Subject 24 : Sermons for Those Who Have Become Our COWORKERS
[24-13] Those Who Enter by The Narrow Gate and Those Who Enter by the Wide Gate (Matthew 7:13-27)
(Matthew 7:13-27)
“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. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
We just read Matthew 7:13-27 for today’s Scripture passage. As it is written here, there indeed are many false prophets in this age. They are so prevalent nowadays that it is not an exaggeration to say most Christian leaders are false prophets. And these people are shamelessly propagating bold lies.
The Lord said in Matthew 7:13-14: “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.” The gate that leads to destruction is indeed wide and its way is broad. There are so many who enter by this gate, for there are countless false prophets in this world misleading many people to the gate of destruction. These false prophets are so reckless and bold that they do not even try to find out what the will of God is, but instead are convinced that their own interpretations of the Bible are correct. These people are leading all their followers inexorably toward the gate of destruction, without ever considering the possibility that they could be completely wrong. And they are doing quite well at doing this, all the while attaining worldly wealth and fame.
Today’s false prophets are leading many people to the gate of destruction so brazenly and inexorably because of what they had learned from their predecessors and theological teachers, who laid down the foundation for all the false prophets to come. As these theologians who trained today’s Christian leaders went unchallenged by anyone, they themselves had led countless people to the gate of destruction. Because this wide gate is made of human thoughts, those who are carnally minded have a great confidence in it and enter it without any hesitation.
In contrast, the Lord told us to enter by the narrow gate, and He also said that because this gate of life that He spoke of is narrow and its way is difficult, there are few who find it. The gate that leads to life is indeed so narrow that few enter it, and its way is so extremely difficult that few embark on it. As a result, there are even some people who, despite receiving the remission of sins, not only hesitate to embark on the way to life themselves, but also fail to lead others to enter by the narrow gate, all because the gate that leads to life is too narrow and its way too difficult. Nevertheless, the Bible clearly says to all of us to enter by this narrow gate.
The gate that leads to life is indeed a narrow gate, and its way is incredibly difficult. That’s why the Lord said that there are few who actually find it. The way to life is like a treacherous road built on the edge of a cliff. It is a perilous road where one small misstep can plunge us down the cliff to certain death. This way is exceptionally narrow. Because this way is so narrow and dangerous, there are few who want to embark on it. In contrast to this, the way these false prophets are leading is so wide that there are countless people who walk on this road. It is therefore very important for us to grasp correctly what the Lord is teaching us here in today’s Scripture passage, and what will ultimately happen to all those who embark on this broad way.
Let’s Think about the Wide Gate
When we turn to Matthew 7:15-20, we see the Lord beginning to teach us by warning us about false prophets and then explaining how we can discern them. Let’s turn to this passage and see what the Lord said: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:15-20).
The Lord told us clearly here to beware of false prophets. He also said that even though these false prophets come to us in sheep’s clothing, they are in fact ravenous wolves. This means that false prophets disguise themselves outwardly to appear noble and pious, but in reality, they are just obsessed with worldly riches and fame, and they steal from their followers and lie through their teeth as though they were speaking the truth.
My purpose for today’s sermon is not to disparage world-renowned pastors, but it is to bear witness of the Lord’s Word truthfully and precisely. Today’s false prophets think that they are not doing anything wrong. Even though everything they say is a lie, they speak so confidently and convincingly that their lies all seem true to their followers. These false prophets lie like this for no other purpose than to wring money out of their congregation. That’s why we see so many false prophets planning and implementing so many superfluous programs in their churches. For instance, they often sponsor short-term mission trips, but in reality they are just using such occasions to exploit their congregation’s time and money. And they hand out church offices improperly, again for the same exploitative purposes. I am sure that you’ve watched such bold pastors preaching on TV. When you listen to their sermons carefully, you can see just how full of lies they are and how hard they are trying to establish their own righteousness. They utter so many lies that it’s inevitable for all their lies to be exposed down the road. Despite this, however, so many people are still following their teachings that it saddens me deeply.
Whoever is trying to lead you to the broad way is walking on the way of destruction. It is false prophets who try to lead today’s Christians to destruction, and whoever follows them enters by the wide gate. Such misguided Christians enjoy hearing their pastors preaching about material prosperity. False prophets spew out nothing but downright lies whenever they open their mouths; and their sermons are always about how to prosper in fleshly terms. The Lord, therefore, called them ravenous wolves. He also said that He will judge their sins for sure. Why did the Lord call them false prophets and ravenous wolves? It’s because they themselves do not believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, for they are completely oblivious to this true gospel.
