Page 17 - The Gate and the Way

The church today is very willing to accept the life of Christ inside them as they are
born a second time of the Spirit of God, but they do not want to embrace the sufferings of
Christ. However, apart from sharing in Yahshua’s suffering, no man can be perfected. It is
those experiences that afflict our natural life that are the instruments the Father uses to
bring forth a spiritual creation within.

I Peter 5:10
After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His
eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

We enter into these experiences of suffering in the same way that Yahshua did. We
yield our lives to be directed by the Holy Spirit. This aspect of salvation is foreshadowed in
Yahweh’s instructions to Moses to command the people to eat the Passover meal “with your
loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand.” Those who become
partakers of the life of Christ, who are delivered from death into life, are to immediately be
ready to depart their old life and yield themselves to go wherever the Spirit of Christ would
lead them, and to do whatever Yahweh would ask of them.

Mark 8:34
“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and
follow Me.”

There is a tremendous consistency throughout the entire testimony of the Bible. Both
Old and New Testaments reveal the two-fold aspect of salvation. Salvation is established
through both faith and obedience. Not only must the Christian believe in the Son of God as
the “Savior,” he must also surrender to follow Him as “Lord.”

Luke 2:11
For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ
the Lord.

Although it is common among Christians today to speak of the Son of God as their
“Lord,” there are few who actually have embraced Yahshua as the Lord of their life. On that
day when we must all give an account, Yahweh will judge all men with impartiality. Those
who have surrendered their lives to live to do His will and pleasure will be afforded entrance
into His kingdom. Those who have lived life at the direction of their own soul, while paying
lip service to the lordship of Christ will be denied entrance into the kingdom.

Matthew 7:21
"Not everyone who says to Me, ‘LORD!,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he
who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

This aspect of entering into our inheritance in Christ was also very plainly
foreshadowed in the history and experiences of Israel. After partaking of the first Passover,
the entire nation of Israel departed Egypt. At that time Yahweh did a remarkable thing. He
gave them the pillar of fire and cloud to always dwell with them, and to serve as a guide in
their travels. The pillar of fire and cloud stand as a type and shadow of the Holy Spirit