When we see a simple verse in Matthew 22:14 (NASV throughout) which says, “Many are called but few are chosen,” does this give you pause to really believe this simple verse? Or how about when scripture speaks about who will find salvation: Matthew 7:13-14 says, “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.”
Each of these short, simple verses in God’s holy word should give us pause and make us realize how precious our Great God’s calling truly is. So, let’s look at these stated verses and others so we can truly grasp God’s calling and how blessed we are to be called.
Let’s start with God’s calling in John 6:44 which says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.” Also John 6:65 which reads, “And he was saying, ‘For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to me unless it has been granted him by the Father.’”
Clearly, Father God must lead whom He calls through the power of His spirit, opening those He calls to understanding His holy word. His word is truth! Father God calls but the path is through Jesus Christ and we know Christ’s message was simple. We read it in Matthew 4:17: “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven [God] is at hand.’”
This is the start of a believer’s journey on that narrow and difficult path toward that narrow gate! At the beginning of your Christian walk, a called out one starts with spiritual milk, meaning basic, easier to understand, spiritual understanding. As time goes on, with spiritual maturity comes a greater understanding of God’s word. It takes time to grow, day by day. Truly, it becomes a lifetime of looking into the deep things of God’s word, solid spiritual food. Having said this, we can see that very easy to read and understand verses can have very profound meaning!
Returning to “Many are called but few Chosen,” we read a simple statement which has profound meaning. None of us know, from the time of Jesus Christ’s founding of the New Testament Church of God, just how many humans Father God has called. It truly could be a huge number –– as in millions! But of those millions, only a small number accepted their calling by repenting, getting baptized, receiving God’s Holy Spirit and walking on that narrow path the remainder of their life unto death, awaiting the resurrection to life at Jesus Christ’s glorious return. Sadly, most would have stepped off that narrow path onto the wide path which leads to destruction –– eternal death in the lake of fire.
For us alive today and reading this, we must understand it is never too late to take that warning seriously and to repent and get back on the narrow path. It’s a lifelong journey, difficult at times, day by day, step by step, with many pulls and tugs of the flesh. Satan (the prince of the power of the air) and his demons are trying daily to influence us to step off that path toward salvation. Make no mistake, Satan is powerful and that power will be on physical display as major prophetic events roll out in the years ahead.
Towards the end of this article I will give one example, from scripture, of Satan’s power that should remind us to never let our guard down and to resist Satan when he enters our thoughts. Remember James 4:7 which reads, “resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
As a warning, don’t forget the parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. The ten virgins are representative of 10 members of God’s Church. At Christ’s return, five virgins are ready with cups (flasks) full (spiritual maturity) and five foolish virgins are not ready, their cups (flasks) near empty. These foolish virgins had no more time to prepare. The bridegroom (Jesus Christ) was present and ready to marry His church. In verse 12 He says to the foolish virgins, “Truly I say to you, I do not know you.” Brethren, that is something we do not want to hear!
These foolish virgins kept thinking, “I have lots of time to clean up my act, spend more time reading my bible, spend more time in prayer, spend more time dividing the word of truth with other brethren, spend more time exhorting fellow brethren to love and good works, spend more time ridding my life of sinful behavior, spend more time lifting up a widow, spend more time showing good works…” I could go on, but we get the point. Christ’s final warning in verse 13 reads, “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.” These are words of caution for all of us!
Matthew 25 continues with more examples of just how we should fill our Christian spiritual cup in the parable of the talents, verses 14-30. Then in verses 31-46 we read of Jesus Christ returning in power and glory to separate the Sheep (righteous) from the Goats (accursed ones).
Make no mistake brethren, God has standards and we must work hard every day to fill our spiritual cups until they are overflowing. Knowing we are in “the end of days” should excite us to be diligent in our spiritual lives. Don’t let down now, brethren, but let this be a wake up call for all of us, for we know Satan roams around as a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Satan is an evil predator that never sleeps. Don’t let him see a weakness within you to exploit.
I want to end this article with some scriptures which display Satan’s power and influence upon mankind. Picture the time: Christ has returned. His saints have been born into his Father’s spiritual family. The Kingdom of God reigns peacefully for 1,000 years. Satan is bound and can’t influence mankind. The righteous rule with God’s law firmly established upon mankind and His Holy Spirit poured out upon all. But then the fleshly, carnal mankind will be influenced by a released Satan who has been bound for the past 1,000 years.
Revelation 20:7-10 reads, “When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for war, the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.
“And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
“And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
Make no mistake, Satan is a powerful spirit that can cause us to be deceived now, just as he will do in the future. That is why we must resist the devil and his demons daily. Don’t let that evil influence make you step off the narrow path to the narrow gate leading into the Kingdom of God!
