finelinen,
Why are you guys so desparate to not believe the truth? Is that were true then why does Jesus say this:
John 10:16
16 "I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.
Notice Jesus does not say "All people" and "Every unbeliever" are His sheep. Just the ones that hear His voice. Otherwise he could not distinguish unbelievers as GOATS in Matthew 25:31-46. Jesus does not say the Sheep and the Goats will become one flock, eventually. If "all people", including the GOATS, would eventually become His sheep this would be the time to say so, but Jesus does not. Hmmmmmmm. But the UR wants you to believe this. I think I will trust Jesus.
Matthew 7:14 " For the gate is SMALL AND the WAY is narrow that leads to life, and there ARE FEW WHO FIND IT."
Notice that Jesus says "FEW" who find this life. If "All" find this life eventually, Jesus would say so, but He does not. Jesus is very clear "Few" find it. But the UR wants you to believe "All" will find this life. Hmmmmm. I think I will trust Jesus.
What you don't realize is that neither talks of two types of people but of two types of NATURES within all men, and our response is what determines our nature. Which one we surrender ourselves to and how much "tribulation" it takes to get us there, determines the circumstances of our deliverance.
The word for goat runs into a word that means, to keep going in circles.
Unlike the sheep nature,which is our measure of faith to receive Him, that once spoken to will respond to His voice when He calls (I know you think YOU "decided" to turn to the Lord) them, going up over the mountain of flesh.
By surrendering to the goat nature of carnal man, the "goat" will go around and around the mountain of flesh until he wears a rut so deep, it takes Him going after the one that was lost, to pull him out of the "pit" he created for himself.
And again; if you would study the Tabernacle, you would realize that the "gate" and the "narrow way", are both references to the openings of the Tabernacle pattern, which get progressively smaller as you pass thru the 3 courts, effectively making sort of an arrow pointing the way into the holiest of all, the Most Holy Place.
The reason "few there be that find it", is because what is at the end of it is the high calling in Christ Jesus Paul spoke about, and only a remnant will find it initially, as God always deals with a firstfruits, first. It has NOTHING to do with the salvation of the others that don't initially find it, as you understand salvation.
What you do not yet realize is that these letters were written to a primarily JEWISH audience as they were brought into the Kingdom FIRST. Over the centuries, their "Jewishness" content of meaning has been lost to those of "gentile" backgrounds who do not know of nor understand the references therein. Therefore without bothering to study the pattern shown Moses in the mount, error abounds in Babylon, and THEY are your "teachers". Blessings....
