At the Gate

"Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night...." (Isaiah 60:11) "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city." (Revelation 22:14) "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture." John 14:6)

The Word of God begins with a gate closing on Adam and Eve. Imagine their hopelessness! But in Revelation 22:14 we have the glorious idea of entering the gate into the Everlasting City, and this gate will always stand open for us. In Isaiah we are told that "He will be. . .a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate." Isaiah 28:6. What is our battle at the gate of life but to "get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every kind of malice," (Ephesians 4:31), all the evil works of the flesh, and go on to develop the fruits of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22,22). Jesus died outside the gate as the worst of criminals that we could enter through the gate: "And Jesus also suffered outside the city [gate] to make the people holy through his own blood." Hebrews 13:12. Jesus became the gate so that we who enter will be saved. This will be our theme of gratitude for eternity! "So let us go out to him beyond the city walls [that is, outside the interests of this world, being willing to be despised] to suffer with him there, bearing his shame." Hebrews 13:13 TLB. We must be willing to bear the cross and the crown of thorns if we would share the crown of life with Him: "Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life." Patricia Erwin Nordman