A Bloody Entrance
The kingdom of heaven is ‘suffering violence,’ and I hope that you are part of the reason. You see, Christians are not tame, mellow people. They fight, and they fight hard. Like a besieging army, they have determined to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Despite all the locked gates, celestial powers, and worldly forces lined up to oppose them, they will not be prevented.
Strive to Enter
Jesus told His disciples very plainly: “Strive to enter through the narrow door” (Luke 13:24). The word strive means to struggle, contend, or fight. In fact, the Greek word is agonizomai – and from that word we get the modern agonize. Yes, Christians agonize to enter the narrow door.
In another passage, Jesus described the same situation when he said, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12). Yes, this is ‘violent’ language. You might think it describes evil people – but it does not! Rather, it describes the citizens of this heavenly kingdom. Christians fight for an entrance!
Turned Away
Some modern churches are desperate for decisions. They eagerly anticipate the day when a man or woman will ‘decide’ to follow Jesus Christ, as if that is sufficient. Jesus did not exactly see things the same way. When Jesus urged his followers to strive for an entrance, he gave a severe warning to motivate them. “For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:24).
What prevents so many from entering the kingdom of God? While there are many reasons, Jesus provides several distinct answers:
False teachers prevent people from entering the Kingdom. Jesus told the Scribes and Pharisees, “For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in” (Matthew 23:13). False teaching and morality-based religion slam the doors of heaven in the face of the helpless!
Tribulation or persecution can also deters seekers from entering the Kingdom. Spiritual powers and worldly opposition try hard to restrain people from salvation. Jesus made this clear in the Parable of the Soils (Mark 4:17).
The Cares of This World, the Deceitfulness of Riches, and the Desires for Other Things prove a powerful hindrance to those who wish to enter the Kingdom (Mark 4:19). These things subtly destroy the desire for God’s Word, or crowd it out. Worst of all, they seem neutral!
What About You?
Do not misunderstand Jesus! You cannot work hard enough, fight desperately enough, or wage war well enough, to enter the Kingdom – he never claimed you could! Salvation is a work of grace – a work of God’s grace.
When Jesus spoke of ‘striving,’ he meant that Christians show a determination – a holy resolve to stop at nothing, and they will not be dissuaded. They are people who recognize the value of eternity, and they aren’t stopped by difficulty. But this strength doesn’t come from within. It is God’s power at work.
Fighting is messy, bloody work. Is your Christian life characterized by this? If you were to do a ‘spiritual inventory,’ does your spiritual life look like a warrior’s agonizing battle, or a comfy, coffee-shop Christianity? Have you obtained a bloody entrance?
This post edited and reposted from January 18, 2017