The Lord said, “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?” (Matthew 7:16). This passage means those who don’t believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit can never induce anyone to be born again through their sermons. Put differently, any pastor who does not believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit himself cannot lead his congregation to the narrow way. That is why the Lord said, “Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?” (Matthew 7:16). For the preachers who know and believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, the fruit of their labor is entirely different from those who don’t. The thornbushes here cannot bear any good fruit, while a fig tree always bears good fruit. Just as no thornbush can be compared to a fig tree, those who do not know the gospel of the water and the Spirit can never bear any true fruit from their congregation no matter how hard they try to minister sincerely, for they cannot preach what they do not know. They have no conviction in their own truth-claims. They can’t help but minister deceitfully no matter how hard they try not to. Consequently, as they are unable to preach the gospel of the water and the Spirit to their congregations, they just end up demanding from their followers to donate money to them. With their lies they ensure the obedience of their congregation, and they ultimately exploit them to fulfill their own purposes. For instance, they are prone to preach even in times of economic hardships that if their followers faithfully attend morning-prayer meetings and serve the Lord diligently, God would protect their businesses from failure and bless them to prosper. Why do these pastors lie to their congregation unintentionally like this? It’s because they themselves have not been truly born again. It is because they don’t have the Holy Spirit, who dwells only in a sinless heart. That is why the Lord said that no bad tree—that is, no one who is not born again—can ever bear any good fruit.
In the old days in Korea, thornbushes were usually used as firewood. When people went out to gather thornbushes, they wore leather gloves to avoid getting stung by the thorns. Thornbushes are completely useless except for burning. They are used only as firewood. Although thornbushes are easy to kindle and highly flammable, they do not provide any edible fruit. This is why the Lord is drawing an analogy to thornbushes and thistles to explain false prophets, saying that He will throw them all into the fire in the end. Here, the Lord is actually speaking of Satan’s servants with His analogy.
No matter how much these servants of Satan want to do good things, preach a truly worthwhile sermon, cherish others, make them be born again, and guide them to Heaven, they just can’t do any of these things. Why is this so? It’s because they themselves have not been born again, and therefore they do not have the Holy Spirit in their hearts. It’s not necessarily because they have no desire to devote themselves to their ministry. Rather, they can’t minister properly even as they want to because they do not know the gospel of the water and the Spirit. In other words, these pastors cannot minister properly no matter how hard they try. After all, how could anyone who does not know and believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit preach this gospel to anyone else?
The Lord thus said, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:18). This passage implies that even though you were a thornbush, if you become a good tree by learning about the gospel of the water and the Spirit and believe in it, then you can bear good fruit from now on thanks to this faith. But if you still remain a bad tree, then you can’t help but bear bad fruit. Such false prophets will be forsaken by God in the end because they are stubbornly clinging to their present status as spiritual thornbushes and thistles. This is absolutely unavoidable. Such people can never minister well no matter how hard they try.
Therefore, only good trees bear good fruit and bad trees bad fruit. And whoever eats this good fruit born by a good tree will never die. False prophets, on the other hand, were never good trees from the beginning, and therefore they cannot bear any good fruit regardless of how hard they try. What will the Lord do to such trees then? He will throw them all into the fire in the end, as He said, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 7:19). How can you then discern false prophets from true prophets? You can discern them by their fruit, just as the Lord said, “Therefore by their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:20).
How Can We Know If We Really Are God’s People?
You don’t know whether or not some people are God’s servants, His saints, and His workers just because they claim themselves to be so, but you find it out by looking at which gospel they know and believe in. We have been preaching the gospel of the water and the Spirit here and overseas through our literature ministry, and thanks to our books, many people have been saved by believing in this true gospel with their hearts, and some of them have sent us their testimonies of salvation. It’s because we have preached the gospel of the water and the Spirit to these people that they have received the remission of sins by reading our books carefully. In their testimonies they say that they are so overjoyed and thankful that their sins have disappeared from their hearts. All this time these people thought that they were good, sincere Christians, but now that they’ve realized the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit, they confess that what they believed in was not the real Truth. We can see now that these people are the born-again people of God by looking at their testimonies and the fruit of their faith. As we have preached the gospel of the water and the Spirit to them, they are also preaching the same gospel to others, and by their fruit we can see that they have indeed become God’s people.
