2 – Fly from the wrath to come
In The Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian reads of God’s judgement, and it is his fear of this that starts his search for salvation. As he is out walking, he meets a man called Evangelist. Hearing his desire to be put right with God, Evangelist guides Christian to a wicket gate (the narrow gate of Jesus’ parable) and gives him a scroll on which is written the words, Fly from the wrath to come.
Evangelist brings both bad and good news.
Firstly, there is wrath to come. There will be judgement, and we will have to answer for all of our actions before the throne of God. Speaking to the crowds in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said,
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7: 13, 14 [NIV]
This is reality. Many walk the road to destruction. The route is wide and well-trodden; the gate is wide enough for us to enter without having to lay aside any of our sins, our selfishness or our pride. This is the easy option.
But secondly, Evangelist brings good news: there is also a narrow gate, the wicket gate, and that leads to life in all its fullness. But we need to search for it, and not many find it. It is wide enough for us to squeeze through, but not wide enough for us to take our prejudices, misdeeds and all the things that are not of God.
Notice that there is only a choice between two gates. There is no middle way: no medium-sized gate where we can travel with some of our sins and worship God when the mood takes us.
Lord God, thank you for those who pointed me to the small gate and for those who encourage me along the way. Help me, too, to be a guide to those who seek the Saviour.
David Long
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