The Breadth of Christianity
“An entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly.”^ I Peter i. 2.
Why an entrance “abundantly “? Are there any degrees between getting in and being shut out? Yes, many. A man may have a foot in Doth worlds: he may be half in and half out; no one would call this an “abundant” entrance. Or a man might get through the gate with bruises; he might enter into the kingdom halt and maim. Or yet agam, a man might be saved “so as by fire “; he might owe his life to leaving everything behind and beginning the new world as a pauper. All these have one thing in common; they each imply an entrance into the kingdom with a mutilated nature. Now, with every kingdom but that of Christ, this is actually the mode of entrance. There is no other instance known to me of “an entrance ministered abundantly.” Does the Indian get an abundant entrance? No; he gets into the life of God by losing his individuality. Does the Egyptian get an abundant entrance?
No; he is fettered by the spot where his body hes. Does the Greek get an abundant entrance? No; he gives up his waking for a dream. Does the Mohammedan get an abundant entrance? No; there is only room in his paradise for the outer man. Does the Platonist get an abundant entrance? No; the inner man alone can enter there; there is no place for a child’s toys. But in Christ’s kingdom there is no mutilation. Death has no dominion over it. To reach it we do not even wait for death; its gate is here. When I enter that gate, I drop nothing; the whole man goes in — body, soul and spirit, without blemish and without blame. That is what I understand by the words, ‘’Ye are complete in Him.’’ By no other gate shall you enter complete. You are not complete in Plato, complete in Mohammed, complete in Buddha; you cannot enter their gates with praise, for you come in the poorer. But you are complete in Christ. He is the one Master that mutilates not, the one Master that gives an abundant entrance. He has a mission for every side of your nature — eye and ear, mind and brain, heart and soul. He has the crystal river and the new song and the unsealed mystery and the saintly communion and the endless activity and the ceaseless rest and the kingly power and the ministrant
life. For what instinct of my nature has He not prepared a room!
Lord, I often speak of my “spiritual concerns.” I speak as if a part of me were about to enter Thy kingdom and the other part were to be left behind. When I so think, I forget the abundance of Thine entrance. Teach me that every side of my being is a spiritual concern! Teach me that every gate may be the gate of entrance into Thy temple — the gate called Beautiful! Let my wealth be the Beautiful Gate — may I spend for the hungry! Let my health be the Beautiful Gate — may I work for the toiling! Let my manner be the Beautiful Gate — may I be gracious to the lowly! Let my voice be the Beautiful Gate — may I sing for the weary! Let my learning be the Beautiful Gate — may I grow humbler as I climb! Let my sight be the Beautiful Gate — in the glow may I see Thy glory! Let my hearing be the Beautiful Gate — in the wind may I catch Thy whisper! Let my heart be the Beautiful Gate — in the power of pity may I read Thy purpose! Let my pain itself be the Beautiful Gate — in sorrow may I trace the secret of human brotherhood! So shall heaven open by a hundred doors.