“Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Luke 13:23-29 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/luk.13.23-29.NIV

These are some of the most concerning words of God recorded in all of Scripture. God is asked directly if most people will go to heaven or live forever with God in His eternal kingdom. God answers negatively. This is not the messaging we hear in the media or from most churches. God warns us that our works prove our faith, and when our works do not prove our faith, we will stand condemned before Him for lack of faith, for He will not recognize us as His. Make every effort God says to enter the kingdom. We cannot become perfect, which is the necessary requirement for entering God’s kingdom. The perfect life of Jesus alone, appropriated to us through His resurrection, by faith, paid for our failure to live perfectly at His crucifixion, can save us. Our faith in Jesus alone is proven by our love for God, as evidenced by our obedience to God. If you love Me, God in Jesus said, you will obey My commands. Jesus warns that going to Church and receiving communion doesn’t make us the people of God. Believing in Jesus doesn’t make us the people of God, He further warns. Obedience to Jesus demonstrates our love for Jesus, which proves our relationship to Jesus, demonstrating we are the children of God. The great evil we do today is to ignore the word of God by failing to do the work of God. God’s work, the building of His kingdom upon earth as it is in heaven, is not getting done by those who attend Church. The world exhibits more ignorance and rebellion against God, the evidence of the Church not doing its job proving that most in the Church do not love God most because they are not doing His work first. We must make every effort to enter the kingdom of God by focusing first and foremost on loving God and doing His will. This is the only true response to His work done for us at the cross to reconcile us to God for living with Him forever.