The Lord said, “By their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:20). This means that it is by looking at people’s fruit that we can know whether they really are God’s servants, His people, and His workers, or just spiritual frauds. False prophets, in other words, are known by their fruit. It is therefore Jesus Christ Himself who testifies that the gospel of the water and the Spirit preached by us is the Truth and our faith is the right faith. The gospel of the water and the Spirit that we believe in is the Truth.
All of us who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit are God’s workers and His people. We can recognize our status clearly by looking at our faith in this genuine gospel, but our knowledge is made all the more solid because the Word of God in our hearts bears witness of our salvation, and we believe in this Word of God. In our hearts there is the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit through which we have received the remission of sins, and this Word is moving inside us. The Holy Spirit in our hearts is teaching us and testifying to us that the gospel of the water and the Spirit is of the Word of God, the very Truth of salvation that the Lord Jesus has given us. The Holy Spirit is saying to us that all of us who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit are God’s servants who are walking on the narrow road and leading others to the way of life.
Who Enters by the Narrow Gate?
It’s written in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Having told us to enter by the narrow gate, the Lord is now explaining to us what kind of people enter by this narrow gate and also guide others to this gate of life. Here the Lord said that only those who do the will of His Father in Heaven can enter by the gate of life. Then who are these people that the Lord spoke of, who do the will of His Father in Heaven? They are the ones who not only enter by the narrow gate themselves, but also guide others who still don’t know the gospel of the water and the Spirit to the narrow gate, the gate of life. None other than these people are those who do the will of God the Father.
Who among us is doing the will of God the Father then? Would someone who does the will of God the Father lead a carnally comfortable life in this world or a difficult life? Such people face many difficulties in their lives. Although all who do the will of God the Father are spiritually blessed, they face a great deal of hardship in their flesh.
Why is it so hard on our flesh to follow the will of God? It’s because we ourselves also must enter by the narrow gate. And it’s also because we have to fight against the false prophets who are leading so many people to destruction. Moreover, we have to guide everyone to the gate of life. Therefore, to enter by the narrow gate is to embark on a difficult journey that exacts a heavy toll on us both in body and spirit. Many who lead such a life face spiritual and physical persecution. However, there is only one way for us to do the will of God the Father. It’s not as though there are other ways we can carry out the will of God, but there is only one way. That is why we must obey the will of the Lord rather than the will of our parents, siblings, spouses, relatives, or friends, or even our own wills. We must submit ourselves completely to the Lord. Since all who do the will of God the Father must deny themselves and sometimes even disobey the wishes of their own parents, they have to struggle with many issues and suffer many losses in this world. Such people who do the will of God the Father face many difficulties like this because they are trying to lead others to the narrow gate and the way of life. It’s tough to serve the will of the Lord by faith. But even so, our hearts are at peace. Indeed, despite the many hardships that we must endure, we are joyful to obey the will of the Lord.
A while ago I was very busy with some other tasks to pay enough attention on proofreading my manuscript. So I was forced to hand over some parts of the manuscript for translation without revising them as carefully as I should have. But later on, when I took another look at the manuscript, I saw many mistakes. I did not see them earlier because I was too busy, but when I finally found some time to go over the manuscript more carefully, I saw many parts that needed revision. As this oversight made the job all the more difficult for the translators and editors, I felt sorry for them and decided to be much more careful and attentive in preparing my manuscript. So lately I have been very busy revising my manuscripts.
As the Bible states the Truth clearly and this Truth is explained in our gospel books, I have every confidence that all who read them will understand it. Given the fact the Lord Himself said in the Bible, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15), there is no reason why today’s pastors who neither know nor believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit cannot realize that they themselves are wolves. If they read the Bible and our gospel books, they can all realize right away who they really are. In my case, I could know myself even before I knew the gospel of the water and the Spirit. I knew that the Word of God was speaking to me. Today’s Scripture passage is particularly revealing, as any false pastor can realize from this passage that the Lord is speaking to none other than them. If today’s pastors who have not received the remission of sins cannot understand this Scripture passage, then their conscience has been seared with a hot iron. Such people are spiritual frauds. They are no more than wage earners who studied theology and are ministering to the flock just to enrich themselves.
