMEMBER...
1. That Jesus is the author of salvation to all who obey Him
“and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;”
2. The end of those who do not obey His gospel –
“And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;”
3. Not all believers will be saved
a. The demons believe, yet tremble! –
“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
b. Some believed, but were unwilling to confess Him
John 12:42-43
“Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: 43For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”
