The narrow way can get narrow & sharp as razor.\nThen it becomes either "draw back" or "go on".\nLet us go on unto perfection? Never faileth?\n\nNT also speaks of a "more excellent way". Charity?\nCharity is above things like forgiving one another,\nas it's above law imputing sin for hell & death of it.\n\n2 new ways? new and dead -vs- "new and living way"?\nCan't be in solidarity with life, and still impute death?
120610
No.  The Bible speaks of only two roads.  \nNote what Jesus said at Matthew 7:13,14 - “Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the ROAD LEADING TO DESTRUCTION, and many are the ones going in through it;  whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the ROAD LEADING TO LIFE, and few are the ones finding it."
656244
First off, Love this question....  \nSecond, you're too smart for your own good, Blobberty.\nThird.... to answer.\n\nPreaching the gospel and living it are two very different \nthings.  The Church really is who said it; I'd think God\nwould want you to LIVE it, thus your life being the testament\nof it.  Doubt that's really the answer you are looking for, but\nI think that is what keeps me one step up on the food chain\nfrom dog poo.
158010
It is written, judge not lest you be judged. I will never say a person is condemned to hell, for we never know what God is doing in another persons life to bring them to savlation. I will on the other hand try to point out through  scripture that the direction, one is taking will lead them to hell, they always have opportunity to change their life.
546670
Jesus said The path is wide but the gate is narrow.\n\nI take that to mean that many different beliefs lead to Heaven but need to merge into a single line to enter.\n\nJesus states specifically that whosoever believes in Him shal have eternal life but we also know that Abraham, Moses, elijah etc. are in heaven and Jesus was not around yet.\n\nJesus also talks about those who have not heard the Gospel will not be judged on what they do not know but only on what they do . This implies that God placed some form of knowledge of God in everyone, something like universal morals.\n\nJesus said that children (pre the age of responsibility) get in\n\nJesus died for all (everybody's) sin for all time (past, His Present and His future)\n\nI suspect that at Heavens Gate there is a kind of "do you know me" thing where Jesus is standing there and appears to each person in a way they can recognize from their background/belief system (i.e Jesus may look like Mohamed to the Moslems) and If you recognize Jesus and seek Him you are in. Only those who do not recognize the one at the gate or do and spit at Him are left out in the cold.\n\nThe bible reference the book of life and having your name written in it or erased from it. Since we all were written in it at birth as a divine and good creation of God, it only gets opened and checked for erasure if; we don't recognize the one we are to marry the bridegroom/host of the great party in the sky.
666634
Hi,\n\nThis sentence - which, despite some answerer's comments, is very often said - is a very valuable sentence because it gives us a lot of insight into the believer's mind. It's my belief that somebody who grows up in a very insular 'fundamentalist' house often tends not to develop an independent sense of right-and-wrong. There must be exceptions, of course, but a lot of people refrain from killing, stealing, coveting and wearing mixed fabrics not because they've ever objectively considered the right-and-wrong of these actions but merely because 'God told them not to'. 'Hell' is the equivalent of 'wait till your father gets home' - but the difference is that the latter is only applicable for children who don't have a fully-formed concept of actions and repercussions.\n\nFor somebody whose definition of 'good behaviour' is based solely on what they read in a book, it's quite logical for them to presume that an atheist would not engage in good behaviour. The unfortunate implication is that, for these people, they would freely murder, rape, steal, pillage and wear mixed fabrics if it weren't for God's decree against those actions. Furthermore, they see murder as bad not because a person's life has been lost and his/her family torn asunder but merely because the perpetrator 'sinned' against God. Would you trust such a person with your child?\n\nLastly, what objective conclusion can you draw about the morality of a person who says 'A sin is a sin - lying and killing are equal in the eyes of God'? What conclusion can you draw about the morality of a deity who would believe that?
