striving to enter narrow door...

[Mr King]

Luke 13:24- “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

John 10:1- "Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn't enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

These two verses scares me and gets me doubting about my salvation. I'm still struggling with addiction of smoking and fear that even though I believe in Jesus Christ who is my Lord and Savior but haven't quit smoking and fear that I have not entered the narrow door. The word strive is make every effort, struggle, or fight vigorously and agonize which is to suffer too. Striving is to writhe with agony; to suffer violent anguish. To suffer agony, to subject to extreme pain. So all this is striving to enter the narrow door.

I've suffered a severe mental illness that I battled for over a decade and believe all that was done to bring me to Christ(long story). But I fear of failing to strive enough to enter the narrow door and Jesus is the narrow door. How do I know if I already entered the narrow door and not climb up some other way like a thief and a robber? I know that Jesus is the only way to the Father and heaven for He is the way, the truth, and the life, no one can come to the Father except through Jesus Christ. But I'm such a wretched sinner, I still sin and still selfish and fear that I have not nor do not repent wholeheartedly from ALL sins for my flesh and selfishness and sins in me doesn't want to repent and at the same time I want to repent and feel afraid and doubting and fearful not knowing if I'm saved or not. If I don't quit smoking or put to death the sinful desires of the flesh I fear I may go to hell. God help me....

It's HARD to put to death the sinful desires of the flesh, to deny self and take up your cross daily and follow Jesus for this is a lifelong commitment. So I don't feel secured in Jesus or saved nor have rest in Him. I'm scared. I have a thought like what if I repented number 1 through 9 but failed to repent on number 10 therefore condemned...

I have OCD, just in case you want to know but that doesn't matter for I am not going to blame ocd but myself.

[Aristarkos]

Re: striving to enter narrow door...

Luke 13:24- “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

John 10:1- "Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn't enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

These two verses scares me and gets me doubting about my salvation. I'm still struggling with addiction of smoking and fear that even though I believe in Jesus Christ who is my Lord and Savior but haven't quit smoking and fear that I have not entered the narrow door. The word strive is make every effort, struggle, or fight vigorously and agonize which is to suffer too. Striving is to writhe with agony; to suffer violent anguish. To suffer agony, to subject to extreme pain. So all this is striving to enter the narrow door.

I've suffered a severe mental illness that I battled for over a decade and believe all that was done to bring me to Christ(long story). But I fear of failing to strive enough to enter the narrow door and Jesus is the narrow door. How do I know if I already entered the narrow door and not climb up some other way like a thief and a robber? I know that Jesus is the only way to the Father and heaven for He is the way, the truth, and the life, no one can come to the Father except through Jesus Christ. But I'm such a wretched sinner, I still sin and still selfish and fear that I have not nor do not repent wholeheartedly from ALL sins for my flesh and selfishness and sins in me doesn't want to repent and at the same time I want to repent and feel afraid and doubting and fearful not knowing if I'm saved or not. If I don't quit smoking or put to death the sinful desires of the flesh I fear I may go to hell. God help me....

It's HARD to put to death the sinful desires of the flesh, to deny self and take up your cross daily and follow Jesus for this is a lifelong commitment. So I don't feel secured in Jesus or saved nor have rest in Him. I'm scared. I have a thought like what if I repented number 1 through 9 but failed to repent on number 10 therefore condemned...

I have OCD, just in case you want to know but that doesn't matter for I am not going to blame ocd but myself.

Perhaps you are too concerned with you carnal addictions and should just let it go and concentrate on your spiritual development. Don't punish yourself so much with you mental problems, did you choose them? I don't think so, therefore if you have ocd, well ocd away but make sure you keep the faith, study scripture believe with your whole heart in Christ Jesus our Lord. Then maybe the Lord finds a use for you with your particular trades.

There is no fear in faith, faith gives us certainty. Don't worry to much about the narrow door, you will fit through just fine, just keep your faith.

Aristarkos

[Saved7]

Re: striving to enter narrow door...

