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Strait
Gate Bible Study
Matthew 7:13 "
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way,
that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14.
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life,
and few there be that find it."
This Bible Study is designed to lead us to the strait gate. There is one
Bible yet thousands of different beliefs. The Bible is adamant about what
we should believe in. Ephesians 4: 5 "One Lord, one faith, one
baptism,
6. One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you
all." Why then are there so many different ways of looking at it?
The reason is because not every one is willing to look deeply into the Word
of God. There are those that the Bible speaks about in 2 Timothy
3:7. "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."
The Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 2: 15, "Study to shew thyself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth." This is what we are going to do here.
We will look at the Word of God just as it is written, adding nothing and
explaining away nothing. So let us open the Bible and see what it has to
say.
Nearly everyone today will tell you that they are believers, but they cannot
tell you what they believe. Acts 16: 31. " And they
said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…."
But what does it mean to believe? John 7: 38. "He that believeth on
me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water." We must believe on Jesus, not as we want to, but as the
scripture has said.
Let us look at what Jesus said about eternal life in John 3:1. "There
was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2. The
same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art
a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest,
except God be with him. 3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God." We see a conversation between Jesus and a man named
Nicodemus. We do not see the questions that this man asked Jesus. We do,
however, have the answer Jesus gave to him. Jesus told this man that he
could not see the Kingdom of God unless he was born again.
Here again we have a scripture that everyone wants to quote but few people
understand. What is this process of being born again? Jesus explains what
is required in John 3:5. "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God…." Here Jesus clearly tells us that we must "be born of
water and of the Spirit," or we cannot enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus is
very adamant here. Both of these two things are requirements.
Let us look first at born of the water. To do this we will look at other
scriptures about salvation. Peter was asked about salvation in Acts 2: 37. "
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto
Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
His answer was the same as when Jesus answered Nicodemus. Jesus taught
Peter. Would his answer to the question of salvation be different? Of
course not! Peter said in the 38th verse, "Then Peter said unto
them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost." Need we go any further? You would think not, but for the sake of
Rightly Dividing the Word, as we said earlier, let us look at other
scriptures that have to do with baptism and salvation. 1 Peter 3:20
"Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited
in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is,
eight souls were saved by water. 21. The like figure whereunto even baptism
doth also now save us..." Here we see again that the Bible tells us
that baptism is a very important part of our salvation. Mark 16:16
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not
shall be damned." Here we see that baptism and belief go hand in
hand. So to truly believe on Jesus, we must be baptized.
How then must we be baptized? Matthew 28:19 "Go ye therefore, and
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost:" Here we are told to be baptized in the
name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. To see what that name is,
let us not go to man's teaching but to the Word of God.
Acts 8:16 " (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)" Acts 10: 48 "And he commanded
them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry
certain days." Acts 19: 5 " When they heard this, they were
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." Now we know, without a
doubt, that the Name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost is Jesus. There
is also no doubt that we must be baptized in the Name of Jesus for the
remission of sins.
Now let us look at being born of the Spirit. John 3:5 "...Except a
man be born of ... the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
The second requirement to being saved was being born of the Spirit.
We have seen that being born of the water is water baptism. Then is not
being born of the Spirit, the Baptism of the Holy Ghost?
Let us look! Mark 1:8 "I indeed have baptized you with water: but he
shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost." Jesus said in Acts
1:4, "And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they
should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father,
which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5. For John truly baptized with
water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."
In Acts 2:38, Peter stated that this experience would
happen, "... and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost,"
but how do we know that this experience has happened?
Like always, we will get our information from the Bible. John 3:8
"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but
canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that
is born of the Spirit." Here the Bible tells us that the Spiritual
birth is like the wind. You cannot see it come or go, but you can hear the
sound it makes. Jesus here also says, "so is every one that is born
of the Spirit." What is this sound? Acts 2:4 "And they were
all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as
the Spirit gave them utterance." Speaking in other tongues is that
sound. Acts 10:45 "And they of the circumcision which believed were
astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also
was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46. For they heard them speak
with tongues." Here tongues is used as a proof that the Holy Ghost
has come. Acts 19:6 "And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the
Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied."
Yes, again it is the same sound.
So far, we have seen absolute proof that to be saved we must:
• Repent
• Be baptized in the Name of Jesus for the remission of sins.
• And be baptized in the Holy Ghost, as evidence by speaking in tongues.
Now, you must decide for yourself. Will you reject Jesus and his
words, or will you obey the Bible? You have been shown from the Word of God
what you must do. There is no other way for salvation except what Jesus and
the Apostles have explained. John 12:47 "And if any man hear my words, and
believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save
the world. 48. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one
that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in
the last day." You see, it is the Words of Jesus that will judge us in the
last days. Revelation 20: 11 " And I saw a great white throne, and him
that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and
there was found no place for them. 12. And I saw the dead, small and
great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was
opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those
things which were written in the books, according to their works."
These books are the sixty-six books of the Bible we have been studying.
Are you willing to stand before God on that day and have Him look in the
books, only to see that you would not repent, be baptized in Jesus Name, or
be filled with the Holy Ghost?
Hebrews 10:25 " Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the
manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye
see the day approaching." How can we find this truth and not gather
together in the House of God? It is not enough to find truth. We must
continue in it.
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