How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life ...
My dad used to use that term when speaking about his buddies who would maybe 'go on the wagon' - stop drinking - or just managed to stay out of jail. He'd say, "last I heard he's still on the 'straight and narrow' ..." It was usually only a temporary respite - and they all seemed to feel better when someone 'fell off the wagon'. Misery loves company - especially when you're drinking.
I don't think he realized he was quoting Scripture when he said that (Matt. 7:14). It pretty much meant that 'fun Bobby' wasn't fun any longer. Unless you could get him off the wagon.
My dad and his buddies didn't like it when someone left them for the straight and narrow...
"For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many." - Matt. 7:13Straight and narrow.
Straight.
Narrow.
What?
“When you intend to commit sin, who, I ask, promises you mercy from God? Certainly God does not promise it. It is the devil that promises it, that you may lose God and be damned. “Beware”, says St. John Chrysostom, “never to attend to that dog who promises the mercy of God.” If, beloved sinners, you have hitherto offended God, hope and tremble: if you desire to give up sin, and if you detest it, hope; because God promises pardon to all who repent of the evil they have done. But if you intend to continue in your sinful course, tremble lest God should wait no longer for you, but cast you into hell. Why does God wait for sinners? Is it that they may continue to insult Him? No; He waits for them that they may renounce sin, and that He may thus have pity on them, and forgive them. “Therefore the Lord waiteth, that He may have mercy on you” -Isaiah 30:18. But when He sees that the time which he gave them to weep over their past iniquities is spent in multiplying their sins, He begins to inflict chastisement, and He cuts them off in the state of sin, that, by dying, they may cease to offend Him. Then He calls against them the very time He had given them for repentance. “He hath called against me the time” -Lamentations 1:15. “The very time”, says St. Gregory, “comes to judge.” - St. Alphonsus Ligouri
“When you intend to commit sin, who, I ask, promises you mercy from God? Certainly God does not promise it. It is the devil that promises it"
ReplyDeleteTerry,
So many times, over and over, I fell for this one great lie. Even today I struggle but I am learning to trust and am learning to wait on the Lord because one day when I came close to falling, I remembered something that I know came from the Holy Spirit;
" Remember, I delivered you from this one sin and set you free, if you can remember that I can do all things, I will set you free again. Trust me.to deliver you again."
I hang tight now and hope in that consolation that our gracious Lord gave me and I pray never to bank on His mercy again.
Thank you for this reminder.
May we all live to see Heaven!
isn't that quote great? I found it on a blog that wouldn't want me to link to it.
DeleteGood reminder. We must not forget to repent and amend our ways.
ReplyDelete