THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: - Vital Christianity

75work. They shall be in Christ’s immediate presence with all the angels and saints in the kingdomof heaven where sorrow, sin, death, the world and the devil shall be eternally shut out. ThenGod’s saints shall see at last that"To him that sows righteousness there is a sure reward" (Pr 11:18).We see, finally, in these verses a heart-searching prophecy delivered. Our Lord tells usthat in the day of His second coming that many will seek to enter in at the narrow door, and shallnot be able. They will knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us, but will find noadmission. They will even plead earnestly that they associated with Christ and heard Histeachings, but their plea will fall on deaf ears. Instead they will receive the solemn answer thatHe doesn't know them. Religious profession and formal knowledge of Christ will save none whohave served sin and the world.There is something peculiarly striking in our Lord's language in this prophecy. It revealsto us the dreadful fact that people will see the truth when it is too late for them to be saved.There is a time coming when many will repent too late, believe too late, sorrow for sin too late,begin to pray too late, be anxious about salvation too late and long for heaven too late. Scores ofpeople will wake up in another world and be convinced of truths which on earth they refused tobelieve.Hell is truth known too late!THE BIG SURPRISE (13:30)Jesus also points out that there will be surprises in the kingdom of God. He put it:“There are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last” (v. 30).Those who are very prominent in this world may have to be very humble in the next,whereas those whom no one notices here may be princes in the world to come.William Barclay shares the following story:“There is a story of a woman who had been used to every luxury and to allrespect. She died, and when she arrived in heaven, an angel was sent toconduct her to her house. They passed many a lovely mansion and thewoman thought that each one, as they came to it, must be the one allotted