{"id":90636,"date":"2021-03-10T10:01:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-10T15:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keriritenour.com\/grace\/matthew-713-14-dealing-with-the-wicked\/"},"modified":"2023-10-06T22:18:49","modified_gmt":"2023-10-07T02:18:49","slug":"matthew-713-14-dealing-with-the-wicked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keriritenour.com\/grace\/matthew-713-14-dealing-with-the-wicked\/","title":{"rendered":"Matthew 7:13-14 \u2013 Dealing with the Wicked"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Matthew\n7:13-14: Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the\nway, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14\nBecause strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and\nfew there be that find it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">At the time of this writing,\nthe US Supreme Court has heard arguments regarding a constitutional basis for\nsodomy.&nbsp; The city of Baltimore is in\nflames, protestors shouting \u201cno justice\u2026no peace\u201d despite the fact the damage\ndone was an injustice.&nbsp; Defense attorneys\nfor the Boston Marathon Bomber claimed he was a \u2018good kid\u2019 as his family claimed\nfar more are killed in the Middle East \u2013 never mind most of whom in Boston and\nthe Middle East were innocent.&nbsp; The\nColorado theater shooter James Holmes defense argued he was also a \u2018good kid\u2019\nwhile prosecutors depicted a frighteningly smart killer who meticulously\nplanned and carried out the mass murder to make himself feel good and be\nremembered, while knowing that it was immoral and illegal.&nbsp; How do we deal with the wicked? &nbsp;For the Biblical answer, we examine:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>Historical Context: As an apostle, Matthew wrote this\nbook in the early period of the church, probably in A.D. 55-65. Matthew\u2019s\nintended audience was his fellow Jews, many of whom\u2014especially the Pharisees\nand Sadducees\u2014stubbornly refused to accept Jesus as their Messiah.&nbsp; They wanted a Messiah on their own terms, one\nwho would fulfill their own desires and do what they wanted Him to do. How\noften do we seek God on our own terms? And when we do, we distort the true\nnature of God which, in turn, distorts the concepts of truth, justice, right and\nwrong.&nbsp; This is clearly what unsaved\nadvocates of the counter-Biblical lifestyle have done.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>Grammatical Usage: V. 13: \u201c<strong>destruction<\/strong>\u201d or \u201cApoleia\u201d in context meaning pershing in both the\ntemporal and everlasting sense; v. 14: \u201c<strong>life<\/strong>\u201d\nor \u201czoe\u201d meaning life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to\nGod, blessed.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>Literal Application: \u201cEnter by the narrow gate. For\nthe gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to a perishing lifestyle and\neverlasting misery, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is\nnarrow and the way is hard that leads to a meaningful life \u2013 active and\nvigorously devoted to God\u2026and blessed because of it, and those who find it are\nfew.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>Contextual Interpretation: The relative number of the\nsaved and the lost is plain from this. They shall be as the few to the many.\nThis recurring contrast between the numbers of the saved and the lost with\nreference to each succeeding generation should not be discouraging. Although\nsalvation is obtainable and available for all who truly desire it, the plain\nfact is that the majority in all generations will despise it. The relative\nnumber of redeemed souls in any generation is not the scale by which God&#8217;s\nsuccess may be measured. God will keep on saving men until the &#8220;fullness&#8221;\nof his purpose is achieved (Romans 11:25). <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The term\n&#8220;narrow&#8221; is meaningful. Truth can be no other way than narrow, as\nattested in any field of knowledge. A radio band width may be moved almost\nimperceptibly to tune out a dance orchestra in New York City and tune in a\npolitical rally in Southern California. Changing a chemical formula by the\nnarrowest degree possible can profoundly alter a compound. &nbsp;Why should it seem strange, then, that\nentering everlasting life should be any other way than by the &#8220;narrow\ngate&#8221;? The narrowness consists of the directions, disciplines, and\nrequirements throughout the whole area of Christian living which are designed\nfor our good. Such things as self-denial, forgiveness of others, monogamy,\nmeekness, renunciation of the pursuit of wealth as the chief end of life, and\ncountless other basic scriptural convictions are opposed to the natural man\nwhose baser instincts propel him constantly in the direction of the wide gate\nand the broad way. Only those with a quickened spirit, who have set their minds\nupon the things in heaven, shall enter and negotiate the straitened way that\nleads to life; and &#8220;Whosoever will may come!