In the time of Noah salvation was very restricted - only eight people out of the whole world! This was after 120 years of Noah's preaching! Everyone heard the message but only his own family responded to it, then the door of the ark was shut.

1 Peter 3:20 HCSB who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah while an ark was being prepared; in it, a few--that is, eight people--were saved through water.

Just how many people are saved is up to God, but everyone should continue to press on into salvation and take their spiritual life as something of the utmost seriousness.

Two Ways

There are higher" and lower" ways of viewing the same reality. Some people when given a gift see the love and thoughtfulness, while others just work out how much it cost the giver and simply see it in monetary terms. Or on visiting a forest some stop and sense the beauty, while others trample noisily and heedlessly around oblivious to the speech of Nature. Or in reading a book some try and find the deeper meaning and learn from it, while others just want to get through it and write the term paper. Take a bunch of teenagers to an art show and a few will stop and ponder, while many others will simply point and giggle. One of the ways the Bible describes these higher and lower natures is as spirit and flesh.

Romans 8:5-7 HCSB For those whose lives are according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those whose lives are according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit. (6) For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace. (7) For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God's law, for it is unable to do so.

This higher way of thinking is the "mind set on the Spirit" and is equivalent to the mind set on things above.

Philippians 4:8 MKJV Finally, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think on these things.

Colossians 3:1-3 MKJV If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. (2) Be mindful of things above, not on things on the earth. (3) For you died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God.

Isaiah 32:8 HCSB But a noble person plans noble things; he stands up for noble causes.

The Christian is called to higher ground, to a noble way of thinking. We are to think about lovely, good, high-minded things and to set aside the vulgar, trashy, fleshly and selfish thoughts so common to our age. We have to start thinking differently, following the Spirit and thinking our own deep inner thoughts, hearing the tune of a different drummer".

If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. (Henry David Thoreau, Walden, Conclusion, 1854)"

The mind set on the flesh is death. The lower way of thinking leads to loss of impulse control, addictions, and many frustrations in life. The mind becomes filled with the psychological equivalent of rotting garbage and stinking thinking" develops. Sin is never fully resisted or transcended. Instead it is often pondered, and even indulged. Gradually the soul becomes darkened and deadened to all that is higher in life - including God.

The mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. The higher and better way of viewing life leads to the ability to function properly in life, to achieve goals, to react rightly to life's problems and to master numerous skills with grace and wisdom. Sin is resisted and uprooted and transcended by walking in the Spirit. This is not necessarily a very religious life, full of church services. Rather it is a noble life full of quiet and good thoughts and actions.

A rough analogy would be the contrast between fine classical music and punk rock. Fine classical music leaves me feeling peaceful and mentally alive, full of good thoughts. Punk rock is full of violence and anger and sin and leads to rage and to suicide. (I am not saying you have to like classical music to be a good Christian.) These are illustrations of ways of thinking - higher and lower.

Now the mind set on the Spirit mediates on Scripture, sees beauty in nature, prays often, thinks on Christ, and looks for beauty and truth in all things. The mind set on the flesh is only interested in gratification of one kind of another - from sexual gratification, to revenge.

So the mind set on the Spirit puts aside the clamor for instant gratification and goes on a quest for God, for beauty and for truth of all kinds - whether it be cultural, historical, scientific or theological. The mind set on the Spirit is saturated with reverence and awe and lives in the constant joy of the surprises of God.

Hebrews 12:28-29 HCSB Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe; (29) for our God is a consuming fire.

The spiritual mindset judges all things spiritually and is able to understand Scripture and view life with purity and grace.

1 Corinthians 2:12-16 HCSB (12) Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, in order to know what has been freely given to us by God. (13) We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. (14) But the natural man does not welcome what comes from God's Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to know it since it is evaluated spiritually. (15) The spiritual person, however, can evaluate everything, yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone. (16) For: who has known the Lord's mind, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

James 3:17-18 HCSB But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without favoritism and hypocrisy. (18) And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Paul seems to have had a real pastoral problem with lower thinking" people on Crete and characterized their inhabitants as being liars, evil beasts and lazy gluttons. When he sent Titus there he said:

Titus 1:15-16 HCSB To the pure, everything is pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; in fact, both their mind and conscience are defiled. (16) They profess to know God, but they deny Him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, and disqualified for any good work.

So we see that the lower nature, and the lower way of thinking, makes people unfit for doing God's will. For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God's law, for it is unable to do so."

Indulging sin, coarseness, vulgarity and fleshly appetites is not harmless. It subverts our whole being as Christians and makes us useless to God. The broad way, the way of the flesh and the vulgar crowd, leads to destruction. It leads to us becoming slaves of our sins and our impulses and reduces life to a continual craving for this or that. When Jesus says broad is the way that leads to destruction" he is speaking as one who knew human nature better than anyone else. Being self-destructive is the easiest thing in the world. There is nothing easier than drunkenness, gambling, and sexual immorality. There is nothing easier than being a fool, you do not have to pass any tough exams for that! There is nothing easier than being proud, arrogant, boorish and opinionated. And there is nothing easier than throwing tempter tantrums and hitting people and engaging in acts of reckless violence. And there is nothing easier than blaming others for your own mess. Stupid, self-destructive living is so popular because it is easy.

Discovering The Narrow Gate

The easiest way to discover the Narrow Gate is to head towards Christ and away from the world. For instance:

1. To be thankful when everyone else is grumbling.

2. To be pure when everyone else is impure.

3. To be full of praise when everyone else is cynical.

4. To be generous when everyone else is being selfish and stingy.

5. To be kind when everyone else is competitive.

6. To be humble when everyone else is being assertive and arrogant and ambitious

7. To be gracious when everyone else is being rude.

8. To be at Church when everyone else is out shopping or at the beach.

9. To build unity when everyone else is forming cliques.

10. To reach out in love when everyone else is being angry and hurtful.

Broad is the road that leads to death,
And thousands walk together there;
But wisdom shows a narrower path
With here and there a traveler.

The Narrow Gate has to be discovered, for it is not at all obvious. In fact the natural man is unable to see it at all. The natural man thinks it is folly to be Christ-like and madness to give away money and pleasure and the approval of men for something as intangible as spiritual growth. The Narrow Gate appears before us the moment we make our own spiritual growth a priority and when we decide that the pursuit of truth must come before the pursuit of pleasure. When the angels observe us getting real, about getting hold of God, then wonderful things happen.

The Narrow Gate Leads to Blessing

A small gate can lead to a vast treasure - like that of Tutankhamen's' tomb. And the Narrow Gate leads to eternal life and enormous blessings that far outweigh anything that the world can give us. Jesus tells us that it is a gate that leads to life: Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.