Sounds like you are struggling with grace versus works. That was my problem too. I only recently came to understand grace is just that...GRACE. You can't earn salvation any more than you can unearn it.
You can have something in your life that is hindering your FELLOWSHIP with God, but if you have been saved, you are saved. Done deal. The question isn't whether or not you're saved, but just how closely do you want to walk with Jesus? The closer you are to him, the more peace you'll have and the less gunk you'll have in your life. Whether it's a sin issue or mental issue or any other. Jesus heals and sets us free from all things. But if you aren't walking closely to him you can't hear him when he speaks "be free".

[Mr King]

Re: striving to enter narrow door...

Thank you so much for your helpful and encouraging replies. There are times I get discouraged and start to doubt and don't want to be deceived but we all go through that and that is part of the christian life for all of us. I just needed a reminder and reassurance that I am saved and I do want to walk in fellowship with God and ocd seeks perfection or be critical on failure beating me down into depression and feeling restless and doubting. Like I said, I want to walk and have fellowship with God in Christ Jesus.

From the bible; to walk in fellowship[perfect union] with Christ, reflect His character in all you do and say, being rooted deeply in love and found secured in love, and built up in Him and established in the faith, Pray that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, walking in a manner worthy of the Lord fully pleasing Him, bearing fruit for every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, may you be strengthened with all power according to His glorious might for all perseverance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share an inheritance with the saints in light. God bless you all and may He bless you in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, and He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love, He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ for the purpose and good pleasure of His will. May you comprehend with all the saints what is the width, length, depth and height to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. I can go on and on but I'll stop there lol. Again thank you so much for your help! I needed that.

[Saved7]

Re: striving to enter narrow door...

It's fantastic that you know those verses so well! I often pray those verses over others as well as for myself.

And remember, the devil is a liar and all those doubts are straight from the lies you believe about God. Jesus said "I am the TRUTH...I am with you ALWAYS" AND His word also tells us He will NEVER leave you nor forsake you.
Jesus tells the truth and he does not lie.

[Mr King]

Re: striving to enter narrow door...

Thank you Saved7, there are times when I go through feeling troubled and don't know if it's ocd or the devil or if it's the Spirit's warning and I get confused. OCD tries to stir up within me mental and emotional disturbance and anxiety and to not think rationally. I just have to keep pushing on and keep praying that I have been given the Spirit of power, of love, and a sound mind. There is no fear in love but perfect loves casts out fear, to not get caught up in a mental trap but have a sound mind and let the mind of Christ be in me, to keep praying for Christ to guard my heart and mind in Him and let the peace of Christ rule in my heart and the word of Christ to dwell in me richly.

[Saved7]

Re: striving to enter narrow door...

Amen. Just keep taking every thought captive and bringing it into obedience to the knowledge of Christ. Then your mind will be stilled and your heart will know the peace of God. And remember, God is not the author of confusion.

[Mr King]

Re: striving to enter narrow door...

Thank you for your help Saved7, I still struggle, (we all do) like yesterday, I felt and experienced falling down into despondency, ocd is hard to deal with and there is this verse: Proverbs 15:15- All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances]. When I fall into this state I feel very anxious and foreboding, and end up being afraid of God fearing He's angry with me. It's hard to be of good cheer and having a glad heart for I failed miserably so many times. I just have to pray and practice having a glad heart and contentment in Him and in need of His strength to persevere and be patience with joy and be thankful to Him and with His help to get through these storms.

[Saved7]

Re: striving to enter narrow door...

It sounds like you fear something....like God is just waiting for an opportunity to destroy you.
Fear is a liar, brother.

[obeyJesus]

Re: striving to enter narrow door...

