THE FAMILY ALTAR

October 19.

"Then said one unto Him, Lord, are there few that be saved?

And He said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for

many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able."

Luke 13:23-24.

All kinds of questions were put to our Lord, and He answered

them. But never did He simply gratify the idle curiosity that often

prompted these questions. He is come to seek and to save that

which was lost. In His answers He always aims at the heart,

seeking to arouse the conscience and to bring man to saving re-

pentance and faith. * So here. If few or many be saved — that is

not our concern, but God's. Let Him look after that. Our chief

concern must be that we ourselves are saved, and for that reason

we must strive to enter in at the strait gate, the only gate that

leads to heaven, which is none other than enduring faith in our

Lord Jesus Christ. Let us note this answer of our Lord and follow

His wise example when curious, even malicious people ask us all

kinds of perplexing questions in order to shake us in our faith.

We often hear such questions as these raised: "What did God do

before He made the world ? Why doesn't God kill the devil ? What

kind of place is heaven anyway?" and so forth. Let us say to

such a questioner: "Friend, if you really care for an answer to

your question, then you had best concern yourself about the most

important of all questions : What must I do to be saved ? If you

have found the answer to that question, — and you can find it

without much trouble in the Gospel of Christ, — then you will

learn the answer to all these questions one day. God Himself will

answer them for you. He knows more about them than I do, and

so I must refer you to Him." That may not satisfy the curious

questioner, but it will shut his mouth. We have neither the duty

nor the right to answer questions for which God has not furnished

us the answer in His Word.

Word of the ever-living God,

Will of His glorious Son;

Without Thee how could earth be trod,

Or heaven itself be won?

Lord, grant us all aright to learn

The wisdom it imparts,

And to its heavenly teaching turn

With simple, childlike hearts.