&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>Scriptural Comparison: Wise and righteous people seek\nthe road less traveled, and they find life and rest for their souls. But the\nfoolish and the evil seek the popular road\u2026 and they end up finding discord and\ndestruction.&nbsp; And that\u2019s part of the\nmessage from Proverbs 24: <\/li><li>\u201cthe wicked are\nbrought down by calamity.\u201d (v. 16)<\/li><li>They will \u201cfall\u201d;\nthey will \u201cstumble\u201d (v. 17)<\/li><li>\u201cthe evil man has\nno future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.\u201d (v. 20)<\/li><li>And both our God\nand the King will bring \u201csudden destruction upon them\u201d (v. 22)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">If true, why do\npeople choose the lifestyle of the wicked?&nbsp;\nIsaiah 5 has at least four answers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>\u201cWoe to those\u2026 who say, \u2018Let God hurry, let him hasten\nhis work so we may see it. Let it approach, let the plan of the Holy One of\nIsrael come, so we may know it.\u2019\u201d \u2013 Is. 5:18-19.&nbsp; The wicked mock God. But what they don\u2019t\nunderstand is: <strong>God isn\u2019t ALWAYS in a\nhurry to punish people per 2 Peter 3:9.<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>They get used to calling evil good and good evil (Isaiah\n5:20).&nbsp; What do bars call the time\nencouraging people to get drunk? It\u2019s called the \u201c_____ hour\u201d (happy).&nbsp; Homosexuality is called the \u201c____ lifestyle\u201d\n(gay). It\u2019s intended to portray sodomy as being fun and enjoyable.&nbsp; And the killing of innocent babies who are\nstill in the womb is called \u201c______ rights\u201d (women\u2019s). And the child that is\naborted is called a __________ (fetus as opposed to human).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>They become convinced of how smart they are: \u201cWoe to\nthose who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight\u201d Isaiah 5:21,\nyet there end is destruction.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>They create evil heroes.&nbsp; \u201cWoe to those who are heroes at drinking wine\nand champions at mixing drinks&#8230;\u201d Isaiah 5:22.&nbsp;\nThe wicked try very hard to mock the righteous as being \u201cout of touch\u201d\nand \u201cholier than thou\u201d, while in the meantime they embrace drunken, immoral\nheroes.&nbsp; <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">What is wisdom (the\nability to know what is right and wrong) in dealing with the wicked?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>Galatians 6:7: \u201cDo not be deceived: God is not mocked.\nA man reaps what he sows.\u201d<\/li><li>Proverbs 24:19 warns us: \u201cDo not fret <em>or<\/em> be envious of the wicked\u201d<\/li><li>Proverbs 24:17-18: warns us \u201cDo not gloat and thereby\ndisplease God.\u201d<\/li><li>Job 31:29-30: warns us not to sin by cursing the life\nof another<\/li><li>Matthew 5:44: love your enemies by praying for them<\/li><li>Luke 9:54-56: align with God\u2019s spirit to seek &amp; save<\/li><li>2 Peter 1:5-6: maintain faith demonstrating Godliness\n(notice the progression)<\/li><li>Romans 12:14-21: bless persecutors, leaving pay back\nto God<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>Conclusion: Our reaction to evil doers is based on our\nquickened spirit (differentiating from those dead in sin) <em>and<\/em> our submission, alignment, with the Holy Spirit\u2019s work and\nministry.&nbsp; Of the eight points above, where\nam I am strong?&nbsp; Weak?&nbsp; Now you know how to pray.&nbsp; Blessings.<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Matthew 7:13-14: 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: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. At the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[526],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Matthew 7:13-14 \u2013 Dealing with the Wicked - Grace Evangelical Free Church<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Matthew 7:13-14 \u2013 Dealing with the Wicked - Grace Evangelical Free Church\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Matthew 7:13-14: 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: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 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