Jesus told me i will go to heaven because i will follow Him until the end. Brother you need to ask Jesus if you will go to heaven. I once asked Jesus something like...Lord what must i do to go to heaven. (Luke 6:46) He told me to obey Him. He said obey My teachings and obey Me (John 10:27), do everything I tell you and you will live. He told me i must stay with Him and obey Him until the end.
You need to obey His teachings and He promised He will reveal Himself to you then. (John 14:21) And seek Him. Everyday, ask Him to reveal His voice to you (John 10:27).
He wants to reveal things personaly to you, He wants to teach and guide you. (John 16:13, John 14:26) And you need to stop willfully sinning. I stopped willfully sinning. Just cry out to Jesus until He sets you free from sin. (Hebrews 10:26-27)
Type "how to hear Jesus voice" in youtube, you will find brothers who hear His voice and follow Him. I hear His voice and i follow Him.
If you have any questions ill do my best to help. Go to Jesus friend. Jesus bless you.

[Mr King]

Re: striving to enter narrow door...

I've lived with fear for a long time and it feels natural as breathing. I'll say this like I mentioned at first post on my mental illness; 9th grade high school I believed in God and Jesus and spoke to my cousin about him and he scoffed saying there is no God. I was horrified and couldn't believe that he didn't believe. He told me he believed in science. Well, I was very biblical illiterate and as time went by he taught me a lot about science and I was like wow, I never saw it that way then ended up believing what he believed and walked away from God. Then I was struck with severe mental illness when my cousin said about God that it's all in the brain. With ocd this statement shocked me and flipped my life upside down and felt like a waterfall of torment and fear pouring into me nonstop everyday 7 days a week for over a decade and ocd took control of me and that it was up to my mind to do rituals(counting numbers or doing and saying certain words over and over) ocd things or else something bad will happen to others and that my mind made bad or good things happen and not God, but on the 7th year I came to Jesus and to truly believe in Him and seek Him for salvation. I believe the suffering was for my good because it brought me back to Jesus and I thank God for that. I take meds for anxiety and can still struggle with fear and doubts of failure(ocd is also known as a doubter's disease) because I have lived fearfully for so long. Please pray for me for courage and to change and repent and overcome fear obey God and His commandments in Christ Jesus.

[Mr King]

Re: striving to enter narrow door...

I hope my post isn't scaring anyone away from God for that is NOT my intention. I'm just stating my struggles.

[mailmandan]

Re: striving to enter narrow door...

It sounds like you fear something....like God is just waiting for an opportunity to destroy you.
Fear is a liar, brother.

Prior to my conversion, while still attending the RCC several years ago, I saw God as a tyrant who could not wait to punish me when ever I messed up. That is certainly an unhealthy fear!

I can see where the word strive can signify a great struggle against conflict. Of course, Christ was not suggesting that anyone could earn heaven by striving for it hard enough - “performance based works salvation." Entering through the narrow gate is nonetheless difficult because of it's cost in terms of human pride which prevents the sinner from coming to faith in Christ.

It's a struggle and an endeavor for sinner's to turn from their sinful lifestyles, stop trusting in works for salvation and take hold of Christ through faith.

[Marlin633]

Re: striving to enter narrow door...

I hope my post isn't scaring anyone away from God for that is NOT my intention. I'm just stating my struggles.

This was my problem as well, I had suffered mental illness nearly all my life.
About five years ago I had a choice to make, end my life to stop the pain or suffering or turn to God.
You see I believed the same as you, I new the bible and what I should be doing but didn't realize I was a slave to sin.

I was lucky God gave me a vision and showed me who I was, I thought that I was a good man he showed me who I was on the inside.
The church will tell you that if you go to church and allow Jesus into your life you will be saved, this is not the truth.

I was suffering from lust after the flesh, I had committed adultery not just physically but mentally over a long period of time.
You may think that you have not committed adultery but masturbation is wrong because you use your mind.

Mental illness is a disease of the mind, the bible is the key to repair it, you already know what you should do, STOP SINNING.
find the strength in your mind to beat Satan, he is the one that is lying to you, he wants to keep you, take you to the grave.

Jesus says to repent which means to understand what sins you have committed and beg for forgiveness.
Then you must work on denying yourself, stop them thoughts of lust entering, understand it is Satan you are doing battle with.

