Matthew 7:13-14
“”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.”
Matthew 7:13-14 NIV
Limits, restrictions, rules, and judgment, these are highly objection concepts in much of modern society. The world around us responds, we don't like them, we don't want them. We are going to criticize anyone who believes in them.
So almost no one talks about these concepts. When someone does, there is an immediate backlash of criticism. But the bottom line is simply this. When left to our own way, the way of our own choosing, we nearly always end up at war with others or create a mess of things.
Most people walk down that big wide road without ever even thinking about it. But, with no set of sure values, no real sense of right and wrong, and no understanding of our need for redemption, people are on the wide road that always leads to disaster.
Jesus challenges His disciples and also challenges us. He wants us to walk down the less-taken path. Yes, it's a harder path to travel, but it brings ultimate liberation and victory. We know, because Jesus has already walked that path before us.
But although there is certainly a legitimate application to saved and unsaved people taking the narrow and broad ways respectively, Christ was not teaching about the two destinations of the whole human race, heaven or the lake of fire, but the two alternative routes that Christians are required to choose after they have been justified by grace through faith in Christ.
Jesus was teaching His followers that there are two ways to travel through their Christian life. The spiritual gateway, which leads to an abundant and victorious life as we travel through this world where the Lord is glorified in us, or the carnal gateway, where the final result will be loss of reward for a wasted, defeated life where God was dishonoured by one of His blood-bought children.
And so, in His Sermon of the Mount, it was not a great multitude of people that heard Christ's important discourse, for He was teaching His followers the meaning of true discipleship. Jesus was warning believers that the path to true discipleship is difficult and requires discipline, dedication, and death to self, self-indulgence, self-importance, self-centeredness, self-interest, self-seeking, and self-righteousness.
It was only the disciples of Christ who were taught to enter through the narrow gate. Only they were warned that wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to a destroyed life. Only they were forewarned of the consequences of entering through the wrong gate which results in destruction, self-destruction, a life lived without meaning, a wasted life where Christ was not central and God was not glorified.
Whichever gate a Christian chooses to enter, God is faithful to His eternal promises to all who are saved by grace through faith in Him, and none will ever lose their eternal salvation. But the one who chooses to live for self is the one who enters the broad-way to destruction, losing their opportunity to die to self and to live for Christ.
They will be eternally saved, yet as though by fire as Paul explains to the Corinthian Christians, for they will have lived an unfruitful life and suffer loss of reward. Let us strive to enter in by the narrow gate and live a victorious and abundant life here on earth, where self is nailed to the cross and Christ is glorified in our bodies, to His praise and glory!!!
Father thank You for this day and that in Christ, we have been saved by grace and have an eternal inheritance kept for us in heaven. Lord let Your abundant blessings be my friend and family’s portion today. Lord we pray that we may die daily to all that is of self and live every day of our lives for You. Lord help us to choose to enter the narrow gate of a disciplined, dedicated discipleship life which leads to an abundant life here on earth. Lord use my friend to be the light of Your love today. Be a blessing Love ya
Father we love You amen !
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