Our Entrance - What God Does 
and
 "What must I do to have eternal life?"
REVELATION Matt 16:17 Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not
revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

ABOUT KNOWING JESUS John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they
follow me:
John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom thou hast sent.
 
BEING A NEW CREATION John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a
man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
It’s revelation, new birth/creation, knowing Him.
What We Must Accept:
All these things God must do. You can’t enter yourself, so understand this - the journey
is supernatural, and is within the kingdom. You may attempt discipleship on your own, and as
you start the journey of discovery you may find yourself having gained entrance. But God must
draw you, and He must reveal himself to you.
Yet, know this. He is calling you. Many are called, but few are chosen. “What must I
do?” Jesus answered the rich man, and he went away sad.

Matt 7:14 A strait gate is one which confines one into a small place where there is not an
unlimited freedom of movement. There is a hemming in so that the many natural inclinations to
sin and indluge one's every whim and desire is not permitted.

Isa 35:8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the
unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not
err therein.

Matt 16:24-26 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake
shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what
shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and
that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

Matt 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

Matt 25:3-5 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

Luke 13:24-25 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in,
and shall not be able.
25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand
without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say
unto you, I know you not whence ye are:

Rom 9:27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as
the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

Deut 7:7 The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in
number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:

Prov 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of
death.

Isa 24:5-6 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed
the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore
the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

1 Peter 3:20 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.

2 Peter 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the
unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 
        
One of the most stout references to God's willingness to save but a few is
demonstrated in the account of the flood. Though this is not a season of judgment to punish but
rather purify, there is coming a day of judgment to exhibit His wrath for sin. People don't realize
that they are being kept for judgement. Their life exists for no other reason. They have a
reservation before the throne of God. Remember, believing in Jesus and being baptized in His
Name has the exact meaning of following Him and keeping His commandments. Believing and
baptism are intended to identify someone who has willingly acknowledged his walk as a disciple
of Jesus.

How do we come to know eternal life? It comes from knowing Jesus. He said, when it
was called into question by the Jews how He presumed to know so much when He did not have
the education that they had -

John 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or
whether I speak of myself.

Here is a great secret of faith. Many people do not believe in Jesus today simply because
they do not have the heart to live the ensuing values of the Gospel. They will not believe in Jesus
because it would require of them a humility, selflessness, sacrifice and merciful attitude that they
simply do not want to embrace. It would be nice to know total forgiveness, but not at the expense
of having to forgive others.John 7:18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he
that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
Here is another example in scripture of Jesus being true. His judgment was true because
He sought not His own glory. Here we see His ability to speak the truth was founded upon this
same principle. The secret of freedom from unrighteousness is found in what, who or where we
are seeking our glory, our esteem from. If it is of ourselves then we will be working in the nature
that causes sin. The pursuit of our own glory, honor, respect and dignity is at the root of what
brings us into sin. It is the elevation of self, the pursuit of our own sense of rightness because of
who we are. The only way we may possibly obtain a state of being right is by forgetting about our
own virture with all of its defensiveness, and seeking for the honor that comes from above.
No unrighteousness is in him. It comes from seeking God's glory instead of self glory.
Jesus was asked about gaining eternal life and He answered,

Matt 19:16-30 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing
shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God:
but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit
adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I
yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor,
and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great
possessions.
23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter
into the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a
rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all
things are possible.
27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee;
what shall we have therefore?
28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the
regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife,
or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit
everlasting life.
30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

        So we see from the passages above in John and Matthew that first of all here a person
who is seeking his own glory is a person who is attempting to find his value in himself instead of
in God. A person who has no unrighteousness in him is one who has found his glory, his value,
in God, not in himself. Attempts at morality, freedom, goodness do not come from our efforts or
our man made religion. They do not come from knowing the standards. They come from
knowing Him.

We further see that such a person Jesus associates with one not doing the will of God. A
person not so inclined to obey God will not be even granted the privilege of knowing who Jesus
truly is. They will go on their own way with their own reasoning, their own wisdom, depending
upon their own intellect and experience to answer eternal questions. So again, finding our value
in the value system of the Kingdom of God is founded upon what we have deemed of value.
And how is that established?

