The Narrow Way

The Narrow Way

In the Gospel of Matthew 7:13-14, Yeshua warned that believers are to enter into life through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad the way that leads to destruction . . . narrow is the gate, and constricted the way, which leads to life, and few are they who find it.

This has never been truer than it is today, thanks to the man-made doctrines of Dispensationalism with its “just say this prayer” theology.

In the so-called Gentile church believers no longer have to follow God’s Laws—the LAW is a curse. It was nailed to the cross, and is only for the Jews—Gentiles are under grace. Christians have been freed from the law and can worship God “when” and “how” they see fit. Christians are free to do whatever is right in their own (denomination’s) eyes.

Of course, none of the above is true. Following Yeshua’s example, in this article, I will refute these lies with God’s word.

IT IS WRITTEN:

“He who turns his ear away from hearing the law, even his prayers are an abomination.” (Proverbs 28:9)

“Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your law is the truth. (Psalms 119:142)

For the commandment is a lamp; and the law a light . . (Proverbs 6:23)

For we know that the law is spiritual . . . (Rom 7:14)

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 1st John 5:3

Blessed are they who do His commandments, that their authority will be over the Tree of Life, and they may enter in by the gates into the city. (Rev 22:14)

Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord! Lord!” shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord! Lord! Did we not prophesy in Your name, and through Your name cast out demons, and through Your name do many wonderful works?” And then I will say to them, “I never knew you! Depart from Me, those working lawlessness! (Matt 7: 21-23)

Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness. (1st John 3:4)

ARE WE GUARANTEED ETERNAL LIFE BY SAYING A PRAYER?

To the one who has an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the congregations. To the one overcoming, I will give to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of Elohim. (Rev 2:7)

To the one who has an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the congregations. The one overcoming will not be hurt by the second death. (Rev 2:11)

Then Yeshua said to His disciples, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life shall lose it, and whoever desires to lose his life for My sake shall find it. (Matt 16:24-25)

The CHURCH & ISRAEL

Dispensationalist like to dichotomize Israel and the Church. But that is a false dichotomy for a couple of reasons. First off, the Greek word ekklesia, used throughout the New Testament, literally means “a called-out congregation.” Calling it a church is a mistranslation. “Kuriakon” is the Greek word “church”, not “ekklesia”! Yeshua had nothing to do with any “kuriakon” only with His ekklesia, that called-out congregation existing since the exodus from Egypt according to the writer of Acts.

“This is he (Moses) that was in the “ekklesia” in the wilderness… (Acts 7:38).

The old KJV translated ekklesia in this passage as “church” in the wilderness, the new KJV translates it correctly as “congregation.” In a Greek translation of the Old Testament called the Septuagint, which was transcribed a few hundred years before the New Testament era, “ekklesia” is used hundreds of times and it refers to the “Israel of God.”

The second scriptural flaw related to separating New Covenant believers from Israel is this:

According to Scripture, the New Covenant was made only with Israel and Judah. (Heb 8:8 & Jer 31:31) No where in scripture will you find God making a covenant with Gentiles. By definition, Gentiles are those nations not in covenant with God.

According to Paul, (Rom 11:17) Gentiles who come to faith in Yeshua are grafted into Israel’s olive tree, grafted in “among” them, Paul writes. And in Ephesian 2:11-12, he makes it clear that once a Gentile comes to faith in the Jewish Messiah, he is no longer a Gentile, no longer a stranger to the covenants (plural). Now he is part of “Israel’s commonwealth.” For through Yeshua both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Gentiles, in Yeshua, are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the Saints, and part of the household of God. (Eph 2:18-19)

Romans 9:6 is key to understanding who Israel is. Paul explains it this way: “they (those natural branches who are cut off for not believing in Yeshua) are not all Israel, though they are of (the natural seed of) Israel.” Why? Because those who were formerly Gentiles are now in the Covenant, part of the Israel of God, along with the natural branches who were never broken off, and the ones who’ve been grafted back in through faith in Yeshua. But one way or another, make no mistake, all born-again believers in Yeshua, constitute the ISRAEL of God.

In Hebrew thought a name is destiny. God changed the name of the patriarch, Jacob, to Israel because Jacob contended with the LORD and prevailed. Jacob would not give up until the Lord blessed him, and when God did, it changed Jacob’s walk. That is our destiny, also, as Israel.

Dispensationalism teaches that God deals with His people in different ways at different times (dispensations). Brad Scott, in his book “Let This Mind Be In You” points out that, when laid side by side, the so-called geologic column of the evolutionists bears a striking resemblance to the dispensational-column. Scott terms this “theological evolution.” It goes like this: “In the beginning,” Scott writes, “there were the primitive patriarchs floating in a worldwide flood, but soon they came to Mt. Sinai, where lightning bolts struck, energizing them with dietary laws, the Sabbaths and the Feasts. Over time the dietary laws fell off, the Sabbaths faded away, and the Feasts were transformed. They soon grew new laws, a new Sabbath, and celebrated new feasts, until at the end we see (modern) Christian man.” Like the theory of evolution, which developed about the same time in history, Dispensational Theology is a lie.

Before Yeshua ascended, he said, “As my Father sent me, I send you.” We, the Israel of God, are called to live for the Messiah, and to make disciples, teaching them all that Yeshua taught, which was to do His Father’s will. We must walk in His ways and keep His instructions. His law wasn’t nailed to the cross, our rap sheet was. Scripture says, if we sin willfully (and sin is violation of God’s Law) after we have received knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins (Heb 10:26).

“Just say the prayer” theology, along with false doctrines that teach that the laws concerning “how” and “when” we worship God no longer apply, are lies from the pit. Yahweh, the God who never changes, never changed His mind about what constitutes right and wrong behavior or “who” His people are. He wrote His Commandments (all of them) on Israel’s hearts and minds so that this time, we will obey them. Psalms 19:7 says, “The Law of the LORD is perfect.” Now how do you improve that?”