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."
It seems more and more these days that all you hear is watered down, good works based
"religion." We are told in the last days that there will be false teachers. These false teachers
are here and spreading a false gospel that omits sin, hell, the blood, and the resurrection.
They are leading people along in the broad way...straight to hell.
2 Timothy 4:3 & 4 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine;
but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears;
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."
It is so easy to be carried along with the crowd, to go along with what is popular and
pleasant. Why do I say "pleasant" you might wonder. Well the Gospel doesn't pull any
punches. The true Gospel of Christ shows man for what he is, a sinner.
1. Man is a sinner.
Romans 3:10 & 11 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one: There
is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God."
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
No one likes to hear that they are a sinner. But the truth of the matter is that we are
all born sinners, we are all born with the sin nature. And as good as you think you are,
you fall far short of any goodness whatsoever. We find the prophet Isaiah stating this
very thing in Isaiah 64:6 "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities,
like the wind, have taken us away." We cannot become a child of God, saved, until
we recognize that there is nothing that we can do to help ourselves. We don't like to
admit that we are helpless, but when it comes to the state of our souls, we stand helpless
and condemned before a holy God.
The only help available for our lost condition is the Lord Jesus Christ, and until we
recognize this vital point, we will remain lost in our sin, doomed to an eternity in hell,
separated from God.
2. Jesus paid the price for our redemption.
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death: but, the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us."
The only way to be cleansed from our sin and made righteous before a holy God is
for the price of our redemption to be paid. The verse above says that the wages, or
the price of sin is death. Well, you can't pay for sin with sin, that just doesn't make
sense...you see, we couldn't pay the price that was needed for our redemption, because
we are sinners! There was only one person who was holy, who was willing to shed
His righteous blood for us, and that was God's only Son, Jesus Christ. John 3:16 & 17
tells us what happened to assure our salvation; "For God so loved the world, that
He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish
but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn
the world; but that the world through Him might be saved."
Holy blood was the only atonement (price) for our sin. Hebrews 9:22b "And
without the shedding of blood is no remission." Hebrews 10:12 "But this
man ((Jesus) after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on
the right hand of God."
There are many churches today as well as Bible Schools that are going along with
the newer versions of the Bible and doing away with the blood. But without the
blood of Christ, we would all be condemned, lost forever, with no hope for any
redemption of our souls. There's a song by John W. Peterson that I love. The
chorus goes like this:
O He's filling up Heaven with sinners,
With sinners, with sinners.
Yes, He's filling up Heaven with sinners,
Who've been washed in the blood of the Lamb.
Ephesians 1:7 "In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness
of sins, according to the riches of His grace."
3. Jesus rose from the grave.
Matthew 28:6 "He is not here: for He is risen, as He said, Come, see the place
were the Lord lay."
Acts 13:30 "But God raised Him from the dead."
Many today believe that the resurrection is just a fable. You cannot choose and pick
which parts of the Bible you believe and which you don't! My Bible tells me that I have
a risen and glorified Savior, who is sitting on the right hand of God at this very moment.
My Lord was born for me, died for me and is risen for me. Many so called religions
today mark the burial sites of their "saviors," and make pilgrimages there to honor the
dead. I can't do that because my Saviors grave is empty, He's not there! Acts 13:37
tells us, "But He, (Jesus) whom God raised again, saw no corruption."
Jesus Christ did all this for us, so that we could be redeemed, made fit to be in the
presence of God for all eternity.
Hebrews 2:9 "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for
the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour: that He by the grace of
God should taste death for every man."
This is not saying that we will never physically die. This is talking about spiritual
death, the death that separates from God. Jesus went through this so that we never
have to. He has put in place the plan of salvation for every man, we just have to
receive it.
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."
This is the narrow way that is talked about in Matthew 7, that we started with. There
are not many today that want to line up with the Bible and the way of salvation. They
accuse the Bible of being out dated and old fashioned. Well, in that case, so am I, for
I choose to believe what God has said in the Holy Word as true. The narrow way is the
only way.
Jeremiah 6:16 "Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask
for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find
rest for your souls,"
They call me old-fashioned because I believe
That the Bible is God's Holy Word,
That Jesus, who lived among men long ago,
Is divine, and the Christ of God.
Old-fashioned, because I believe and accept
Only what has been spoken from Heaven;
Old-fashioned because at the cross I was saved,
At the cross had my sins forgiven.
Old-fashioned, because I am bound to do right,
To walk in the straight narrow way;
Because I have given my whole life to God,
Old-fashioned because I pray.
Old-fashioned, because I am looking above
To Jesus, my glorified Lord;
Because I believe He is coming again,
Fulfilling His Holy Word.
My sin was old-fashioned,
My guilt was old-fashioned,
God's love was old-fashioned I know;
And the way I was saved was the old-fashioned way,
Through the blood that makes whiter than snow.
Civilla D. Martin
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