Jesus answered that in Matt. 9:16f. How are we going to inherit eternal life? In the
same way our value system is established, our value is established, and what is valuable to
us is established. People who struggle with that, with continual esteem issues, continual
failure in their significant relationships are at the very least non-credible witnesses of the
path of eternal life who easily misrepresent God and His image in us. True biblical faith is
and must be measured by our alignment with the call to forsake what we have, giving it to
the poor, and following Jesus. This establishes a legitimate faith. It proves that we have
found the value of the buried treasure in the field the Jesus spoke of. We are searching for
it. Of such is the Kingdom of heaven. Will you follow Him? Will you be His disciple? He
alone has the words of eternal life. We will not cheapen the call through mere meetings,
events, and agreed upon doctrines.

I’m not asking you if you are ready to accept Jesus as your personal savior. That’s a
given. I’m not asking you if you want to answer an altar call and confess you are a sinner. That
is also a given. I am asking, is God calling you? Are you being drawn by Him right now? Is
your heart burning as the ones who heard Him speak on the road to Emmaus? If He is drawing
you now, and you want to begin the journey, come. Do you want to change what is valuable,
what your values are, and change your personal value? Do you want to start out on a journey
freely giving someone something that you are learning to freely receive? Will you come and
count the cost, let Him meet your needs instead of you continually trying to do it yourself, find a
basis of faith, and give Him your life?


THE HIDDENNESS OF THE KINGDOM
Matt. 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their
eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears,
and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

There is a hiddenness to the Kingdom of God that the perpetually proud will never be
able to see. They are of the many, of those whose lives are merely held in reserve for judgment.
It shocks the sensibilities of the very elect that there are those among us this very day who are
totally blind to God. Such would never pursue legitimizing gay marriages, even if it is not
legitimate to legislate certain areas of morality. They simply wouldn’t pursue it. I wonder how
often Christians try to violate the hiddenness of the Kingdom with their witnessing. Do you
realize that there are times when I should not tell people certain things because it simply is not
given them to know them?

There is also the hiddenness of the Kingdom that is rather shocking. I’m going to share
with you a revelation of this parable of parables. There are those who fall away because of the
worries and cares of this life. They have anxieties and perhaps blame God, or perhaps blame
people, or just lose their desire because of the “straitness” of the way. Then there are those who
have the joy of the Kingdom, and we say, “wow, look what God is doing in them.” Then because
of persecutions or afflictions they fall away. There are those who simply will not understand the
Word once it is given to them.

Jesus said, “It is not given them to know the secrets of the Kingdom.” I began to realize
that there is a place where, if people do not want to know the truths of how to live in the
Kingdom and handle trials, persecutions, worries of this life, etc. then I am not going to waste my
time and energy, nor my worries on trying to get them to understand it. If people want to live
with an ungodly attitude towards conflicts, problems, and trials, and if they simply do not want to
walk in truth, then the Kingdom will be hidden from them - even those who were once excited
about God. “It is not given to them to know.” Nor is it given to people who are bent on
discovering, or “finding” the truth in science. These people who say they do not see evidence for
God, creation, eternity in science, have not looked into science to prove God, but to disprove
Him and validate their own humanism. God will continue to speak to them in riddles lest they
turn and be converted and God heal them. Your job is to minister to those to whom it is given
and not to beat yourself up about those to whom it is simply not given. In the last day it will be
God who will answer for them, not you.


THE NEED TO BEAR FRUIT
Matt 25:28-29
Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that
hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

Matt 25:30-36
And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth.

Matt. 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

Matt 25:35
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger,
and ye took me in:

Matt 25:45
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the
least of these, ye did it not to me.

Matt 25:46
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

We know the scriptures teach that the righteous are those who have obtained faith which
alone establishes righteousness. Yet here we see that Jesus associates the righteous with those
who are fruitful in doing the will of God. True faith that produces righteousness within is going
to produce a life that lives in kind. Righteousness by faith is not merely some internal stamp or
pass that grants eternal life yet has no external evidences.
 
Cornerstone Magazine
Living Life on Purpose
Descipleship 4