May 29, 2000
GREAT QUESTIONS OF THE BIBLE:
"Are only a few people going to be saved?"
Luke 13:23
___By Pepper Puryear
___Pastor, First Baptist Church, Mount Vernon
___This question is relevant in view of the confused religious state of our day. But interestingly enough, the very same question was on the minds of the people in Jesus' day. In Luke 13, Jesus is passing through villages, preaching as he goes. He is approached by one from the crowd and asked this pertinent question, which the rabbis had debated. According to them, all Israel would be saved. So how would Jesus answer? What would he say? Will the saved be few in number?
Pepper Puryear
___Jesus did not give a direct answer, but did something far more significant. He made the answer personal. He told the inquirer, and also us, to let our concern be that we are saved and in that number; no matter how large or small it may prove to be. This is much more important than doing some arithmetic on those rescued from eternal loss.
___Notice Jesus' words, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door" (Luke 13: 24a). "Make every effort" comes from the Greek word from which we get our word "agonize." It was used originally of athletes competing for a prize. One translator says, "strain every nerve." This does not mean human achievement merits salvation. Salvation is only by grace. It means to let nothing deter us from entering the door while it is open. We are to earnestly seek to enter the kingdom of God by true repentance. This is the opposite of indifference or carelessness.
___Notice also that it is a narrow door. Jesus knew nothing about, and warns against, many ways of salvation. For "many … will try to enter and will not be able to" (Luke 13: 24b). Here a different verb is used. Jesus does not say that many "will be struggling" and fail to succeed. All those who "struggle" in obedience to the command "make every effort" will enter. Genuine seekers will not find themselves excluded from the kingdom.
___No, these "many" try to obtain salvation in another way. They turn a deaf ear to Jesus and do not like this narrow door. Yet the time will come when the Master of the house will close even this narrow door (Luke 13:25). Then it will be too late. The opportunity will have passed. Although the "many" will want to enter, it will then be impossible. The call from these verses is to enter the kingdom while we may. Entrance to the kingdom is only through Christ, who himself is the door.
___What a message to take to this generation! But not if you want to be "politically correct." To stand in the "mall of religions" and proclaim, "Jesus is the only way" will get you evicted. "You're too narrow," they will say. Yet Jesus used that very word.
___A couple of weeks ago Larry King had two interesting guests on two consecutive nights on his live CNN talk show. On one night, he had Deepak Chopra, author of the best-selling book "How To Know God." Chopra rejected the position that there is only one way to God, proclaiming instead that there are many paths to God. The next night, King's guest was Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of Billy Graham. She boldly proclaimed salvation is found nowhere else but through Jesus. Politically correct? No, yet correct nonetheless.
___Are only a few people going to be saved? Jesus answers by saying make sure you are one of the few.
Previous Columns: 7/14, 7/21, 7/28, 8/4, 8/11, 8/18, 8/25, 9/1, 9/8, 9/15, 9/22, 9/29, 10/6, 10/13, 10/20 10/27, 11/17, 11/24, 12/1,12/15, 12/1,1/5, 1/12. 1/19, 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23, 3/1, 3/8, 3/15, 3/27, 4/3, 4/10, 4/17, 4/24, 5/1, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22
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