LESSON 27 STRIVE TO ENTER IN


Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. Luke 13:24

Strive—To struggle, literally, (to compete for a prize), figurative, (to contend with an adversary) (to endeavor to accomplish something). Margin, strive as in agony.

There is a work before each one of us to enter the straight gate. Right thoughts, pure and holy purposes, do not come to us naturally. We shall have to strive for them, calling upon the Lord for strength.

But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 1 Timothy 6:11

How are we to flee?

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12

Fight—The same as the definition for strive in Luke 13:24.

There is an effort here of the will which is the power of choice, our will surrendered to God must constantly choose to shun that which is evil. In this warfare there is no release this side of heaven. Our effort must be continuous and persevering to do that which is right.

Finally, 1) my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 2) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For 3) we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore 4) take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 5) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And 6) your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, 7) taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And 8) take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 9) Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and 10) watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. Ephesians 6:10–18

We are in a battle as real as any soldier. To gain the victory requires we follow closely our commander, and make every effort to be always prepared to meet the enemy of souls when he comes openly or secretly. We must be ready and willing to follow the commandments of our Lord and King. The effort in this warfare is real, involving the will, mind, and the body.

The effort we make to do right and to choose the right is not the means of salvation for that is in Christ alone. However, without effort on our part in calling upon the Lord for help, and shunning evil and compromise we shall be defeated on the battlefield of life.

Set your affection [mind] on things above, not on things on the earth. Mortify [deaden, subdue] therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. Colossians 3:2, 5–10

And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:23–32

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:1, 2, 15–17

Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. James 1:21–25

What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. Psalm 34:12–14

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1

Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1 AMP

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13

So brace up your minds; be sober (circumspect, morally alert.) 1 Peter 1:13a AMP

So then, have your minds ready for action. 1 Peter 1:13a TEV

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23

Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23 AMP

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 1 Corinthians 9:24–27

Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily. Colossians 1:28, 29

For this I labor [unto weariness], striving with all the superhuman energy which He so mightily enkindles and works within me. Colossians 1:29 AMP

To get this done I toil and stuggle, using the mighty strength which Christ supplies and which is at work in me. Colossians 1:29 TEV

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. 2 Timothy 2:3–5

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. Hebrews 12:2–4

Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds. You have not struggled and fought agonizingly against sin, nor have you yet resisted and withstood to the point of pouring our your [own] blood. Hebrews 12:3, 4 AMP

To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life. But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile. Romans 2:7, 10

Patient continuance—Cheerful or hopeful endurance, constancy.

Worketh—To toil (as a task, occupation etc,) effect, be engaged in or with, etc.
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2:12, 13

Work—To work fully, i.e. accomplish; by implication, to finish, fashion.

Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ). Philippians 2:12 AMP

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. Hebrews 4:9–11

As God rested at the end of creation from His works, so for us we are called to rest from the burdens that perplex us, and the work of trying to save ourselves. We are to rest in the love of God exercising faith, hope, and love. Yet we are told to labor. An effort of the will is required to believe, to have faith, to pray, to do that which is right and to choose the way of the Lord. This will require an effort of mind and body to align ourselves fully with God’s will, for the spirit of the world would carry us in a different direction.

For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Hebrews 6:10–12

Diligence—Speed, i.e. (by implication) dispatch, eagerness, earnestness.

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge. 2 Peter 1:3–5

But to obtain these gifts, you need more than faith; you must also work hard to be good, and even that is not enough. For then you must learn to know God better and better and discover what he wants you to do. 2 Peter 1:5 TLB

Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 2 Peter 3:13, 14

Diligent—To use speed, i.e. make effort, be prompt or earnest.

We must work; we must strive to be faithful and obedient to God. But again realize the work, the effort is not redemptive in nature or purpose. We must realize also it is God who provides the motive and the desire, but we must choose, we must act and do, and we must call upon the Lord for help and grace. Yes there is a work before each one who shall be found faithful to God. Thus let us hear again the words of our Master:

Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive [margin, strive as in agony] to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. Luke 13:23, 24

You must do your utmost to get in through the narrow door. Luke 13:24 Phillips
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