69297
These aren't errors, exactly, unless you're so fundamentalist that you take every single word literally. \n\nPeople today have expressions that aren't meant to be taken literally - including "to the four corners of the earth." (For example, "You're driving me crazy." Literally, this implies that I'm being driven, that I'm not already crazy, and that I'm a qualified mental health professional who can diagnose 'crazy' when I see it.)\n\nWhen certain verses appear to be incorrect, read them in context and then find other verses about the same topic to be sure how they should be interpreted. Anyone can pick a verse and question it's accuracy. For example, you could combine "Judas went and hanged himself" with "Go and do thou likewise" and come up with a pretty twisted doctrine! But is that how these verses were meant to be understood? I don't think so.
502578
It sounds like it was written by a new zealous believer who is immature in the faith.  We should use love and not condemnation to win the lost.  Condemning a person for there sin only makes them mad.  Besides we are all sinners in need of a savior.  Also no one could kill Jesus, he gave his life because he loved us.
322244
The Bible says judge not lest ye be judged. And God makes the ultimate decisions regarding us going to Heaven or Hell. And they are both very real places. God says we work out our own salvation with fear and with trembling... but if you aren't living according the WHOLE gospel then the Bible does say one is on the path to hell. One human shouldn't say to other they are going to hell. That descision is God's and ours.
556886
One of my favorite verses, and actually one of the two verses that I try to live my life by.  The other being "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things will then be given to you".\n\nThe verse "he that seeks to keep his life shall lose it, but he that loses his life for my sake, shall find it" means to me....that the more I give up my "rights" in life, the less I go after what I think I want for myself, the more I give up pursuing the things of the "world" and the more I give up my life for Jesus to do with as He pleases...the more "myself" I truly become.\n\nI never have felt more at peace, more my true self, then when I have given up my own will and choices and asked Jesus to guide my every step, thought, word.  Funny, isn't it?  You think by serving yourself you'd get what you want in life.  I've found by serving Him first (which means, putting others first), that's when I've found true happiness and fulfillment.
612971
the Bible says that doing good isn't the criterion for getting to heaven. Perhaps anyone who desires and strives for absolute purity could make it. But the biblical criterion is recognising that, perhaps despite the fact that we may think we've lived good lives, we're still sinners in need of a saviour, and so we should accept that Jesus Christ allowed himself to be killed on a cross so he could take the punishment for our sins, and we should turn away from everything we know to be wrongdoing. I personally am thankful that getting to heaven doesn't depend on how good we've been. If the criterion for getting to heaven was being good, then people who made a sincere commitment to Christ not long before they died after having lived immoral lives would find themselves going to hell despite their latter commitment to follow him and turn away from their sins, because the number of years they had spent sinning would far exceed the amount of time they later spent doing good. Or if they'd done one thing that was very bad but then spent years regretting it, it might still outweigh all the good they'd done and be enough to get them sent to hell, particularly since no one can be entirely good and everyone does things that aren't good throughout their lives. But the love of Jesus extends to people who've spent years doing evil things, if they'll only sincerely accept him and turn away from them. \n\nHowever, the Bible does say that there will be a time when it will be too late. In several places it says that on Judgment Day people will be judged according to their actions, and those who have done good deeds will go to heaven, while people who have rejected Christ and done evil will go to hell. It also says that people who have relied on their own efforts to get to heaven and yet have rejected Christ will not get there. And it warns people who think they can rely on their own goodness to get to heaven while not admitting how sinful they really are that in fact they are not pleasing God.
224538
"Just remember that if compassion, love, and unity is not in your belief, than you are a bad person no matter what your belief is." <=== That right there says it all. Christians have lost touch with that because they are so wrapped up in their image...so anything out of place to them is automactically fought against and you can't be like that--rude, uncompassionate, and un-loving. God wouldn't want that so why should you treat others indifferently because of what they believe or what they want to try. \n\nI love you for bringing that up. I'm a christian and I'm not like that at all. So it gets annoying when others are.
