By Bob Wilkin
A reader sent in this question:
Hello. Thanks for your articles. I genuinely believe in salvation by faith alone, by trusting in Jesus Christ as God and His atoning death/blood for the forgiveness of sins.
However, one Scripture that has always confused me is Matthew 7:13-14. What does Jesus mean when He says we need to strive to enter the narrow gate and that the way is hard? Does that seem to imply an intense struggle to be saved?
In other words, how does Matthew 7:13-14 square with Romans 6:23, Galatians 2:16, or Romans 5:1?
Thank you in advance for your response.
The Lord Jesus did refer to entering by the narrow gate in Matt 7:13-14. But the text does not mention striving. The questioner is thinking of Luke 13:24: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”
The reader asks a super question when he asks how to square striving to enter with other clear verses that teach justification by faith alone, apart from works (Gal 2:16; Rom 5:1). Whenever we perceive one passage as contradicting another, we need to ask how the two can be harmonized.
Some think that Matt 7:13-14 concerns discipleship rather than salvation from eternal condemnation. They understand “the way which leads to life” to refer to the path of discipleship that leads to abundant life. However, in this context, it is more natural to understand the phrase as referring to how to enter into everlasting life (cf. Matt 18:8-9; 19:16-17).
If everlasting life and justification are in view, we know the sole condition is faith in Christ (John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47; Gal 2:16; Rom 5:1).
Could faith alone in Christ for everlasting life be the narrow gate?
Do some people need to strive to believe Jesus’ promise of everlasting life (e.g., John 3:16)?
Yes, and yes.
Most people on Earth today reject the faith-alone message. Even most professing Christians!
Coming from another religion might make you uncomfortable attending church or talking with a Christian about Christ. The faith-alone message might seem like nonsense to you.
The same is true, as well, if you come from most Christian traditions. You would be uncomfortable attending a church that proclaims the faith-alone message.
The word translated strive is agonizomai. We get the word agonize from it. It is used seven times in the NT. It is translated as fight in John 18:36; 1 Tim 6:12; and 2 Tim 4:7. Paul used it to refer to competing for a prize in 1 Cor 9:25.
It is translated as striving in Col 1:29 and laboring fervently in Col 4:12.
Striving/fighting/competing is not required in order to be born again. The Lord never said that. But for most in His legalistic Jewish audience, striving was, in a sense, necessary in order to come to belief in Jesus’ promise of eternal life.
The Lord rebuked some legalistic Jews, saying, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life” (John 5:39-40).
Their problem was not that they searched the Scriptures (cf. Acts 17:11). It was that they were searching with closed minds. They were not seeking to find God’s way to eternal life. They were seeking to understand what the greatest commandments were so that they could best gauge the likelihood that they would gain kingdom entrance.
Does that sound familiar? Isn’t that the way many people in Christendom search the Scriptures? Aren’t many seeking to check their works against Scripture? Don’t they base their assurance and that of others on how obedient they are?
If you have ever shared the faith-alone message, you know that most people reject it. Most are happy to tell you why you are preaching a false gospel. They will charge you with cheap grace and easy believism.
Maybe you could tell them that the narrow gate is the faith-alone, apart from works, way. You could ask them if they are willing to ask God if the faith-alone message is true. Are they willing to read the Gospel of John and meditate honestly on what they find? Is striving to find the truth out of the question for them?
Thomas Edison took fourteen months to get a working light bulb. He tried thousands of filaments that didn’t work before finding one that did. He had to strive to find the right filament. His striving was certainly work.
But striving to enter by the narrow way is not work. This striving does not involve turning from sins and doing good works. It involves being open to believing in the Lord Jesus Christ for the gift of everlasting life. That message may seem heretical to people. They may hate it, as Saul of Tarsus did. The striving needed is prayer and openness to the Word of God.
For years, Martin Luther strove to be justified before God by his works. He turned from his sins, sought to live a holy life, went on pilgrimages, taught the Scriptures to others, and confessed his sins to other priests. It was all to no avail. Then, while meditating on Scripture, he realized that justification is by faith alone, apart from works.
If the legalist is open to the truth, then his legalistic striving will eventually give way to the realization that everlasting life is a gift given to all who simply believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
I find it odd that many are willing to strive to enter into life by doing everything except praying and studying. They turn from their sins, commit their lives to Christ, and begin on the path of discipleship. They give their money. But these people who will seemingly do anything to gain everlasting life are unwilling to consider that their view may be wrong. They are unwilling to simply come to the Lord Jesus that they may have life (John 5:40).
Don’t be afraid to ask people if they are willing to strive in order to gain everlasting life if the striving involves prayer and study of the Gospel of John. Ask them if they are willing to believe the faith-alone message.
There is no other way to be born again. If people are not willing to believe in Jesus for the gift of everlasting life, then their need is to become willing. That may take striving. Striving to find the truth is a good thing.
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Bob Wilkin is Executive Director of Grace Evangelical Society. He and Sharon live in Highland Village, TX. He has racewalked ten marathons.
