“Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Luke 13:23, 24.
We often wonder about the salvation of others. But in His reply, Jesus points back to the only person’s salvation we can really know and asks, “are you yourself saved?” The rabbis of that day used to love to debate the question of whether many or few would be saved. Jesus did not take that bait, His only question is, “are you saved?”
The Greek word for strive is agōnizomai, where we get the word agonize from. The concordance list the following meanings of the word agōnizomai.
1) to enter a contest: contend in the gymnastic games
2) to contend with adversaries, fight
3) metaph. to contend, struggle, with difficulties and dangers
4) to endeavour with strenuous zeal, strive: to obtain something
The Christian walk is not a walk in the park. Jesus paid a heavy price for us. We can’t bring our self-centeredness, pride, lusts, hate or especially our own righteousness. Therefore, we must strive or agonize in order to lay aside these things.
We read about His love and compassion for others and the forgiveness that can only come through Him. His humbleness and gentleness, His healing power and the absolute truth and authority of His word.
Jesus said many comforting and encouraging words to those who believe in Him. Forgiveness and eternal life for example. He also said some things that should make all of us who believe in Him and call Him Lord, think and examine ourselves.
Jesus throughout gospels said some pretty tough things. Many that followed Him left Him because it was either too hard for them to understand, or they were no willing to pick up their cross and follow Him any longer.
Are we truly willing to pick up our own cross and follow Him, no matter what may come? There are many obstacles in the way. The world is an obstacle. The devil is an obstacle. But the worst obstacle is your own flesh. Are we willing to murder our flesh?
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Rom 8: 5, 6 ,13.
We as believers are in a spiritual battle every day. We can either give in or agonize and fight the good fight. “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Mat 26:41. Jesus said this to the disciple when He prayed 3 times in the garden of Gethsemane. He was agonizing and sweating drops of blood. This is very rare and the medical term today is: Hematidrosis. It may occur when a person is suffering extreme levels of stress for example, facing his or her own death. Jesus prayed that this cup i.e. the crucifixion may pass Him. I believe that this was the last attempt of Satan to prevent Christ from going to the cross to die for the sin of the world and ultimately defeat him.
“O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”Mat 26:39.
Jesus did not give in to the flesh, He did the will of the Father. Jesus came willingly to the earth, He left His glory in heaven to fulfill the plan of God’s salvation for mankind. He willingly bore the cross and He laid down His life for us. He picked up His cross. Are we willing to do the same? Jesus needs to be our example. Life is not easy and comes with many distractions and cares of this world. Temptations are all around us and many blame it on Satan, but I do believe it is our flesh that causes us to stumble and give into various temptations. We need to strive/agonize to overcome and pick up our cross.
We may not have to suffer as Jesus did, severally beaten to a bloody pulp, unrecognizable and nailed to the cross. There are many followers of Christ that do suffer for their faith. They are persecuted, beaten and killed because of their faith in Jesus. Those are the once that strive to enter the kingdom of heave. They truly live out their faith.
I hope and pray that we as believers don’t have to go to such heavy persecutions or facing death, but if it comes, are we willing to stand strong and strive and enter through the narrow gate?
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Mat 7:13, 14.
Let us be of the few who find the gate which is Jesus.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.John 3:16
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Media 4 Life Ministries 
I agree with you Freddy! Matthew 7:5 states: “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”
Thanks for sharing. God bless.
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Thank you Scott. Appreciate it.
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Hi Freddy,
Very well said, very truthful in your words!
In Christ
Scott
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Yes that is true Freddy and the original Greek also had no small particles and was all written in Upper case and man’s understanding of the Greek today is still based on their own understanding of words as they believe them to be, but words change over time and their meaning, like being gay, and some teenagers say your sick meaning great etc. The only one we can Trust we have God’s Truth is in knowing He will show us where there is error in translating and in the words used, like the error today with Hebrews 4:12-13
It still comes back to the Truth that we can’t live the Christian Life in the flesh because it is opposed to what is good. The Scriptures tell us to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling, but this is not about worldly fear but God’s fear meaning that in times of testing we call on Him not Trust in our own strength or understanding and we should reject strongly the evil around us so that we physically feel the revulsion of all that is evil even to the point of shedding blood like Jesus did knowing He would be separated for the first time on the cross from His Father and this was indeed evil but it happened because of our sin … we can do all things in Christ who gives us strength.
As for Love I will leave you a link rather then more wordage here, but what you said is True…..
http://freedomborn.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/what-true-love-is-all-about/
Christian Love Anne
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Thanks Anne, the word strive in 2Ti 2:24 in the Greek is: machomai
1) to fight
a) of armed combatants, or those who engage in a hand to hand struggle
b) of those who engage in a war of words, to quarrel, wrangle, dispute
c) of those who contend at law for property and privileges
Paul uses a different word than Jesus did in Luke 13. and it has a different application. I guess our English language is not as rich as the Greek. The same words in out translations have different meanings in the Greek. Like the word love. In English: Love, I love Hamburgers, I love my dog, I love my wife. In the Greek there are at least four different words for what we translate love, Agape, Philleo, Eros etc.
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I forgot to add that the verse in Luke 13 should have been translated as: agonize to enter instead of strive. Blessings, Freddy.
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Hi Freddy that was a very good message with much Truth, some people have said that there are contradictions in the Scripture but this is not so it’s lack of understanding according to God’s Truth or because they have taken things out of context or not looked at the Scriptures as a complete picture.
2 Timothy 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient.
So are we to strive or not, yes but not in the flesh, as you shared this must be put to death by the Spirit, our striving must be by the empowering of the Holy Spirit so if we choose to walk in the fruit of the Spirit we need His empowering or we will fail.
Christian Love Anne
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