Listen to what Jesus says and do it it's the only way.

I used to think my life was s***, but after just a few weeks of consistently praying to god and asking jesus to stop my thoughts and give me strength to defeat him it felt like a brain cell was being put back in the right place.

I have been doing this for five years now and I thank God for not giving up on me, I no longer see life as s*** I see it as a beautiful earth, it's just the people in it that ruin

The only way I can describe the feeling of turning to God and giving up my sinful nature was going cold turkey of heroin or some powerful drug.
It hurts but you can do it, don't give Satan the chance for another soul, call on the Lord use all your strength of mind, he won't abandon you it will be only you that abandons hi.
I'm sorry if what I'm telling you is hard to hear but it's the truth.

But patience and small steps is the way forward.
Deal with the sins you know, smoking is not bad for the mind just the body, the other sins are far worse.

I still smoke and drink but my mind is so far from what I was before, my health and mind have improved.
And if you can do this the rewards are better than any drug or alcohol drink you will ever take.

I have sinned thousands of times and God forgave them and gave me my life back, it took a long time for me to forgive myself, but I'm still trying.
That's all you have to do.
I have lost so many to sin, belive Jesus when he says the path of sin is death and that's exactly what I felt the day I decided I must repent, i was so close days away not weeks or years.

Sin is the virus, Jesus is the cure, take steps now, Satan will be saying you have got time, you will keep trying to put your repentance of because Satan says that if you turn to God you will die, your life will be miserable it's all a lie to keep you with him.
Deny your thoughts rebuke your thoughts turn and trust in Jesus.
Do not worry
Do not fear
Do not give thought for what you shall eat or wear.
Do not give thought for your life
Meditate on these and why he says them, you can do it if I can and I was a worse sinner than most.

May God bless you on your path to the truth.

[DPMartin]

Re: striving to enter narrow door...

Luke 13:24- “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

John 10:1- "Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn't enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

These two verses scares me and gets me doubting about my salvation. I'm still struggling with addiction of smoking and fear that even though I believe in Jesus Christ who is my Lord and Savior but haven't quit smoking and fear that I have not entered the narrow door. The word strive is make every effort, struggle, or fight vigorously and agonize which is to suffer too. Striving is to writhe with agony; to suffer violent anguish. To suffer agony, to subject to extreme pain. So all this is striving to enter the narrow door.

I've suffered a severe mental illness that I battled for over a decade and believe all that was done to bring me to Christ(long story). But I fear of failing to strive enough to enter the narrow door and Jesus is the narrow door. How do I know if I already entered the narrow door and not climb up some other way like a thief and a robber? I know that Jesus is the only way to the Father and heaven for He is the way, the truth, and the life, no one can come to the Father except through Jesus Christ. But I'm such a wretched sinner, I still sin and still selfish and fear that I have not nor do not repent wholeheartedly from ALL sins for my flesh and selfishness and sins in me doesn't want to repent and at the same time I want to repent and feel afraid and doubting and fearful not knowing if I'm saved or not. If I don't quit smoking or put to death the sinful desires of the flesh I fear I may go to hell. God help me....

It's HARD to put to death the sinful desires of the flesh, to deny self and take up your cross daily and follow Jesus for this is a lifelong commitment. So I don't feel secured in Jesus or saved nor have rest in Him. I'm scared. I have a thought like what if I repented number 1 through 9 but failed to repent on number 10 therefore condemned...

I have OCD, just in case you want to know but that doesn't matter for I am not going to blame ocd but myself.

don't sweet the smoking, that's a social issue not an moral one.

mainly its not by your strength shall you over come, its by His Presence with you. you don't save yourself He saves you therefore by His power are you able. hence what you are experiencing its by Him to get through it, so is the door or the gate for Jesus is the Door the narrow gate.

any other way will fall short. so the same with your issues, any other way but Christ will fall short.

also God has seen everything and is aware of everything, to be honest with Him is a no worry.