“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)
Why are the gate and road to life narrow, and why are the gate and road to destruction wide and broad? It is because of standards. With the wide gate and road, anything goes. Everyone is free to do as she likes. Despite the influence of others, one rule abides: anything goes. Society does have rules and values that rein us in to an extent, but isn’t that only because God keeps an eye on things since Jesus conquered the devil? What was the state of the world just before the flood? What happened in Sodom and Gomorrah? There were no righteous people. They probably had government laws, but when it came to moral laws, there were none. Everyone ran after his own lusts.
Consider the “liberation” that took place in the past hundred years. Abortion (murder), homosexuality, drug abuse, and violence are increasing. Abortionists constantly lobby for the relaxing of abortion laws, while free sex is rife. Name the sin and somebody is involved in it. Individuals and groups justify their sinful actions; in their eyes, they are doing nothing wrong.
Besides sin, the wide road has
another component: beliefs and doctrines. There is room for any belief. We have
seen the uprising of New Age theology and related beliefs. New Age adherents
present some of their false doctrines so subtly that Christians see them as
innocent. They are interwoven with medicine, health, and self-defence. On the
wide road, there are no rules. Everybody travels merrily, allowing each to do
what he likes, repeating their mantra: “Don’t tell me what to do; I’m in
control of my own life.” The king of the wide road is the ruler of this world,
Satan, and all his principalities such as Mammon.
Jesus said many find the wide road. Why? It is because there are no restrictions. Even Christians
Why is the other road narrow? It is because it is linked to one person. Nothing else but worshipping and serving God is necessary. The rules of worship and service narrow this road. If you study the New Testament teachings, you’ll get a picture of how strict the rules are. Within the rules we are free, but not to do what we wish. Paul said, “‘Everything is permissible for me’—but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible for me,’—but I will not be mastered by anything,” (1 Corinthians. 6:12).
God does not force us into anything.
We are free to do what we like, but not everything we do benefits the Kingdom
or falls within the expectations of the narrow road. The moment I am mastered
by anything but God, I miss the narrow gate.
Not everybody can enter through the narrow gate because on the other side of the gate, on the road, is no place for self. The main criteria for entering through the narrow gate are the motivation and attitude of the heart—doing the will of the Father. It appears that many Christians have hidden agendas in the Kingdom of God. Many people worship pastors and Christian leaders instead of God. Some Christians serve God for what they can get, especially money. The problem is that they are not easily recognizable. They appear to be good. Sometimes they don’t realise the motivations of their own hearts. “For false christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles, to deceive even the elect—if that were possible,” (Matthew 24:24).
What is this will of Father? It is
clearly written in Jesus’ teachings. The obstacles to overcome are self,
laziness, and materialism. It is hard to humble ourselves, to get out of our
comfort zone, and the hold that materialism has on us. Few manage it—the few who
find the Narrow Gate and stay on the Narrow Road. Are you one of them?
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