Matthew 7 Series - Part 1

This article is the introduction to a series of articles I'm calling the Matthew 7 Series. This is because they are all concerning Matthew 7:13-29. That passage of scripture is the direct teaching of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, who was God incarnate, (God become man,) and our Savior from sin and death. It is vital information for Christians and those who want to be saved. Yet it goes largely ignored. When it is addressed it is usually only a tiny part taken out of context that is discussed, and often twisted to take away its real meaning. It should be read as a whole.

Matthew 7:13-29 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.
Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'
Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell-and great was its fall." When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

This passage is a dire warning against adopting a fake version of Christianity. Few find the small gate and narrow path that leads to life. While many find the wide path and gate that leads to destruction. Many will think they are saved but will be told by Jesus he never knew them and sent to hell. Even people who performed miracles will not get into heaven. Those who listen to and act on the words of Jesus have built their faith on a firm foundation. But those that don't act on them will be washed away. People who make up their own version of Jesus and substitute their morality for God's morality do not know the real Jesus. A fake Jesus cannot save them. Do not dismiss this. This is about our very souls. And the fact that so many think they are Christians but will be surprised on Judgement Day should be a red alert to us all.

There is direct evidence that what Jesus taught in Matthew 7 is reflected in the status of the church today. The root of the problem is most people in America who claim to be Christians don't have a biblical worldview. The next article will discuss the studies conducted by the Barna group. The results are devastating, but are no surprise to Christians that have a biblical worldview. When we read scripture for ourselves and compare it what is being taught in American churches we can't help but see something is very wrong in most of them.

Some may ask what is so important about having a biblical worldview. First, it is an outlook and values that are in line with God's word, especially the indisputable basics. The Bible is the word of God. It is God-breathed, coming from the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is the standard by which we know if something is of God or not. We cannot go by feelings because the heart is deceitfully wicked. We cannot go on our own reasoning because we understand next to nothing compared to God. Scripture is what separates true teachers from the false, wolves in sheep's clothing. To deny scripture is to deny God. It is to create a false religion with Christian sounding terms. And Jesus made it clear that those who do not listen and act on His word will not enter Heaven. It's the difference between spending eternity in heaven or hell. It's vital for our souls to be disciples of the real Jesus. A biblical worldview means we are disciples of Jesus. Not having one means we are disciples of a fraud.

There have been a number of surveys by the Barna Group that show only 6-9% of people who claim to be Christians hold a biblical worldview. If you're not familiar with the Barna Group, they are a polling firm like Pew Research and Lifeway Research. They have an excellent reputation for accurate, statistically sound and scholarly surveys. Unlike Pew and other secular polling companies, Barna and Lifeway operate from a Christian worldview. Some of the other organizations will do surveys on Christian topics. However, their questions come from a secular worldview so the premise behind the questions often excludes a Christian view. Barna and Lifeway do tackle secular topics, but they leave room for a Christian worldview. This makes their surveys a good choice for Christian academics, pastors, and individuals.

To determine if someone has a biblical worldview, Barna only addressed a few of the most basic and indisputable biblical values a Christian must hold if they are following the real God and not some made up fraud. Those Barna used are: There are absolute moral truths, particularly those defined by the Bible. Jesus Christ lived a sinless life. God is the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe and He stills rules it today. Salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned. Satan is real. A Christian has a responsibility to share their faith in Christ with other people. And the Bible is accurate in all of its teachings. Ask yourself if you hold to these biblical truths. If not, or you're even in doubt about them, I strongly suggest you read the Scripture series of articles here on Michael's Abbey. In fact, I'm pleading with you to do so. Your soul may depend on it.