SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 7:13-14

We are told of two gates/paths: the wide & the narrow.

The wide. We can be good enough to enter through our own works (all of the world’s religions follow this logic). This way is concerned more about what’s on the outside rather than the inside—we are not held accountable for what we store up in our hearts. The majority journey on it because it’s easy & accommodating. All we have to do is avoid terrible acts that general society condemns. This is the road of falsehood—it gives the impression that it is the righteous road when it’s not. It advertises self-dependence & common ethics. All of these only lead to destruction (Matthew 7:13). If this broad gate led to eternal life instead, then we would be able to boast that our works got us into heaven & there would be no need to praise or worship God.

The narrow. This is a rough road that will bring about hardship and difficult decisions. Few take this route for many reasons: it’s hard to find, difficult to pass through, and many deter from seeking it. The narrow represents extraordinary acts of goodness that are not rooted in general human nature. It holds us accountable for what we store up in our hearts—our intentions and deeds (Matthew 5:21-26). Jesus explains that perfection is needed to enter, which no one could achieve on their own—enter Jesus Christ. This gate leads to eternal life & true righteousness because it demands us to glorify God rather than ourselves (Matthew 5:16).

The way to God was completely closed off because of our sin (Romans 5:12). But God provided a path to eternal life anyway (Romans 5:6-8). He knows our self-centered nature, self-indulgent tendencies, and sin-saturated world. He’s sorrowfully aware that few are willing to come to Him on His terms (Jeremiah 29:13). The evil one paves the wide road with the temptations of the flesh, the attractions of the world, and moral compromises—knowingly that most people allow such things to dictate decisions in their lives (Luke 9:23). When confronted with the choice, most of us choose the easier road.

Are you on the wide or narrow?