The Narrow Path That Leads To Life

Matthew 7:13-14

Picture this scene with me. You’re walking along an old country road with thousands of other people, and you come to a dead end. There at the end of the road you see two gates. One gate is very large, and you can see that if you enter through that gate, there is a very wide, well worn dirt road on the other side. The road looks very pleasant and easy to travel on. What’s more, the vast majority of people are going through that wide gate. It looks like easily 95% of them are going in through that gate. It’s very tempting to just go that way. After all, everyone else is going that direction. You think to yourself, all those people can’t be wrong, can they? Then you look at the other gate. It’s narrow. In fact, it’s so narrow, that only one person can go in at a time. And on the other side of that narrow gate, is a very narrow path. Again, it’s so narrow, that only one person can walk it at a time. Also, this path looks like it will be very difficult. You can see that it heads steeply uphill into the mountains with thousand foot drop-offs on both sides. What’s more, only a few people are deciding to take this path. You stand there, looking at both gates, and both ways. Which one should you take? All of us have to make a choice about which gate we will enter, and which path we will walk. In fact, we have already made that decision. Some of you have entered the narrow gate, and you are walking on the narrow way that leads to eternal life. Others of you have entered the wide gate and are walking on the broad way that leads to eternal destruction. The good news, is that it is not too late to change paths! If you have entered the wrong gate, you can still go back to the narrow gate, enter through it, and begin walking on the narrow path that leads to life.

In Mt. 7:13-27 Jesus is making a series of contrasts:

He contrasts 2 Different Gates (the wide and the narrow gate), 2 Different Ways (the broad and the narrow way), 2 Different Companies (the many and the few), and 2 Different Destinations (life or destruction).

Then He contrasts 2 Different Kinds of Trees (the good and the bad), bearing 2 different Kinds of Fruit (good and bad fruit), with 2 different results (kept or cast into the fire)

He also speaks of 2 Different Men (the wise and foolish), 2 Different Houses, with 2 Different Foundations (rock or sand), and 2 Different Results (stands or falls).

In Matthew 7:13-27, Jesus is saying the same thing using 3 different images: He talks about 2 different kinds of paths, then two different kinds of trees, then 2 different kinds of foundations. These 2 paths lead to two different destinations. The 2 different kinds of trees lead to either good fruit so that it is cultivated to produce more good fruit, or it produces bad fruit so is cut down and thrown into the fire. The 2 different kinds of foundations either cause the house to stand when the storm rages, or to fall and be destroyed when the storm rages.

Do you see that Jesus is warning us here? He’s warning us of destruction. 7:13 “The way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.” 7:19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” 7:23 “Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” 7:27 “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall.” Jesus speaks of destruction, being cut down and thrown into the fire, and the house experiencing a great fall in the storm.

At the same time Jesus is also holding out the promise of Life! 7:14 “For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” 7:21 “those who do the will of My Father will enter the kingdom of heaven.” 7:24-25 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.” Jesus speaks of life, entering the kingdom of heaven, and the house standing in the storm.

What is Jesus getting at? He’s talking about Heaven and Hell. He’s talking about experiencing eternal glory and delight in God’s presence, or experiencing eternal punishment and misery in Hell. Make no mistake about it. There are only two different eternal destinations. The Roman Catholic teaching of purgatory is never found in the Bible. Neither do we cease to exist, or are annihilated. Rather every one of us will spend eternity in glory or the lake of fire.

And notice who escapes Hell and goes to Heaven. It’s not those who say Jesus is their Lord (7:21), or those who hear Jesus’ words. It’s those who do and act on Jesus’ words (7:21,24).

Many people are self-deceived. They think they are going to heaven, and in reality they are going to hell. In a recent Gallup poll, people on the street were asked if they thought they were going to Heaven or Hell.  You can guess the results, can’t you?! 99% of these people said they thought they were going to heaven. However, Jesus said many will go to destruction while only few find life. If Jesus is right, 99% of the people in the world are not going to heaven. Only a small portion of the world’s population compared to the whole will find life. The majority are headed for destruction. If Jesus is right, most people are wrong. Most are self-deceived. God doesn’t want you to be deceived about your eternal destination. If you are on your way to hell, God wants you to know it, so you can repent and find life while there is still time. Sometimes the truth is hard to hear, but I don’t really think you want me to stand up here and tell you lies in order to tickle your ears. This morning I going to speak to you as a dying man to dying men, never sure to preach again.

1.  The 2 Gates:

Let’s begin this morning by looking at the two different gates.

