By: Mike Kelly
Retired Pastor
We continue in our series on the Sermon on the Mount found in Matt chapters 5-7. Today, we’re studying Matt 7:13-14, and it appears simple and easy to understand. “Enter through the narrow gate.
For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
But ask yourself this question: If God really wants to save everyone, why didn’t He make it easier to be saved? Why doesn’t He simply let everyone into heaven?
He had just told the people that if they wanted something, to simply ask (Matt 7:7) so it seems that everyone is invited but here’s the kicker, you have to follow the directions. It really is that easy, if you follow the directions.
When my grandparents were alive, they lived in southern Mo. in a very rural area. The next door neighbors were easily 1/2 mile away through the woods.
To go to their house, I had to make a turn off into their dirt drive, which was not marked, and which was 1/2 mile long through dense oak trees to their house.
Miss that drive and you could find yourself hopelessly lost and end up in Arkansas. They weren’t trying to keep me away, but I needed to be exact in my directions or I’d be lost.
Going to heaven is no different. We’ve got to follow the directions. The gate to heaven is “narrow” in the sense of having a particular road to turn on. Miss that way and you’re lost.
For entrance into that narrow road, faith in Jesus Christ is required. Salvation is found only in the Person of Jesus Christ; He is the only way (John 14:6).
Miss him and you miss out. It’s not that he doesn’t want you, it’s that the way is found only by following His directions.
The wide gate is easy to see and easy to follow. Our entire society is going that way. Just follow the crowd. You can go on your own efforts, but you won’t find that turn-off needed to get to Heaven. It’s hard to see when the crowd is kicking up a lot of dust and blinding you to the narrow way.
And truthfully, most of us prefer the wide road. It is well marked and looks a lot easier than that narrow road which comes with directions that include “self-sacrifice” (Matt 16:24) and “crucifying our flesh” (Galatians 2:20”), “patience” (James 1:2-3),” living by faith” (2Cor 5:7), and living a lifestyle totally out of sync with the world (Romans 12:1–2), etc..
When faced with the reality of denying ourselves to follow Jesus, most of us turn away and choose the easy way. Jesus never said His would be the easy way, He not only made it clear it would be the hard way but also, the only way.
God offers salvation to everyone who accepts it (John 1:12; 3:16-18; Romans 10:9; 1 John 2:2). But it is on His terms and His terms only.
It’s like missing that turn to my grandparents, I could drive forever but not find them unless I turned up their dirt, 2 track drive. We must come the way He has provided.
We cannot create our own set of directions. Jesus said he is the only way. John 14:6 – “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.” We cannot come to a holy God based on our own efforts… only Christ’s.
To stand before our Holy God, we must be without sin. It’s called being righteous or holy. But it is impossible for us to be holy like he is holy.
Compared to His righteousness, we are all filthy in our sin (Isaiah 64:6).
God will not excuse or overlook our sin. He is merciful, but He is also just. Justice requires that sin be paid for. At great cost, He paid that price (1 John 3:16).
Without the blood of Jesus covering our sin, we will stand guilty before the God we rejected (Romans 1:20).
The way is narrow but findable with the right directions. Is it time to walk away from the crowd?
To get the dust out of your eyes and see that the road less taken is the only way to eternal life? It may be a little harder and you may get a little bruised along the way, but the end results are well worth the efforts and sacrifices.
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Mike Kelly is the founding pastor of Bryan’s Grace Community Church (retired) and Board Chairman of Bryan’s Sanctuary Homeless Shelter and Williams County’s Compassion (free) Medical Clinic.
