By the Narrow Gate

Matthew 7:13-14 ESV

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

I am presently reading through the book of Ephesians, but I believe the Lord is leading me to talk about these verses right now, instead. And this is another one of those passages of Scripture which lends itself to a careful analysis of what these individual words mean, for therein we have the message. So, without further ado, I will begin with the word “narrow.”

If something is narrow, it is restricted, limited, regulated, and controlled. It has rules and regulations. It is not open-ended, having no determined limit or boundary, such as the wide (broad) gate is. And, in this case, it is also a straight way, i.e. it is honest, law-abiding, aboveboard, upright, trustworthy, unadulterated and unmixed with the world. It is the “straight and narrow.”

For it is “(figuratively) the closely-defined path God ordains to travel on to gain His approval (used three times in the NT)” (source: biblehub.com).

And a gate is a door, an entrance into something. It is through the door that we gain access to something, for it is an opening, and it is a way into something. And Jesus told us that he is this gate, this door (see John 10:1-18). He is this door into a relationship with him and into salvation from sin and eternal life. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6). And what did he say about this?

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:23-26).

So, if we want to enter into eternal life with God, we must deny self, die daily to sin and to self, and follow our Lord in obedience to his commands (New Covenant). For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Jesus we die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, then we have life in him. This is the narrow way. This is the hard way that leads to life eternal.

So, our salvation from sin and eternal life with God is not the easy way that the vast majority of preachers in America appear to be teaching today, but it is a hard way. And hard is firm, solid, unbending, strict, fixed, and sometimes painful. For the Scriptures teach that it is a life of suffering, a life of persecution and of being hated for our walks of faith. And it requires that we leave our lives of sin behind us and that we now walk in righteousness and holiness and in obedience to our Lord, in His power and strength.

For if we do not, and we decide that we can continue in deliberate and habitual sin, based merely on a one-time confession of Christ as Savior and Lord, then sadly we are very mistaken if we think that we are going to be saved from our sins and to have eternal life with God. For if sin is what we practice (by habit), and if righteousness and obedience to our Lord are not what we practice, then we don’t have eternal life with God. And that is why it says here that FEW (not many) find this narrow way to God. See:

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

But there is another gate that the majority of people are entering, and sadly many of them are professing faith in Jesus Christ and are convinced that their salvation from sin and eternal life with God are secured them regardless of how they live. And this wide gate is open-ended, having no determined limit or boundary. And so many professing Christians have this mistaken idea that they can continue living life however they want to live it, for themselves, and not for God, and that heaven is still secured them.

But the wide gate and the easy way is all inclusive, and it is the opposite of narrow, and it is off course. So, it is not restricted and limited and controlled, and it does not require the following of rules and regulations. So it is also dishonest, untrustworthy, disobedient, immoral, adulterated, and mixed with the world. And sadly many professing Christians are on this easy path, entering through this wide gate, convinced they are on the right path.

But this is the way that many preachers (perhaps most) in America are teaching as the right way, and so it is the way that many (or most) professers of faith in Jesus in America are also following. For they are being told that they can “believe” (not usually biblically defined) in Jesus, have all their sins forgiven, have heaven guaranteed them, done deal, regardless of how they live from that moment forward. And that is a lie from hell! And what did Jesus say?

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-23)

So, please take this seriously. The easy way is not the right way and the hard way is not the wrong way. But what is largely being taught today is that the right way is the easy way that the majority are following and that the wrong way is the hard way that few are following. But please know that if you are following the easy way and not the hard way that it will end in death, not life eternal, and you will not have salvation from sin, and you will not inherit eternal life with God, for you are headed to destruction.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Pet 1:17-21; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Pray, Pray, Pray  

An Original Work / September 6, 2012

Based off Various Scriptures

Pray that eyes may enlightened be,

So they may know Christ.

Pray that they may Him better know,

Strengthened by His pow’r. 

Pray that they may grasp 

How wide and long

And high and deep

Is Christ’s love.

Pray that they may be filled

To the fullness of God’s love.

Pray with thanksgiving.

Pray for an open door for me,

So I may share Christ.

Pray when the gospel is proclaimed –

Shared with clarity.

Pray words are given me so

I declare the gospel fearlessly.

I pray for you to be active

Sharing your faith, too.

Pray continually.

We oft not know for what to pray,

So we ask for help.

The Spirit intercedes for us – 

Words cannot express.

Just keep on praying for the saints

With all kinds of requests to God.

Pray they may have faith to 

Please their God in ev’ry way.

Pray with joyfulness. 

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