The Narrow Gate

I believe Jesus gives us the answer to that question in Jn.10:9 where He says, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved.”  Jesus Himself is the gate, the door. Why is the gate narrow?  Because there is only one way to be saved. There are not 10 ways, or 44 ways. There is only one way! Jesus said in Jn.14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”  Peter said in Acts 4:12, “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”  I know that it is popular to believe that all roads lead to God, as long as person is sincere. That’s a lie from the pit of hell! All roads do not lead to God. Jesus tells us that here. Christians are often accused of being narrow. I’m always glad when someone accuses me of being narrow, because Jesus said the gate was narrow! If I were told how broad-minded I was, I would be alarmed. The gate that leads to destruction is very broad.

Why must a person enter through Christ to be saved?  Why isn’t it enough to be sincere, spiritual, religious, or moral? The answer from the Bible is that we are all sinners, and God is holy.  God hates sin and must punish it. If we die in our sins we must be destroyed. In order for us to be saved from eternal destruction, we must find a way to get out from underneath the wrath of God. So, how we get our sins cancelled out, atoned for, and forgiven?  Even if we were to begin living a perfect life right now until we died, that would not cancel out all the sins we have already committed. The Bible teaches us that there is only one sacrifice for sin that can cancel out all our debts – the cross of Jesus Christ! Because Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life, He could take our debt of sin upon Himself, so that when God’s wrath was poured out upon Him at the cross, He could receive the punishment that we deserved instead of us. There is only one person in human history that suffered and died for the sins of mankind. No one else ever did this. Budha, Mohammed, Confucious, Abraham, Moses, Joseph Smith or Sun Yung Moon – none of them ever died for sins, but Jesus did! Then He proved that He accomplished it by rising from the dead! That’s why we must enter through Christ to be saved. Only Jesus Christ can cancel out our debt of sin! Listen to the testimony of God’s Word:

1 Pet.3:18 “Christ died for sins, once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God.”

Mt. 20:28 “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Mt. 26:28 “this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”

How does a person enter the narrow gate of Christ?  Jesus said “enter” through the narrow gate. That’s a command. So, how do we obey that command? How do we get through the narrow gate? We must be converted. Must be changed. Jesus said in Mt.18:3, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” A child is absolutely dependent on its parents for food, water, shelter, clothing, love – everything. We have to become like little children. We must stop trusting ourselves and our own righteousness and trust Christ for all! We enter through repentance and faith.  Paul solemnly testified to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21).  Jesus said, “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Lu.13:3), and “He who believes in the Son has eternal life” (Jn.3:36).

Is It Easy To Enter This Gate?  Remember, Jesus said, “there are few who find it.” That implies they are on a diligent search for it. Today we hear preachers tell us on TV and the radio, “Just say this prayer; just raise your hand; just ask Christ into your heart, and you’ll be saved!” That’s not what Jesus said! Jesus said in Luke13:24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”  He said in Luke 16:16 “since time of John the Baptist, the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.” He said in Mt. 11:12 “violent men take the kingdom by force.”  No one nonchalantly strolls or meanders into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus told us to “strive.” The Greek word means “to agonize.” If we will enter the kingdom, we must be violent and take the kingdom by force. Now, I’m not talking about saving ourselves by our own works. I am talking about being in blood earnest to repent of anything that would keep us out of the kingdom! You and I must be willing to abandon anything that would hinder us from entering. What hinders people from entering kingdom?  Their own self-righteousness, their idols, and their sins. That’s why repentance is necessary. We must say good-bye to the old life. We must be willing to give up any love that would take Christ’s place in our heart.

The Wide Gate

If the narrow gate is repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, then the wide gate is every other way people try to approach God. Please notice that those who enter the wide gate believe they are going to end up at Life. The Wide Gate doesn’t symbolize all those who know they are headed for destruction like mass murderers and rapists.  All on both paths think they are headed for heaven. Notice the context. Mt.7:21-23 says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” These people who claim to have prophesied, cast out demons and done miracles expected that they were on their way to heaven. However, they end up in Hell! Those who enter the wide gate think they are going to heaven, but they are horribly deceived.  These are the people who trust in their morality, their own human righteousness. Those who enter the wide gate include every person who has embraced any religion in which they are not trusting completely in Jesus Christ. This includes Moslems, Budhists, Jews, Hindus, and all cults. It’s a wide gate, because you can seek to approach God many different ways through this gate. The people who enter through the wide gate have this as their slogan – “all paths lead to God.” Oh, how sadly and miserably they are deceived!

2.  The 2 Ways:

The Narrow Way

This is the only way that leads to life. The broad way leads to destruction. There is no such thing as someone who enters the narrow gate, but then walks on the broad way. Every person that has entered the narrow gate walks along the narrow way. Many people think they are on their way to heaven because they walked an aisle at some point in their lives, or they prayed the sinner’s prayer at some point. However, what I want to know is, “Did you start walking the narrow way at that point?” If you didn’t walk the narrow way, you didn’t enter the narrow gate. In other words, if you continued to live in sin, you were never saved!

