THE WIDE AND NARROW GATES

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14) 

Here the Lord is teaching us that there are two ways and two destinations. One is heaven and the other is hell. 

In the Old Testament we see Moses saying to the people, “See, I have set before you this day life and death, good and evil. Choose life that you and your seed may live,” (Deuteronomy 30:19). And God told Jeremiah “Unto this people shall you say, ‘Thus says the Lord, behold I have set before you the way of life and the way of death.’” (Jeremiah 21:8)   

Joshua, who succeeded Moses, said, “Choose you this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15) 

Elijah, told the people on Mount Carmel: “How long will you halt between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him. If Baal, then follow him,” (1 Kings 18:21). 

As we see, the most important spiritual decision that anyone will ever make in life, is the decision regarding their eternal destiny, which far outweigh the trivial ones that most people focus on a day to day basis. As the word of God tells us, we will live forever and we have two options, hell and eternal punishment, or heaven and eternal joy.  

Jesus is teaching us that there is a very serious choice that we need to make, a choice that renders an eternal finality. As we read our Creator’s words and teaching we still have a chance, but one day it will be too late; therefore His sermon leads to a choice that we need to make while there is still time. 

There’s only one possibility for your destiny and there are only two choices, not many, just two. There is a narrow way with a narrow gate. And there is a broad way with a broad gate. Jesus is talking about two destinations – life and destruction; and two groups of people, the many and the few.  

Verse 13 begins with a command, “Enter by the narrow gate.” The gospels itself is a command, repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel always comes as a command to obey. It is not enough to study about the narrow gate, to admire what Jesus said, because hell is going to be literally filled with people who admired Jesus and His teaching but did not follow it. 

You must go beyond being fascinated with the work of Jesus Christ and admiring Him, you must enter the narrow gate of salvation through faith in Him. 

Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man comes to the Father but by Me,” (John 14:6).  And in John 10:1 Jesus refers Himself to the door: “I am the Door, if any man tries to come in any other way, he is a thief and a robber.”  

In Acts 4:12 we read, “There is no salvation in any other name, for there’s no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.”There’s only one way to be saved, there’s only one Person who is the Savior, therefore, faith in Him and obedience is required for salvation. 

Christ and Christ alone is the gate. Without Him there is no salvation and no heaven. There is no other way in; all other ways, although promoted by false teachers as heaven end up in hell. Any deviation from the person of Jesus Christ, the work of Jesus Christ, or the gospel of Jesus Christ by faith and grace alone will lead you to hell. You must make a commitment to come to Christ because He is the only way. 

When we continue reading Matthew chapter 7 we see Jesus making the comparison of the true and false disciples. The false ones are the ones who are on the broad way, and who have been lead astray by false prophets, doctrines and beliefs. They will tell Jesus one day: “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name and in Your name cast out demons and in Your name perform many miracles?” Then He will declare to them, I never knew you, depart from Me, you that practice lawlessness” (vs. 22-23). 

As we are warned, when these, who are mislead, get to the end of the road, the news is not good as Psalm 1:6 says, “The way of the ungodly shall perish.” 

Therefore, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you– unless indeed you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5) 

Remember: “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”(Hebrews 10:31); unless you have decided to spend eternity in hell and apart from Him.