The Issue

The Issue

The issue is not, am I one of the elect or am I not?

The issue is not, do I merely have an intellectual belief or saving faith?

The issue is not, am I merely called or am I chosen?

The issue is: am I born again? That is: have I died to my old self, my old passions, my old desire to please myself and been born anew with new desires and a new heart to please Him?

If we answer yes: then the rest is sanctification which He has promised to do. The Holy Spirit has made you a new creation. You are elect! You are both called and chosen! Saving faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit which was once with you, as you were being drawn and is now in you, as the Spirit of adoption by which we cry, “Abba, Father!”

If we answer, “No. This does not describe me.” My question is, “do you want to be made new?” Jesus said, “all you who thirst come to Me and I will give you drink.” He said, “all those who come to Me I will in no wise cast out.” But the way is narrow.

Bunyan wrote of the narrow way, “it is wide enough for body and soul, but not body, soul and sin”. We cannot take our sin along as we enter.

It is wide enough for soul and spirit but not soul, spirit and self. To be made new we must be willing to die to our self, to our will.

It is wide enough for me, but not for me and thee. There is a narrow way for each one, but for each one alone. We cannot enter with anyone or anything.

But you say, “this is too narrow. How can anyone enter into such a narrow gate?” But you ask amiss. Jesus said, “I am the gate”. To enter into the narrow way is to come to Him.

But you say, “a gracious God would not damn me for not entering into His narrow way”. You fool! You don’t realize that you are damned already. God is not damning you for not entering into His narrow way. It was His grace that made a narrow way for you to escape. You did nothing to warrant or deserve this.

But you say, “I refuse to enter in through this narrow way. I will enter in on my own terms.” Then you are not elect. You are not chosen. Though you have been invited to the wedding, you have no garment to put on and thus will be cast out into outer darkness.

As the rich man who refused to leave his wealth or the lingering son who desired to wait for his father to die first, you have chosen self over rebirth. Though you have an earthly affection for Him and desire to be saved from damnation, your faithlessness makes a cuckold of the Lord, and He will not enter in to such a relationship.

Do you not know that He is enough. Though you suffer loss in this life there are treasures forever in His presence to come. Forsake all! For nothing forsaken for His namesake will go uncompensated. For He has promised to repay all a hundredfold.

But you must be born again. That is the only way. Do you believe? Then believe that He is enough. Take hold of Christ and nothing else. Let go of this world and every weight that besets you and run this race with endurance... “He will not drop you, and you will not fall .”(Augustine). For He who has called you has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”