READ PREFACE, INDEX
Veikko J. Pyhtilä,
28.4.2020
Everyone must move
from this time to eternity sooner or later. Human’s life is like the width of a
palm but eternity lasts forever. Therefore, where people are forever in heaven
or hell is the most important issue and must be resolved already here in time. Even
through these texts, the secrets of the kingdom of God cannot be made clear
unless God opens them to the reader. Believing comes from hearing the living word
of the God.
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| The narrow gate |
Going in through a narrow gate and walking on a narrow path is the most avoided by people and most prevented by the forces of evil.
God can awaken a
person from an unbelieving, carefree state and state of false righteousness and
peace, in which human knows not only individual sins, but that the state and
direction of all life is wrong. At the same time, you can experience the call with
your conscience: “Repent and go to the believer, or contact and apologize for
unbelief and all sins”. God also gives the power to apologize, but then the
enemy of the soul, people's honor, and one’s own self puts obstacles in place
and make fear and shame the repentance and receiving forgiveness of sins. This
is a narrow gate that people avoid and may seek false consolation from
individual Bible sentences, false spiritualities, or one hardens conscience
with heavy entertainment or immersion in temporal things, work, hobbies etc. that
the knock of conscience would be silenced and forgotten. Human also seeks to
postpone repentance. Human, too, can, by reasoning reject the voice of God in
conscience. People are comforted by other unbelievers and unrighteous people.
False religiosities have the ability to soothe, calm, and comfort people to
false peace, false security. God’s call through His servants can also
provoke anger and persecution, and many martyrdomes have occurred to
prophets, apostles, and followers of Jesus. People can also speak evil and
distort the truth. They also cling to the faults and weaknesses of believers
and do not see their own sins and all sinfulness. One can think one can be so
good that one does not need repentance. Even when there are so few believers,
common sense takes precedence over the conscience that one goes according to
the majority or believes that there is no hell. Or man thinks that God is so
merciful that all will enter heaven without repentance and cleansing from sins.
One can believe in the reincarnation of the soul, the doctrines of purgatory,
one’s own righteousness, spiritual practices, etc., each of which is a
justification and defense, which, however, cannot stand the last judgment. It
is difficult for people to accept that people who look good as decent citizens
would go to hell. But when they are spiritually dead because of unbelief, they
are not saved, although they strive to be good and sincere, but without the
awakening of the Holy Spirit one does not see or feel the seriousness of one's
own condition.
But a person who
loves truth and righteousness at heart and who has awakened to the distress of
sin in conscience does not want to be content with false teachings,
misinterpretations, uncertain foundations, his own good works, deeds. Man is
stripped of all his own, his own strength, reasoning, opposition, wrong
planting, the heart is humble, to the humble God gives grace of repentance. However, going through the narrow gate of repentance
is difficult. God may need to soften man not only by awakening but also by
temporal trials or God's temporal goodness can also lead to repentance. And it
may be that when an acquaintance, friend, close relative receives the grace of
repentance, it also gives oneself the courage. Receiving the remission of
sin from the gospel of the living church of God from a believer, gives man the
gift of faith and the Holy Spirit begins to bear fruit. Man cannot believe by his
own sense, reason and power, even if he tries believe, it is not true faith and
is his own act that is not worthy of God. Also, believing through the
spirit of charm, hypnosis, and the miracles of false prophets is wrong.
All are born as believers
having the Holy Spirit in all nations, created by God, and Jesus has atoned for
the sins of all. But few remain in the faith of the child, and the seductions
and false religions of the world, already as a child, fall and bind man to the
wrong and out of the spiritually living state and faith. If one is allowed to
be in contact with believers as a child, faith and good conscience are
nurtured, the faith of childhood can be preserved. However, sins come to all and even the believer
sometimes finds it difficult to repent and come to light with his sins and be
cleansed. Nothing unholy and filthy can enter heaven so it is necessary to keep
faith and good conscience.
Excerpts from the
King James Version of the Bible
Eph. 2:1-3 And
you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in
time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the
lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and
were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Rev. 3:20 Behold,
I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I
will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
John 10:3 To
him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his
own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
John 10:9 I
am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and
out, and find pasture.
John 14:6 Jesus
saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the
Father, but by me.
Rev. 3:7 And
to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that
is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and
no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
Him/herself first forgiven of sins, believers can declare and forgive sins in the name and blood of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Matt. 16:19 And
I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou
shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose
on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Luke 10:16 He
that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he
that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
Matt. 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my
name, there am I in the midst of them.
Matt. 28:20 Teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am
with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Luke 24:47 And
that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all
nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Matt. 3:2 And
saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mark 1:15 And
saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye,
and believe the gospel.
Acts 2:38 Then
Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost.
1. Pet. 3:21-22 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth
also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the
answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and
authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
1. Cor. 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach
the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made
of none effect.
Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;
but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Because small
children are born as believers, they are baptized.
Acts 10:42-44 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to
testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and
dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever
believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these
words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
Acts 11:15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on
them, as on us at the beginning.
Acts 11:16 Then
remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized
with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.
Acts 10:47 Can
any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received
the Holy Ghost as well as we?
1. Cor. 6:9-11
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not
deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate,
nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And
such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are
justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Hebr. 9:22 And
almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of
blood is no remission.
1. John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one
with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Hebr. 10:22 Let
us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebr. 12:24 And to
Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that
speaketh better things than that of Abel.
