Today’s Devotion
Topic: The Narrow Door (Self Assessment 85)
BACKGROUND: Someone asked our LORD Jesus Christ a very interesting question as He journeyed through the villages to Jerusalem. “Lord are only a few people going to be saved?” the person inquired. Jesus’ answer to this question teaches us that when it comes to “matters about the Kingdom”, we should be much interested and focused on how we are living now to merit it and not necessarily the number of people to make it. Jesus also admonished that we seek and walk through the “narrow door”. What is this narrow door? Why must this door be narrow in the first place? Why will God cause a stampede by providing nothing but a “narrow door” for the several billions on earth to go through? For answers to these questions and more, let’s zoom straight into our weekly Bible study. Carefully read the passage below and share the inspiration the Holy Spirit gives you with us.
Text: Luke 13: 22- 30
22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as He made His way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.
25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’“But He will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
27 “But He will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.
29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.
Questions:
i) What, in your opinion is “the narrow door” Jesus talks about? Why is this door narrow? Why is it called “the door” and not one of the many doors? (read vrs 24- 25 & John 14: 5- 11)
ii) According to verse 24, many will try but not be able to enter this “narrow door”. Why do you think this is so? (Mat 7: 21, Rev 22: 15) Please give practical examples.
iii) Jesus warns in vrs 24 that we “Make every effort to enter”. How do we enter this narrow door that requires all our efforts then? Is it by works or what? Please explain. (read Acts 16: 31, Rom 10: 9, Eph 2: 8, Rev 22: 14, Rev 7:14, Rom 12: 1)
iv) What qualifies us to be in the kingdom? vrs 25-27. Read also Hebrews 12:14
v) According to vrs 25, ‘one day the owner of the house will get up and “close the door”‘. In practical terms, what does “close the door” stand for? (Heb 9: 27, 1 Thess 4: 15- 17)
vi) Read vrs 25- 27 again. How is it possible that the owner of the house can shut the door in the face of those who claim to have eaten and drank with Him and call them evildoers? What does this teach about our walk with the Lord?
vii) According to vrs 28, those who do not enter through the narrow door will be thrown out to a place of weeping and teeth gnashing. Will our good God do a thing like that? (2 Thess 1: 5- 10, Luke 17: 26- 30, Rev 20: 15)
viii) Vrs 29 encourages that although many will try to enter the “narrow door” in vain, people will come from the four corners of the earth, enter through the door, and take their places in the kingdom of God. What does this teach about God and the opportunity we have to enter the narrow door? Is it God who is mean and doesn’t want many entering, or it is our ways blocking us from entering? (Acts 10: 34, Rom 10: 13)
ix) Why will some who are last be first and some who are first be last as stated in vrs 30? What does that teach us as Christians?
x) What have you learnt from today’s Bible study?
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