295280
Sure, take a course in liberal theology, then you can discount all of the teachings you don't like or put them in a cultural context so that it seems like the eternal Word of God is either a figurative myth or it doesn't really apply to YOU at this point in time.\n\nThen you can join all of the other people who are on the highway to Hell and have a merry ride until you find out that it ends at a cliff overlooking the Lake of Fire!\n\n"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves."  Matthew 7:13-15
213888
Well friend,\nI am a christian.\nAnd this is what that verse means to me.\n\nThe main problem with christians is that they always like to read such verses from a worldy perspective ignoring the spiritual aspect of it.\n\nLook at the begining it mentions of future and hope. Thats what we should be aiming for NOT earthly fortunes or satisfactions.\n\nSeeking the Lord comes with calling upon our Lord as well as praying to Him NOT just sitting around and trying to "argue" out things in your mind. Honesty is important here.\n\nNow consider, the phrase...\n"will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile."\n\nSome people like to take the that and say, Hey, God will bless me!!\nIt is true but does it mention necessarily EARTHLY blessings? No. I believe its more spiritual blessings that you will inherit one day in the afterlife. For the spiritual blessings are eternal as opposed to the temporary blessings on earth.\n\nWell, dont seek after earthly things as others do, these are all vanity.\n\nAs for me,\n"Jesus is enough"\nNothing else I want.\n\nRegards
505597
Hi Rodney. Good evening/day.Very good subject! First of all, in case anyone does not know what sin is, let's define it.  Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. or MKJV- Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness-1John 3:4. Myself included, we need to ensure that we know what sin is so that we can be sincerely repentant and strive to not commit sins. You are correct everyone sins, that is why Jesus - the perfect Son of God who was sinless died for our sins and rose from the dead. Second, the word rapture is not in the Bible. Jesus will return to raise the dead and claim those of us who are saved. John 3:13 says  -And no one has ascended up to Heaven except He who came down from Heaven, the Son of Man who is in Heaven. May God Bless  you.
40293
Not dead, never dead.  However it does remind me of a philosophy I once "figured out" in one of my drunken states of brilliance (well it seemed so at the time).\n\nGod is not needed.  Mankind has invented reasoning and science and is currently approaching the ability to cure himself of his own fragile nature (genetic engineering, stem cell research leading to growning new organs, halting the effects of aging etc etc).  Perhaps this is how god wants mankind to be.  Ok with war and famine etc etc still rife in the world today it is difficult to believe we have "grown up" however I think we are geting there.\n\nThink of yourself as a dad.  You have got a son who you have taught right from wrong and guided them through childhood and through adolesence and on into young adulthood.  Now how would you rather have your son:\n\na) Although you would never admit it to yourself your son is a wiener, he can't do a thing for himself, every last little problem he runs into he expects you to bail him out of everytime and although you love him and willingly help him, when will he learn you will not always be there to bail him out?\n\nor\n\nb)  You are proud of your son.  He has graduated, got a good job, financially stable, although sometimes he asks your adivce on things (which secretly you love) he makes the decisions himself using your adivce and is able to sort out his own problems if and when they arrive.  You know that you have brought him up right and that if something should happen to you he is able to survive out there in the world without you.\n\nNow my philosophy is this, maybe mankind has finally developed into son B and so instead of being dead god has actually just stepped back to allow us to live our lives and sort out our own problems, secure in the knowledge that we now are able to do so witout having to turn to him every time something goes wrong to bail us out.  Perhaps it is simply time mankind learned to live without God or religion and see if we can make it through the pitfalls on our own without our crutch.  Doesn't mean we have to stop loving god of course, just as moving out of your parents home doesn't mean you no longer love them or go visit them from time to time, just that we are able to live our own lives without interference.
414319
I like the spirit of your philosophy, but as to the exact wording, it seems backwards to me. Try this: We don't know how, but faith allows us to know that everything is going to work out, somehow. Faith is a way of knowing, we can not know everything, but we can understand almost everything if we know the subject matter. More and more facts are coming to light for us everyday that we live if we live in faith, with one small exception. Death always catches us flatfooted. Unless, we are very old and or very wise and courious, and ready to find out.
282030
God's grace is sufficient! He loves us so much that he gave His son to die for our sins...past, present, and future. We recognize that we have sinned, ask Him to come into our lives and that we want to follow him, and we are reborn! New creatures in Christ. Sometimes we waiver and take a few steps back, but when we reach out to Him, miraculous things happen! Thanks for posting article.