1. Pet. 1:2
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through
sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus
Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
John 4:14 But
whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but
the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up
into everlasting life.
John 20:23 Whose
soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye
retain, they are retained.
Mark 10:16 And
he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
Acts 8:17 Then
laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
Acts 3:19-26 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your
sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the
presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was
preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution
of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets
since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall
the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall
ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to
pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed
from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that
follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye
are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our
fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the
earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him
to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
Narrow gate and obstacles to enter
Indeed, going through
the narrow gate and avoiding it is very common. The enemy of the soul would let
go of any kind of spirituality, piety, philosophies, mind and body exercises,
and temporal worries or entertainment, as long as one does not go through the narrow
gate. There are also a huge variety of religions and teachings that are
anything else than to enter the narrow gate. Or they understand the narrow gate
to be other than to repent of sins. People defend themselves in the most
diverse ways possible just to not make the right repentance and receive the
absolution in Holy Spirit. People are comforted by the fact that when there are
so few true believers and so many others, they go with the masses and do not accept
the small flock of the Lord, which seems cheap. Faults and mistakes are also
seen in believers, in the church of God. There are many obstacles to not repent
as God’s will, to be forgiven by those who have the Holy Spirit, the true
living faith. Just as in the church of God, those who have gone to different
churches and other spiritualities can declare sins forgiven, but when they do
not have the Holy Spirit, they are not within the kingdom of God, such a
declaration does not deliver from sins. One can also rely on prayer, baptism,
the Lord's Supper, deep repentance, confession of sins, improvement of life, and
good works to forgive and atone for sins, but so sins do not leave. Those who
love and do injustice and whose conscience is unawakened, hardened, carefree
can be content with them. But on the Day of Judgment there will be no false
security and foundation, but only that which is truly the order of salvation
according to the will of God, already realized here in the time of grace.
Matt. 7:13 Enter
ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that
leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Luke 13:24 Strive
to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to
enter in, and shall not be able.
John 6:44 No
man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I
will raise him up at the last day.
John 3:27 John
answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from
heaven.
John 12:43 For they
loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
Luke 11:21-23 When
a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and
overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and
divideth his spoils.
He that is not with me
is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.
1. Thess. 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then
sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not
escape.
Luke 14:17-20 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them
that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one
consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a
piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I
pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and
therefore I cannot come.
Rom. 9:18 Therefore
hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy , and whom he will he hardeneth.
Isa. 6:10 Make
the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with
their heart, and convert, and be healed.
Hebr. 3:13 But
exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be
hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
1. Tim. 2:1-4
I exhort therefore, that, first of all,
supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all
men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and
peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in
the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come
unto the knowledge of the truth.
Deut. 30:19 I
call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before
you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life,
that both thou and thy seed may live:
Deut. 27:10 Thou
shalt therefore obey the voice of the LORD thy God, and do his
commandments and his statutes, which I command thee this day.
Matt. 16:24 Then
said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Matt. 16:25 For
whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life
for my sake shall find it.
2. Thess. 2:12
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure
in unrighteousness.
Entering through the narrow gate into the kingdom of God
However, a few do
not get worse but God’s call leads to repentance and the spiritually dead
become alive by faith and receive the Holy Spirit. God has shaped the soil of
heart to receive and believe the gospel of the kingdom of God, and he/she will leave
a testimony of that to the church of God.
Luke 15:7 I
say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that
repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no
repentance.
1. Pet. 1:22-23 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the
truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love
one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
1 And you hath he
quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past
ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we
all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of
wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich
in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are
saved;)
6 And hath raised us up
together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to
come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us
through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are
ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest
any man should boast.
10 For we are his
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before
ordained that we should walk in them.
11 Wherefore remember,
that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision
by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye
were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and
strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the
world:
13 But now in Christ
Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our
peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of
partition between us ;
15 Having abolished
in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances;
for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might
reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and
preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him we
both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore
ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints,
and of the household of God;
20 And are built
upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being
the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the
building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also
are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Don't delay repenting!
Luke 13:25 When
once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye
begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto
us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
Eccl. 12:1-6 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth,
while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I
have no pleasure in them; While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the
stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: In the day when
the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow
themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look
out of the windows be darkened, And the doors shall be shut in the streets,
when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the
bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low; Also when they
shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the
almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire
shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the
streets: Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or
the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
The living word of God can be proclaimed only by those who have the Holy Spirit.
2. Cor. 3:5-6 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think
anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us
able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for
the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Isa. 1:10 Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom;
give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.
Jer. 22:29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.
Ezek. 34:7 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;
Rom. 9:32 Wherefore?
Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law.
For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
Amos 8:11-12 Behold, the
days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a
famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And
they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they
shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.
There is still a
time of grace and God alone knows how long it will be for each one and for the
whole world.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.
Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall
call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Rom. 10:14-17 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not
believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and
how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they
be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the
gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all
obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So
then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into
the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were
evil.
John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he
that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the
name of the only begotten Son of God.
Acts 4:10-12 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of
Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified,
whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you
whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become
the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there
is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Believe and receive the gospel preached from the church of God, the remission of sins for you: "Unbelief and all your sins are forgiven in the name and blood of Jesus!" And go and follow Jesus and his flock, not by your own strength, but by the power of the Holy Ghost!
Isa. 38:17 Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou
hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast
cast all my sins behind thy back.
Rom. 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or
peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day
long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things
we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things
present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