Even for us who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, it is very difficult to do the will of God the Father. However, we must still walk on this way no matter how hard it is all to do the will of God the Father. And we are indeed walking on this way even at this very moment. It is our heartfelt desire to preach the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit to people all over the world who still don’t know this true gospel, regardless of whether they are false prophets or not. We want to preach the gospel of the water and the Sprit to them through our literature ministry as well as our internet ministry.
We sometimes hear discouraging news from our coworkers, saying that when they shared our books with their acquaintances, they were not impressed and even criticized the contents of the books. We have experienced such cases many times ourselves. Even though those who don’t believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit often ridicule and laugh at those of us who believe in it, some people do understand the gospel preached by us and receive the remission of sins by believing in it. As our coworkers overseas have been saved from all their sins by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit through our books, they think that others would also be saved and become joyous if they just share our books with them. So, since they share our books with those around them with such high expectations, their disappointment can also be great.
However, you and I are not disappointed by such a minor setback because we have already experienced even greater disappointments many times before. When we preach the gospel of the water and the Spirit, we do not worry beforehand whether people would believe in it or not; rather, we preach the gospel to give them an opportunity to see and believe in it. So, those who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit receive the remission of sins and reach their salvation on account of this faith, but those who don’t believe in this gospel are not saved.
Once in a while, we hear from some people saying that they have received the remission of sins by hearing and believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit through our books, and now they would like to come to Korea and testify before us. But I don’t like such people. They usually want money from us. After flying all the way to here from faraway places, they want us to pay for their flight and make various other financial demands. There was a certain pastor from the Philippines who did this to us when he came over here. So I don’t like such people. Of course, we are happy to hear from all who have received the remission of sins through our literature ministry, but we would much prefer that these new saints request more books from us and share them with their fellow countrymen to preach the gospel rather than coming over here to Korea or inviting us over to their country. After all, we are all busy enough as it is. Yet too many people in today’s Christian communities try to take advantage of one another like this for their own financial gains.
When Korean missionaries go abroad, they are often welcomed warmly, but some locals harbor ulterior motives. Not everyone is like this, but few are sincere and the rest just want to further their own interests. That’s why literature ministry is the best way to preach the gospel all over the world. Those who are convinced of the correctness of the Word of God in our books would believe in it, whereas those who think that this Word of God is wrong simply don’t have to believe. It’s as simple as that. Do I sound too coldhearted? But what more can we do when one refuses to believe? In the past I used to preach the gospel of the water and the Spirit directly by visiting some countries such as Russia, China, Taiwan, and Japan, and there were some people who did come to believe in this gospel through my mission trips. But I have also been ignored many times and heard a lot of nasty things, and that’s why I decided to preach the gospel through literate ministry.
In Korea also, there are many Christian leaders guiding their congregations to the spiritual broad way. There are so many false pastors and false theologians in Christian communities all around the world, and such people are liars in the Kingdom of Heaven. And they are spiritual fraudsters. If I were to call them religious charlatans to their faces, they would no doubt react badly; perhaps they might even react violently. So it’s better for me to preach the gospel through my writings.
Nothing but the Day of God’s Judgment Awaits All the False Prophets
What will happen to all the false prophets on the Day of Judgment? Let’s turn to Mathew 7:22-23 here: “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” When the day of God’s judgment comes, all these false prophets will be forsaken by God even though they profess to believe in Jesus. The Lord Himself said that this is what He will do, as He said, “I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
All the False Prophets Ministering in Today’s Christian Communities Will Be Forsaken by the Lord on the Last Day
What have these false prophets done while on this earth? They have prophesied and taught others in the name of the Lord. They have urged people to believe in Jesus and taught their followers about Christian doctrines, explaining which theologian said what and what kinds of blessings one would receive if he believes in Jesus. They claim that anyone would receive the remission of sins and go to Heaven if he or she just believes in the blood of the Cross and offers prayers of repentance diligently. And they have prophesied and cast out demons in the name of the Lord. Of course, it is no small feat to cast out demons. But did you know that even a shaman can cast out demons momentarily. The ability to drive out demons is not something that anyone should be proud of. Yet today’s false prophets have done many wonders in the name of the Lord. They have also done many good deeds in this world.
