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Gleanings From The Word

Category: Salvation

  • Is Christianity Too Narrow? What critics miss about the gospel.

    Is Christianity Too Narrow? What critics miss about the gospel.

    A narrow uphill trail in the woods - Is Christianity Too Narrow? What critics miss about the gospel.

    We hiked up the mountain through the forest. The trail wasn’t very wide, at places almost non-existent.  We had two choices: use the path or scramble up where there was no path. We chose the narrow path.

    Now, if you have been a Christian for any length of time, that phrase narrow way reminded you of a Bible passage (perhaps in whole, or maybe just the idea).

    Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. Matthew 7:13

    In other places, Jesus makes it abundantly clear that the only way is through faith in Him. There is no other plan.

    Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:3

    That has led to charges that Christianity itself is very narrow. Those charges have merit; there is only one way, and it doesn’t get any narrower than that. That’s God’s plan. He created everything, and He gets to make the rules. There is a narrow path.

    There are some things that the complainers don’t recognize.

    Firstly, without Jesus, there is no way to be forgiven and reconciled to God at all. He would have been perfectly righteous and just to allow everyone to perish in their sins. That’s fair punishment for rebellion against the king.

    Jesus didn’t have to come to redeem us. He chose to, and that is incredible love and unmerited grace.

    Secondly. While some may claim that the way of Christ is exclusive by its one-way nature, it’s also the least exclusive club in the world.

    The way of Christ is open to people of any age, from any culture, of either gender, from all socio-economic backgrounds, and at any level of sin. You don’t have to be religious enough, righteous enough or good enough. You don’t need lots of money or education to enter through the narrow path.

    You can’t earn your way in by good works. You can’t buy your way in. You can’t be born in. It has one requirement, faith in Christ, and even the worst among us have an opportunity to choose that.

    Christians are not people who have their act together. They are flawed people who are being transformed into the image of Christ. They will let you down. They may be hypocritical. They might look very much like Jesus. Then again, neither do you.

    The difference is that they responded to Christ by faith and were redeemed.

    Churches are messy places, but God will clean them up. The world outside the church is equally flawed, but without Christ, it will never get better.

    Narrow? Absolutely!

    Exclusive? Hardly!

    God calls, and we have a choice to make. Will we respond, take the narrow path, and follow Him ,or will we reject Him?

    Hallelu Yah (Praise God) 

    Be blessed 

    Kevin 

    You might also like. “Enter through the narrow gate.”

    SUMMARY

    A narrow mountain trail becomes a vivid illustration of Jesus’ teaching about the narrow way to salvation — one path, one requirement, one Savior. Though Christianity is rightly called narrow, it is paradoxically the most inclusive invitation in the world.

    TAKEAWAY

    • The narrow way is real and intentional: Jesus is unambiguous that faith in Him is the only path to the Father, and God, as Creator, has the right to set that condition.
    • Narrow doesn’t mean exclusive: The way of Christ is open to every person regardless of age, background, culture, wealth, or depth of sin — the only requirement is faith.
    • Grace, not fairness, is the starting point: God owed humanity no rescue; that Jesus came to redeem us at all is an act of extraordinary love and unmerited grace.

    You might also like “The Gospel, the best news you will ever hear” and “The call you can’t ignore.”

  • Adrift? Find your way back

    Adrift? Find your way back

    “I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts. There they are all floating in a row.” I know that isn’t precisely the wording for the song, but it is what I thought when I saw these coconuts adrift.

    Sometimes, when you walk along the banks of the Fraser, you see things that make you take a second look. A few years ago, it was these six coconuts. 

    My family told me that it is pretty common to find coconuts washed up at this little beach. 

    I have no idea where they come from. It seems unlikely that the nuts came in from the Pacific with the tides. We are too far upstream. It is even more unlikely that there is a grove of coconut palms growing somewhere upriver. 

    Coconuts are sometimes used in Hindu weddings and worship practices. Sometimes they are used as an offering for blessings. It seems most likely to me that is where the nuts come from. I would disagree that their worship is of the true God, but it could account for the nuts on the beach. 

    Ultimately, wherever they come from, there was no denying their presence on the beach. It is a bit of a mystery. In the wild, coconuts frequently end up in the water. They can float around for months on end. 

    They just drift with the wind and tides until they eventually sink, or get washed ashore where they take root, or get picked up and eaten. 

    Like a floating coconut, my thoughts quickly drifted as I walked up the beach. I pondered the way that much of our world just seems to drift along aimlessly with the tides of life.  They are adrift with no goal in mind.

    People just go with the flow, be adrift, so to speak, with no thought for the consequences of their actions or their eternal destiny. It seems such a waste. 

    The Bible cautions Christians about the dangers of allowing ourselves to be adrift in our faith.. Hebrews chapter one speaks of the supremacy of Jesus. 

    Chapter two opens… For this reason, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every trespass and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? That salvation, first spoken by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. Hebrews 2:1-4 

    True believers can never drift in their faith so far that they lose their salvation. We can drift far enough that we impair our witness and can feel quite distanced from our Lord. 

    Typically, it doesn’t happen all at once. A minor distraction here, a moment of neglect there and soon we are further away than we ever imagined. 

    That is one of the reasons that meeting regularly with other believers is so crucial. We can hold each other accountable. We can share our joys and our sorrows. 

    We can learn together and then apply what we have learned in our shared lives.  It seems almost incomprehensible that the love of God and the message of our salvation could become trite or old hat. 

    Yet, in our fallen state, it can happen so quickly. Sometimes we let the glittery illusions of this world distract us from what is truly valuable and long-lasting. 

    We can be adrift long before we realize it. The good news is that if you are drifting, you can turn back to Him. 

    The Lord hasn’t moved away. He is there, more than willing to draw you back into the fold and put you on the right track. I pray that you keep yourself anchored to the Lord. 

    Kevin

    Summary

    Six coconuts washed ashore along the Fraser River, becoming a vivid picture of how people can drift aimlessly through life without considering their spiritual direction or eternal destiny. Drawing from Hebrews 2:1–4, the reflection emphasizes the importance of staying anchored in faith, resisting distractions, and remaining close to God through fellowship and spiritual attentiveness.

    Key Points

    ·  The drifting coconuts symbolize how easily people can be carried along by the currents of life without purpose or reflection.

    ·  Hebrews warns believers not to neglect their salvation or slowly drift away from God through distraction and spiritual neglect.

    ·  Fellowship, accountability, and focus on lasting spiritual truths help keep Christians grounded and faithful.

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