It is a lattice of Divine Facts upon which our vines of faith are interwoven — It is Finished…now receive sight and believe, and a wicket gate will open onto a narrow pathway where it shall be true in experience from faith to faith, from victory to victory, from glory to glory.
~Watchman Nee
Be at peace among yourselves.
And we urge you, brothers,
admonish the idle,
encourage the fainthearted,
help the weak,
be patient with them all.
See that no one repays anyone evil for evil,
but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.
Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing,
give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophecies, but test everything;
hold fast what is good.
Abstain from every form of evil.
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely,
and may your whole spirit and soul and body
be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He who calls you is faithful;
He will surely do it.
~1Thessalonians 5:13b-24
~1Thessalonians 5:13b-24
Don’t miss the last part beloved.
HE will surely do it. The righteousness of the One bringing about our journey down the narrow road is like a mighty mountain. He is strong and enduring. He stands and does not fail. Not ever. And, oh my, is this a great comfort in light of the list above.
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
~ Philippians 1:6
There is, however, a profound reality to all of this.
We can’t go back.
Not that we ever would really want to, but sometimes we look back over our shoulders at the Wicket Gate He has brought us through. John Bunyan, in Pilgrims Progress, describes the Wicket Gate as the gate we pass through from death to life in Christ – and that leads on to the narrow road Home. Once through the gate, eternity is ensured. But just as sure, is the promise that we will face suffering and trial along the way.
We find though, upon passing from death into Life in Him, that the Gospel we believed is an infinite proposition – whose every tenet is just as radical as the difference between life and death. There is no sliding scale, and there are no weasel words.
This is the narrow road home towards the upward call.
- Be at peace
- anxiousness is not an option
- admonish the idle
- speak firmly and fearlessly
- encourage the fainthearted
- fill the hearts of the empty-hearted
- help the weak
- no more stepping over the one who has fallen on the side of the road.
- be patient with them all
- ALL of them
- See that no one repays anyone evil for evil
- that includes me and you both.
- but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone
- always
- Rejoice always
- always
- pray without ceasing
- always
- give thanks in all circumstances
- always
- for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you
- He does not change
- Do not quench the Spirit
- always do what He says
- Do not despise prophecies
- but test everything
- hold fast what is good
- always
- Abstain from every form of evil
- always
Now, that is quite a list! Be at peace, though. Read the rest of the passage again!
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely,
and may your whole spirit and soul and body
be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He who calls you is faithful;
He will surely do it.
So, yeah, once we go through the Wicket Gate, we can never go back. But, what a wonderful reality we are presented with upon going through. The work is done! We have but to rest and trust in the One who brought us through the Gate in the first place. HE is the gate. HE brought us through. HE will get us home.
This is really good news!
There will be no “knights in shining armor” in God’s kingdom; our armor will have many dings and dents. No, no perfect Hollywood heroes will ride to save the day; just wearied saints to look to God and, in weakness, find Christ’s strength. This, indeed, is the essence of God’s kingdom: divine greatness manifest in common people.
~Francis Frangipane