However, the Lord said here that He will cast them all out and declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” The Lord made it abundantly clear here that these false prophets have practiced lawlessness. The Lord has become our Savior by coming to this earth, bearing our sins by being baptized by John the Baptist, being condemned for our sins by being crucified, and rising from the dead again. Yet despite this, false prophets do not believe in this Truth of salvation, and instead they believe in Jesus according to their own interpretation and teach falsehoods to their followers. That is why the Lord will say to them, “Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”
Those who practice lawlessness before the Lord are those who lead people to the broad way; they are false prophets walking on the wide road; and far from doing the will of the God the Father, they do the complete opposite and denounce God’s will openly. Referring to them, the Lord says, “You travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves” (Matthew 23:15). What, then, is the basis from which so many false prophets utter so many bold lies in their sermons nowadays? It’s because they learned the wrong lessons from their theological trainers. It’s because their theological teachers taught them about what John Calvin and Martin Luther said. Who were John Calvin and Martin Luther? They were merely ill-prepared theorists. How can any theologian’s teaching be the Truth then? In mainstream Christianity, it’s the theologians who settle doctrinal issues, and so pastors just believe whatever these theologians teach them. Moreover, these pastors themselves are not sure of the doctrines that they have learned, but they still teach such false doctrines to their congregation. Given the fact that the gospel of the water and the Spirit is the Truth, all that one has to do to reach salvation is just to listen to this true gospel without prejudging and believe in it; why should anyone be concerned about what some theologians said?
Regardless of how famous any theologian is, every one of his teachings ought to be examined with the eyeglass of the Word of God to verify its correctness. Many Christian leaders nowadays preach these theologians’ claims thinking that they are true, but hardly any of these theologians actually has knowledge of the gospel of the water and the Spirit. That is why pastors who were taught by these theologians are incapable of preaching the gospel of the water and the Spirit to their congregation. You may then wonder how I know this so well, but you yourself would also realize it if you reflect on their teachings based on the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit.
A tree is known by its fruit. Given the fact that countless pastors today are false prophets, how can the theologians who taught them be true prophets? False prophets can only bear more false prophets. Can anyone then receive the remission of sins from reading their many books or listening to any of their sermons? No, not only is it impossible, but these theologians will also be forsaken by the Lord on the last day. No matter how proud they are of themselves and how confidently they brag about their denominational orthodoxy to their congregation, they will all be forsaken by the Lord. What do such people have to be proud of when they will be forsaken by the Lord? Yet on this earth, it’s these very people that command respect. But what would happen if their sermons were translated into the various languages and subjected to close scrutiny? What would happen if their faith were tested before the Lord? Before God, they cannot be so bold unless they have no conscience. If they have any conscience at all, they cannot help but cry in sadness and hide in shame. But like a frog in a pond, they strut around in their own little world thinking that they are the best.
Even though I am preaching to you right now, this sermon must be examined to see whether or not it is correct in the Lord’s sight. If I am lying to you in my sermon, then even if I am able to deceive you, I cannot deceive the Lord.
Each and every false prophet will be destroyed when the Lord returns. Who then are those who can endure judgment?
Let’s turn to Matthew 7:24-25 here: “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” Here it’s written that whoever hears the Lord’s teachings and does them are like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Who Has the Faith That Does Not Crumble Even under God’s Judgment?
They are those who have built the foundation of faith on the rock and follow the will of God the Father. The Lord said, “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Here, to hear the Lord’s sayings is to listen to and believe in the Word of God, especially the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit through which the Lord has saved us. Therefore, those who have received the remission of sins and reached their salvation by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit are like a wise man who built his house of faith on the rock-solid Word of God.
This passage is all the more appropriate for this hour as there is a severe storm raging outside right now. What would happen if you built your house on the sand? Let’s say that someone built a three-storied house and laid the foundation on the sand by the river, while another person built the same house on the rock, laying a firm foundation for his house. Other than the location of the foundation, both houses were built with the same material in the same way. Now imagine that one day, it started to rain heavily. What would happen then? When the lightning strikes and the rain pours down, the house built on the sand may withstand the storm at first, but eventually, the sand beneath the house will erode away exposing the foundations, until the whole house ultimately tumbles down.
