Are There Few?

The concept of fewness is found all throughout the scriptures. 

We see it related most famously to the “broad and Narrow way” that Jesus spoke of, but it is not limited to only to that of salvation.

Few there were who feared God’s words and warning and entered into the ark at the time of the pouring out of God’s wrath on a God-forsaking world at the time before the flood.

Few there were found righteous in the lands of Sodom and Gomorrah before the fire and brimstone fell from heaven and devoured the people and the land. The ashes of which are to be shaken off the feet before modern day tourists enter their busses.

Few there were among God’s own people who heeded the warnings of the prophets before the Babylonians took them away, and NONE at all would listen to Jeremiahwarning to obey God and submit to the Babylonian King.

When Jesus came, many followed him, but few remained and all scattered when he was taken to be crucified.

Few were in the upper room when the Spirit of God fell upon them and the Church began, 

Few again who believed the Gospel, Fewer still who remained faithful to the end.

What is fascinating about all of this is that through the entirety of the Bible, it is The Few that God is pleased with. 

The FEW that end up being in the right, the FEW that hold to the truth, the FEW that are not deceived…. And the FEW that be saved!

It is the exact OPPOSITE of that which the world thinks is true, where majority opinion governs and might makes right. 

Jesus said;

“…WIDE is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat” (Mt 7:13 )

Pray

Are There Few That Be Saved?

Luke 13:23 –30

23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, 

24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 

Are there few that be saved?

Strive to enter in at the strait gate:

Clear impression we have is that there shall be less people saved than we like to think.

Long ago the disciples asked the Lord Jesus saying, “what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Mt 24:3), Jesus never did shy away from answering the question, and he did so with many clear and explicit descriptions, descriptions that all converge toward that one specific timeframe.

We have seen individual elements over the last two thousand years, but it is fair to say that today we are living in the Time of The Signs, so many things OBJECTIVELY converging toward that end the disciples spoke about.

Before that time comes the Bible teaches that Christians, true Christians, those who have personally believed in their heart that Jesus Christ died for their sins, are going to be “caught up“;

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:52  tells us what it will happen;

52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

This is that bizarre time that we refer to as the Rapture of the Church (a latin word that simply means “Caught Up“). 

If it were not in the Bible, we would all be right to think its nuts….but there it is, and not just there but in several places in the Bible, with several other historical examples.

The point is that for decades people have speculated that SO MANY PEOPLE are going to disappear that its going to disrupt the entire world system.

They have counted all the people who live in what is referred to as “Christian Countries” and ‘called themselves “Christians“. 

These include people baptised as babies, people who go to church, people who say they are Christian etc.

They look at the statistics and read Christians make up 2.63 billion people of the Earth and then claim this to be true. That is a lot of people, and yet Jesus claims the opposite is true.

When the question is asked, “are there few that be saved?“, again, Jesus answers; 24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

Beloved, the Bible plainly states that not all who call themselves Christians are Christians.

In a parallel passage in Matthew we see it presented clearly;

Matthew 7:13 –14

13 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.

Then down in verse 22 we read

Matthew 7:22 –23

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Christianity is not a nation of people who affiliate with a similar idea, a Christian is an individual who has personally trusted that Jesus died specifically for them and that their sins are washed away by his blood. 

Such are immediately “Born Again” according to Jesus words in John 3:3, not physically, but spiritually, they experience what is known as “the New Birth“.

They are given the Holy Spirit and something dramatically changes in them, they are different now. 

What they liked before, they now hate, and what they hated before they now loved….not necessarily Brussel Sprouts but….

True Christians have had a “changed heart” not a change of mind.

There are NOT MANY of these!

But there are MANY entering the broad way

Matthew 7:13

13 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: 

It is not because the way is difficult, eternal life is not difficult to attain, it is because there is ONLY one way to obtain it.

John 14:6

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Therefore there are indeed “few that be saved“

But there are also few who labor for the work…

Are There Few Who Labour?

Matthew 9:35 –38

35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

What if one of the reasons Few are Saved is also because The Labourers are few?

Mark 16:15 –16

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Romans 10:13 –15

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not hea