“Lord, are there few that be saved?” (Luke 13:23) The short, and long answer is yes, few people will be saved, which means that most people are going to go to hell.
This is not debatable throughout the Scriptures; it is shown many times. “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matt. 7:14) “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27) “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” (Matt. 7:22)
It is called “easy grace,” pretending to oneself that because of some words repeated, because of church attendance and adherence to the traditions and bylaws imposed, one will most assuredly walk into the kingdom of God. Even baptism, focusing on Acts 2:38 is seen by some as a guarantee of that entrance, and many will proclaim infant baptism also requires God to give them a key to His house, so to speak. All these and more are not simply misinterpretations of the Scriptures by those who believe those lies, but are self-imposed deceits, they do not “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Tim. 2:15) but have simply taken the word of the ones who stand behind the pulpit as truth, and therefore their condemnation will be as the lost, the wicked, the rebellious in the life to come.
We are to test the spirits, (1 John 4:1) “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2 Cor. 13:5) How much research do you do when you are going to purchase an item, little to none, do you just pick up whatever is available on the shelf? Probably not. How much more do you suppose you should do when speaking about your eternal soul? Do you simply take the words of others in the matters of this life as the truth, or do you seek a second opinion?
Why few, why not most as the general population of “Christians” seem to think these days, that believe that no transformed life is required, who think carrying their cross means putting up with the most minor inconvenience, who do not believe they are to witness to others about Christ because that is not their responsibility, but those in the hierarchy of the church are to “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark. 16:15)
If it costs you nothing, nothing is what you will receive.
We are saved by grace through faith, (Eph. 2:8) no work can be done or will be accepted towards our salvation, Jesus paid it all, yet after that confession of faith if there is no visible proof in accordance to the Word of God, then that profession of faith was a lie, a self-imposed, emotionally based lie, and it will cost you your soul. It is a cheap grace that causes the receiver to put forth no effort, to simply follow the traditions of whatever building they enter into each Sunday morning that they like to call a church, to perform the well-worn rituals, and then return to the world the moment they pass through the doors at the end of the morning service.
People who “feel” saved are not saved, people who show the love of Christ to others are.
There is no fear of God before their eyes, save for the continuation of their flesh, their lives here, and then nearly always in a way that does not inconvenience their daily routine, that does not interfere with the life they want to lead. The cross of Christ is a beautiful image to them, not one of sorrow and shame, the assembling of themselves together is not to worship the Lord God Almighty in fear and trembling, but simply to feel better about themselves. Their lives revolve around themselves, and the only thing that they have been born-again into is a preconceived notion of what the one behind the pulpit says.
They have not been justified, but they like to think so, they are not being sanctified, but it makes them feel better to believe so, and they will not be glorified, for the sufferings of Christ are not their main concern, they are.
“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matt. 7:14) “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” (Matt. 7:22) These two Scripture verses should cause anyone who claims Jesus Christ as Lord to not only begin to perform some very serious self-introspective upon themselves, but to fall on their face and beg for mercy. Better now than in hell.
