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The Pressing Way

enter through the narrow gate because wide is the gate and easy the way leading to destruction and many are entering through it. How very narrow the gate and pressing the way leading to Life and few exist who find it!*

What path are you on? Is your life easy? Many have entered the wide gate, it is the easy way but this way leads to destruction. For those who are lost, it is easy, the devil doesn't have to spend much time on them, their path is to destruction. It is the ones searching or going the pressing way that he seeks  most to destroy. The gate is narrow to enter, like a camel literally entering the eye of a needle, who then can enter? with man this gate is impossible to enter but with God all are able.* There is a way, with a narrow gate and a way that is pressing.

unless one is born of water and Spirit, not coming into the kingdom of God, that born of flesh is flesh, and that born of the Spirit exists spirit.*

What does it mean to enter, come into the kingdom of God? What does it mean to come into through the narrow gate? The word for come into, enter is εἰσέρχομαι (eiserchomai) from eis "into" and erchomai "to come, go." It is often translated as enter meaning to come; to come from one place into another; to come into being, arise, come forth; come into existence. What place are we to enter, come into? Into the kingdom of God. How does one come into this place, the kingdom of God? Jesus said  one must be born into the kingdom of God through the Spirit. Those under the old covenant were held under a guardian until Christ, whom gives the ability to be born of the Spirit, these come into the kingdom of God, who believe in His name not born of blood, from fleshly will but of God.* We enter through being born of the Spirit and Jesus gives us this ability. Paul writes it is when we hear the word of truth, Jesus is the truth, the gospel of our salvation and believe we are marked by the Spirit.*

I exist the entrance, if anyone enters through me, saved, and comes in and comes from and finds pasture.*

How does one enter the narrow gate? Jesus is the door or entrance. Here the word entrance is θύρα (thura). Jesus said he was the door or entrance of the sheep.* This entrance way was created by God, and only the good shepherd, Jesus, could enter to the sheep. Anyone else would have to climb over. Jesus is the Way, no one can come to the Father but through Him.* If these things are true then Jesus is the only way to enter and the old covenant doesn't exist a way around Jesus. The word pasture speaks more of sheep being distributed, of belonging, the sheep hear and follow the voice of the good Shepherd. We understand what it means to enter or come into, εἰσέρχομαι (eiserchomai) but we also see the concept of coming from, ἐξέρχομαι (exerchomai) from ek "from" and erchomai "to come, go." We enter the kingdom of God but more we come from, we belong, we share in maturity. The kingdom of God is about sheep entering and coming from. Jesus used maturity of sheep when asking Peter if he loved Him.* If you love me take care of the young lambs until they become mature sheep.

How very narrow the gate and pressing the way leading to Life and few exist those finding it!*

We have seen what it means that the gate is narrow to enter the kingdom of God and wide and easy is the path to destruction. The wide way is easy, many find this way. The pressing way is difficult, few are there who find it. The way leading to Life has a gate that is narrow and a way that is pressing. The word for pressing, θλίβω (thlibō) is often translated as narrow, with a root word meaning to press, afflict. It is used to mean make narrow (strictly: by pressure); I press upon, (b) I persecute, press hard. This is the narrow gate and way, a way of pressure, affliction. If few find this way of difficulty and affliction and the majority of American Christians have an easy life, which can be called blessings, then what does this say? Make the gate easy to enter and the way about tithing and serving and as long as you do as they say, not questioning their fruit nor authority then it is an easy way for many. And why do these make it an easy way? The Christian life is about blessings, but heavenly ones, not a life of earthly ease, this is not what we read of the early church and disciples, just read what Paul writes.

pressed in all ways but not crowded into a narrow place. Perplexed but not utterly despaired. Pursued but not forsaken. Cast down but not utterly destroyed. At all times bearing in the body the dying of Jesus so that the life of Jesus manifested in our bodies.*

To be pressed in this way, not an easy way. Paul writes, that the living are handed over constantly to death through Jesus so that the life of Jesus be manifested in the mortal flesh, thus death is at work in us, that now, life exists in you.* One must first participate in His death to also participate in His Life. What life is Paul speaking of? an easy life here on earth? painless, without affliction, without persecution, without trials and tribulations? No, that speaks of a heavenly life. The life Paul was called to was not an easy life on earth based upon outward circumstances, he was pressed, perplexed, pursued, and cast down... but in the pressing he was knowing Christ, experiencing life. I believe he had the gift of the knowledge and like others who have this it requires much pressing. But this is what Paul means when he says he counts all rubbish to know Christ. To know Him, the power of His resurrection, the fellowship in His sufferings, to be formed to His death so also to know His life. This is the pressing way, leading to Life. A Life not based upon circumstances, on this decaying earth, but an inward life in knowing Christ that comes through being pressed, formed to His image. The pressing produces one firmly established and though the storms rage around him, he will not be shaken. There is eternal life of the Spirit and there is a salvation of our souls, a preserving of the soul, Peter calls it, the goal of our faith, and one day we will receive redemption of our decaying, corrupt  bodies.

whether pressed, for your comfort and salvation. Whether called beside, for your comfort so you are energized in enduring the same sufferings like as we also suffer.*

There is a purpose in the pressing. James writes the proving produces endurance and the intended work of endurance is maturity, wholeness. This is the pressing of transformation, it is consecration, which outcome is Life. The maturity produces fruit of righteousness, but also of Life as the Spirit is Life through righteousness. We can become discouraged, viewing the circumstances, why is this happening to me God, why is there opposition against me or we can set our eyes on Jesus who endured opposition from sinners for doing no wrong, he endured suffering, learning obedience through suffering, entrusting himself to God, consecrated in truth. During the pressing set our eyes on Jesus, looking not to what can be seen, the circumstances, but to that which can not be seen, the things of faith we can hold on to. May we find hope and comfort in Him.

for our momentary lightness of pressure is producing in us an eternal weight of glory, accordingly far beyond, far beyond that measured.*

The gate is narrow to enter, yes, and once entering, the way is difficult, not easy but pressing on all sides. Some make entering easy and say once you do enter the way is easy, but this is not so. This life is not ours, this world is not our home. We have been chosen to enter the narrow gate, to come into existence in the kingdom of God, predestined not to take the wide and easy way but the way that is pressing on all sides. We are being pressed, refined, formed into the image of Jesus. This is as prophesied of, Jesus would come as a refiners fire. May we be like Paul and others who count it all joy to be pressed on all sides, because we know it is for our good, that we share in His holy character. So let us comfort and encourage one another in this pressing way, so that we endure and become mature in knowledge of the Son, knowing that our brothers are enduring the same sufferings all over the world as they too are being formed into the image of Jesus. What transient and lightness is the pressing compared to that producing in us an eternal weight of glory.

My Hope



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