In contrast, the house that is built on the rock can easily withstand most floods unless it is hit by a giant hurricane or a tsunami. Although the foundation may be flooded, the house itself is not affected. So when the flood is over, the house will still remain standing.
Whose faith then is built on the rock? It’s those who listen carefully to the Lord’s gospel Word of the water and the Spirit and practice it by faith. Such people who practice the Word of the Lord are those who not only believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit but also serve this genuine gospel by faith. So their lives are difficult and hard. They have to endure a great deal of pain. They are sometimes even denounced by their own husbands and wives and family members. Many times they find themselves wondering why they must live like this.
However, my fellow believers, those who can enter the Kingdom of God on the day of His judgment are those who have built their houses on the rock. The rock here refers to Jesus Christ, and it also refers to the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit which was fulfilled by Him. Therefore, those who have built their houses on the rock are those who have received the remission of sins by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit and thus follow the Lord. Such people will persevere even on the Day of Judgment.
Who will then not last on the Day of Judgment?
Let’s turn to Matthew 7:26-27 here: “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
This passage shows us clearly that those who will be condemned by God on the Day of Judgment are those who don’t practice the Word of the Lord despite hearing it. These people cannot walk according to the Lord’s Word even if they want to. They just can’t live according to the will of God even though this is what they want. As we all know very well, when the Day of Judgment comes, all these people will be condemned. They may seem to be doing just fine now, but they will surely be forsaken by the Lord when the Judgment Day comes.
The Lord said here in the Bible, “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” (Matthew 7:13-14). This is not just a figure of speech, nor is it simply a literary device, but it is the absolute truth. Each and every false prophet will be condemned on the Day of Judgment, while the people of God and His servants who obey His Word will escape from this judgment and enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Everyone who practices the Word of God will surely enter Heaven.
Our Lord said that the fall of the false prophets will be great on the last day, for their houses are built on sand, and therefore those houses will collapse when the rain descends, the floods come, and the winds blow and beat on them. This will happen to all the false prophets because they have built their houses of faith on their own hypotheses and thoughts. That is why their fall will be so great on the last day. They will not just fall apart gradually, but they will crumble down all at once. A house that is built on the sand cannot withstand when the flood comes, as the swift current will sweep away its foundation and take down the whole house in an instant. And just like this house that’s built on the sand, all the false prophets will collapse all of a sudden in the end.
The Lord is warning us about such false prophets here in today’s Scripture passage, teaching us not to build our houses of faith on the sand. There are so many false prophets in this world. As these people are completely oblivious to the destruction that awaits them on the last day, they are confidently propagating innumerable lies on this earth claiming that it’s still safe and peaceful. But they will all be destroyed for sure. Even though in our fleshly thoughts we may sometimes wonder why these false prophets are so prosperous while we are struggling so much, the Day of Judgment is nearing them fast. And when the Day of Judgment comes, this earth will also be completely ruined. With countless disasters plaguing the world, the entire human race will perish. There is no one who will survive this dreadful future.
All the false prophets should therefore repent, realizing that the Day of Judgment is coming. Yet because their ears are closed, they do not listen to us no matter how loudly we shout out to them. The beasts that perish are happy and content so long as they have enough food to eat today even if their destruction is right around the corner.
In contrast, those who guide others to the gate of life continue to practice the Word of the Lord even though it is difficult and hard. So I ask you to endure your trials by faith and live in hope. Even though sometimes things do not go your way, we must endure our hardships by faith. We must live out our faith realizing what the Lord has taught us about these false prophets who are entering by the gate of destruction. So I hope and pray that all of us would learn this precious lesson from today’s Scripture passage.
In the not too distant future, the Day of Judgment will surely come to this world. The Day of Judgment may even come to this earth in our own lifetime. It may descend upon the world a lot faster than anyone ever expected. Although the Day of Judgment may have been coming slowly at first, once it reaches a certain point, it will be full-blown. A rolling snowball may not seem that big and so threatening at first, but it doesn’t take long before it grows into the size of a house to demolish everything in its path.
Like this, we believe that the Day of Judgment is approaching this world rapidly. But at the same time, we also believe that the Lord will enable us to carry out all the tasks that He has entrusted to us. I hope and pray that God would protect His Church, bless all His servants and saints throughout the world, and watch over them all.
Halleluiah!
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