Luke 13, Numbers 34-36
Luke 13:24 – “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”
Lord Jesus, this is such an important truth. It is so easy to be tricked and deluded into a false sense of security. It is so easy to have the veneer of Christianity while hearts are far away. I can’t see it in other people (their hearts are hidden from me), but I can see the struggle for the narrow door in my own heart. O Lord Jesus, these words hit home. You warn about people who hung out with you in church and the did the church-people thing. But you warn, “in that day I will say, “I do not know you.” Yikes! Lord Jesus, keep me from this. Lord Jesus, keep me from any sort of self-righteousness. Deliver me from any self-justification project. Cut away from my heart and my faith anything that clings to or trusts in anything but you. Make it clear to me so that I repent of my trust in anything but you. Make me see how weak and failing my own efforts are in your sight. Teach me to see how foolish I am to look there for any sort of help or salvation. You are the only One who can and will save me. Make me boast about you, about your cross, about your empty tomb, about your righteousness. It is the only thing that will save me. Teach my heart to cling to and trust in you above all things. Teach me to cling to and trust in you alone. Amen.