Why is the way narrow?  Because those who have entered the narrow gate find their path constricted. They no longer have all the choices to do what they used to do. Now, Jesus is Lord. He calls the shots in their life. He is their Master. They must do Christ’s will, not their own. The way of life of a Christian is different from the way of life of a non-Christian. A non-believer can choose many different options in life; a Christian can’t. If Jesus is truly His Lord, he must seek to do His will. He doesn’t have the option of living with his girlfriend or boyfriend, or having an affair, or living a homosexual lifestyle, or swindling from his company or abusing drugs or alcohol. He no longer has the option of getting a divorce if he doesn’t feel “in love” any longer. His way is narrow! You see a true Christian seeks to live a holy life. Without the pursuit of holiness no man shall see the Lord (Heb. 12:14). You can know if you’ve entered the narrow gate by examining what kind of path you are on.  Is it narrow or wide?  Are there a few people on this path, or many?  Do you live like most other people around you, or are you different? Do others take notice that you live for Jesus, His will, His values, and His glory? Do you blend in and look like everyone else, or do you reflect the character and teachings of Jesus?

The Broad Way

How do you know if you are on the broad way that leads to destruction?  It’s not too hard to figure out. First, you haven’t gone through the narrow gate of Christ. He is not your only hope and trust. Second, you aren’t conforming your life to the will of God. Your life looks like most others around you. There are many others on this path, going same direction you are. You don’t have to do anything great to end up at Destruction. Just embrace any other way other than Jesus Christ, and live for your own will and you’ll be sure to end up there.

Application

So where are you headed? Are you going to Heaven or Hell? Well, there are several things you can do about your situation.

1. Come to grips with whether you are saved or lost! Don’t go on with blinders on, thinking that everything will be OK on Judgment Day because you are a good person. Did you know Hell will be filled with people who thought that they were good people? Just go out on the street and start asking people why they think they are going to heaven. I’ve done it. You know what the answer is? “Because I’m a good person.” Remember, 99% of people think they are going to heaven. Jesus said “few” are going to heaven. Who’s right? Be honest with yourself today. Are you sure that you have entered the narrow gate and are on the narrow way? By that I mean, are you sure that you are trusting 100% in Jesus Christ, and His perfect life, substitutionary death, and victorious resurrection for your salvation? Are you sure that you are walking the narrow path by repenting of all known sin, and seeking to live a life of holiness? My friends, only those kind of people are headed for heaven. If that doesn’t describe you, be honest, and own up to it. Admit it this morning. The very first step in a sinner’s salvation, is admitting that he’s a sinner and in need of God’s grace.

2. If you think you’re probably not saved, repent! That’s the first order of business. Take a real good look at your life. What are the sins in your life that God is angry about? Ephesians 5:5-6 says, “For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” List them. Write them down. Ask God to search your heart and show you your sin. What are your idols? What is more important than God? What do you love more than His will? Identify those sins. Once you know what those sins are, repent of them. Turn from them. If you hold onto those sins, you’re going to be destroyed. You can’t go to heaven clutching your sins. You’ve got to turn loose of them. Are you living in sexual sin? Turn from that sin, and decide this morning by God’s grace, that you are going to change your life. Are you abusing drugs or alcohol? Decide this morning that you are going to turn from that to Jesus with all your heart. Are you a liar or a thief? Decide this morning that by God’s grace, you are going to turn and be converted.

3. Trust Completely in Jesus Christ!  Just turning from sin won’t save you. You must trust in Jesus. Only Jesus can save you. You must come into a vital union with Jesus Christ. He must become your Husband, your Lord, your Savior, your King, your Treasure, your Joy, your All in All. You must learn to put all your confidence and trust in Him, and in Him alone. How do you do that? You begin a relationship with Him. It’s not a relationship between two equals. No, He is God, and you’re not. But it is a relationship where you get to know Him more and more. You begin by surrendering your life to Him, and asking Him to make you like Jesus. Then you continue to read God’s Word, and pray about everything you read in it. You join yourselves to other Christians who are on the same spiritual journey you are on, who will encourage you, and help you, and even rebuke you when you need it. Folks, I hope you know how much I love you! If I didn’t, I would never say such hard things this morning. I want more than anything in the world to see you saved and on your way to spending eternity in the delightful presence of Jesus Christ. I pray for you folks all the time. You are on my heart and in my mind. Please don’t think that I’m saying these things to drive you away. I’m saying them to hopefully drive you into the arms of Jesus Christ.  If you are in blood earnest about forsaking your evil ways and trusting completely in Jesus Christ, let us know. If that’s true about you, it’s time for you to be baptized and make your faith public.
   
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