~There are two paths - the broad one to destruction and Hell. And the narrow way to God and to Heaven.~
"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Matthew 7: 13-14
The easy path is broad and the gate is wide that leads to destruction. It is made to make us feel good about ourselves. On that path the focus is on myself. I am successful. I am beautiful. I am happy. I am wise. The broad path seeks to flatter us. The broad path is popularity.
The broad path tells us that we must tolerate evil. That we must accept evil and never speak against it because doing so is "judging". The broad path says there is no absolute truth. The broad path says your truth is yours and my truth is mine and it doesn't matter.
The broad path beckons us with temptations to sin "just a little". "No one will know," it tells us. No one will see. No one will get hurt. And then we are sucked into a pit of destruction that is difficult to crawl out of.
The broad path says to just "be nice" and everything will be fine. The broad path says faith in Jesus isn't necessary. "All religions teach the same thing," you will hear people say. We'll get to Heaven (or someplace good) just by being a nice person.
The narrow path with the narrow gate is a path that is lonely. Few people are on it. It makes us humble ourselves. It tells us others are more important than we are. This path doesn't seek fame or fortune. This path is sacrificial. This path has someone in front of us, a Shepherd who leads us. A Shepherd we must look to so as not to stumble along the way.
In Psalm 125:5 David tells us:
"As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways, The Lord shall lead them away with the workers of iniquity."
So for the wicked their way is crooked but for the righteous we follow God in whom "there is no variation or shadow of turning" James 1: 17 says:
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."
Th narrow way is a path that is difficult for many reasons. When we take the narrow way, we testify to the love of Christ in our lives and to love our enemies, the very enemies of Jesus. We take the narrow path knowing that "we are more than conquerors" (Romans 8:37), and yet we face our enemies unwilling to do wrong to any of them. We take the narrow path and acknowledge that there is sin and weakness in others (and in ourselves) and at the same time not judging them. It is hard.
If we look at the path and not at the shepherd, if we look to ourselves and not at the shepherd, and if we are afraid all the time trying to find our own strength to walk this path, then we are doomed to failure. We know that the path is narrow and the way is right when we focus on the One who is the Gate.
There were few disciples that followed Jesus. Many of His followers turned away when His words were too difficult for them (John 6:66). Many turn away today. Why do we pin our hopes on numbers? There were few disciples in the beginning and there will always be few.
This narrow way is the only Way to our Father. Our Jesus is the truth! Without Jesus there is no life with God. Only Jesus can remove the burden of sin from our life by his Cross and resurrection.
"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
As we travel our narrow path there is someone else lurking in the byways. This evil one requires us to
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." I Peter 5:8
Jesus tells us that Satan is the "deceiver of the whole world" (Revelation 12:9) and the "father of lies" (John 8: 44). Why would anyone knowingly follow a liar and a deceiver? Maybe because following the liar takes a person down the easy road, the broad road that has few obstacles. The road that is all about themselves. Jesus, however, promises us an abundant life. This life that Christ promises us in Him is beyond our expectations, beyond even our imaginings.
"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us," Ephesians 3:20
Paul acknowledges that the way is difficult. He says that he has "fought the good fight". Paul didn't just drift, easily down the narrow path. He fought his way to the end. Why do we think our way should be easier than Paul's?
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7
When we take the narrow way even though we face "tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword" we know that "nothing will separate us from the love of Christ!" (Romans 8: 35).
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