"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.
One must choose to follow the commandments of God or the commandments of men. One way is easy, the other way is hard. The boundaries are clearly distinguished. One gate leads to destruction, the other gate lead to eternal life. Revealed truths compel obedience to God’s way.
To enter the "narrow gate," one must leave "self" behind; on the other hand, to enter the "roomy way," there is no limit to the baggage—self-righteousness, pride, hatred, envy, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, discord, and so on. The "narrow gate" is the very opposite of these works of the flesh.
Jesus speaks of ethical behavior that is in harmony with the will of God as that which God desires in His children. It is an inward righteousness that God is delighted in, not external righteousness. Jesus addresses the praiseworthy performance that is pleasing to the Father and the unworthy conduct that is not acceptable to the Father. He explains that the quality of one’s actions that pleases God is practice that is in harmony with the intent of God’s law.
How narrow is the gate?
Jesus made it clear that there are only two gates, only two paths, only two destinies before every man, and each of us must choose one or the other. The gate to life, the Lord tells us is “narrow” and there are “few who find it.” One of the saddest passages in the entire gospels is the one in the gospel of St. John which says: “He came to his own, and his own received him not.”
Jesus, the Son of God, was rejected by his own people when he walked on earth, and he continues to be rejected by most people, even today. The fault is not with the message or the messenger; the fault is with fallen human nature that tends to follow the broad and easy road to destruction rather than enter the narrow gate that leads to life.
Jesus is the narrow gate that leads to life. It is not easy to embrace the new life that Jesus offers for it means stripping away and casting off the baggage of worldly attachments that prevent us from being spiritually free.
Jesus never promised us a rose garden; he never said it would be easy to follow him. When some of his disciples were looking for an easy life, he reprimanded them and offered them a life of sacrifice and love in order to follow him through the narrow gate. Wherever there is love, there also will be sacrifice. Jesus offers both.
Every day, a good Christian experiences temptations of every kind; temptations to love or reject a neighbor; temptations to help someone in need or to pass that person by like the unfeeling priest in the parable of the Good Samaritan. A good Christian faces decisions daily about observing the commandments; about promoting peace, protecting the environment, and fostering reconciliation. In many cases, a good Christian has to endure outright persecution because he or she has chosen to follow the narrow way of the gospel.
Is it worth it? Does it make sense to follow the narrow way of the gospel when “everyone else” is following the broad road to destruction? You bet it is! It is worth it because you are doing something special with your life and you are not alone. Jesus is at your side. He is at your side and He is helping you all the way. He will not abandon you.
Does all roads lead to heaven?
The answer is NO. The small gate is the entrance to the narrow way, the way which leads to eternal life. That gate is our Lord Jesus Himself
Jesus said, “… Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep… I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture… I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:7, 9, 11).
In another place, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6). God’s only provision for man’s salvation and entrance to the kingdom is through faith in Jesus Christ as God’s Messiah and our Savior.
Why is Jesus Christ called the narrow gate?
Jesus Christ is the door or gate we must enter, and though His way is hard, He is always there to help us. "So how do I enter this gate that Jesus talks about?"
You enter it when you profess your belief in Jesus Christ as God’s Son and accept Him as the Lord, the Master of your life, believing that God really raised Him from the dead. You enter in when you are willing to denounce and desert anything that stands between you and peace with God. You must repent of your sins and turn to God with your whole heart.
After you enter in the narrow gate you must also walk the narrow path. You must be faithful to the way you have chosen and not be lured away from it. "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life," Jesus said in Revelation 2:10. "My righteous one shall live by faith," wrote the author of Hebrews, "and if he shrinks back my soul has not pleasure in him."
Those who do not obey the gospel will not enter the narrow gate. The gate is narrow and few find it. Not because God hides it from them, but because few are willing to pay the price to truly follow Jesus.
The narrow way and the broad ways represent to two different lifestyles, and we must take one or the other. The broad way that leads to destruction is a direct reference to the body, our lower nature–its wants, its pleasures, its passions, its good desires ,its sinful desires, and all things that pertain only to our physical well-being. The narrow way is a direct reference to the soul, our higher nature, to man's spiritual nature. The inward man is interested in the things of God, character, holiness, religion and heaven. The narrow way is a heavenly-minded life; the broad way is an earthly-minded life.
The most complete description of the broad way is given by the apostle in I John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world.” That's the broad way. It is called broad because so many, many people travel this way and adopt this lifestyle. It is the predominate lifestyle of the entire human race. The narrow way is called narrow because so few people take this way and adopt the godly lifestyle.
When we pass through the gate, we then begin to walk on the narrow way. The narrow way is the Christian life, the way of holiness, the good life in Christ.. The prophet Isaiah made a prediction about the narrow way in Isa. 35:8, “A highway shall be there, and road, and it shall be called the highway of holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray.”
A clear way will be marked out in which all the redeemed are bound to walk. It will be a path through the dangers and difficulties of life which holiness points out and requires. It is called narrow because it is not easy to live the Christian life. It requires self-denial, self-discipline, self control, humility and purity of heart and life. Perhaps, the most complete description of the narrow way that leads to life is given us by the apostle Peter.
In 2 Peter 1:5-7 the apostle said, “ Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control patience, to patience godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness love. For if theyse things are yours and abound, you will neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” That's the narrow way and beautiful indeed it is.
So what does it mean to have salvation? Does it mean to just believe that Jesus is God's Son and that He came to die for your sins? That is a great start but is it enough? No,it is not enough. Salvation is simple and when a person truly comes to the knowledge that they are a sinner in need of a savior and that Jesus is the only Savior available, they will also naturally understand that they must follow Him and abide in Him. This will include turning from their sins. How do I know this? Simple, the knowledge does not come from man but rather from God.
John 6:44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day."
No one comes to God on their own power, they must be drawn by the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit draws someone, He does not just give them part of the information. A person, truly convicted by the Holy Spirit and drawn to Christ, will understand that they cannot continue in sin, but must leave the darkness to live in the light.
"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.