"The Narrow Door"

"For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." (Hebrews 12:17 KJV)

  "Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem. Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few be saved?" He replied, "Work hard to enter the narrow door to God's Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Lord, open the door for us!' But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' Then you will say, 'But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' And he will reply, 'I tell you, I don't know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.'"" (Luke 13:22-27 NLT)

 There are some things that are hard to understand, when it comes to repentance and forgiveness; the most important thing we sometimes neglect, is the part where we must for forgive, or else we cannot receive the forgiveness we think that we have! If you know the story of Jacob and Esau's birthright and blessing, then you should know how Esau pled for the blessing that Jacob had taken; yet he also had in his heart the desire to kill his brother Jacob, as soon as his father had died.  

 That might not seem like it was the same thing, as most of us really aren't planning to kill; but the real important thing we must understand, is hate, is pretty much the same...

""You have heard that our ancestors were told, 'You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment,' But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell."" (Matthew 5:21-22 NLT)