The second gate Jesus refers to has prerequisites and that gate should be the focus of those who truly understand what is at stake!
To review, there are two different gates for believers to enter the Kingdom. The first gate is at the entrance to the Kingdom from God—justification. The other gate is at the end of our walk of sanctification spoken of in Luke 13:24. It’s called the “Bema Seat Judgment.”
Jesus spoke in Luke chapter 13:
24 “Strive (G75) to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
25 When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’
26 then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’
27 But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’
28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.
In review, the word strive (Strong’s #75) means “to give diligence to, to be in hot pursuit of, to earnestly fight for, to struggle, to agonize, to wrestle, to contend with an adversary and to put forth every effort (for a prize).” Striving for passage through that second gate means straining every muscle of our body, casting aside every weight and pressing toward the mark of the high calling of God.
Self-denial is an absolute prerequisite for entrance to this second gate. There must be a true submission to Jesus Christ and a renunciation of self in all things. Unfortunately, there is no middle road. We are either on one side of that gate or the other side. Justification is easy because Jesus did it all for us—there is no striving or agonizing on our part; but sanctification is very difficult, because we are the ones who must continually strive and even agonize to make the appropriate faith choices.
Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Hebrews chapter 3:
13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end
Why would Paul urge us to exhort each other daily if there were only one gate? He understood the benefits of entering through the second gate as well.
Paul also wrote by The Holy Spirit in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5:
9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment (Bema) Seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
In his letter of correction to the Corinthian church (and applicable to you and me), Paul writes by The Holy Spirit in 1st Corinthians chapter 3:
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.
14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
Paul clarified the two aspects of our future: the gift of justification (aka the first gate), and the assessment of our works that determines entrance and rewards associated with the second gate. Now is the time to produce works that will last!