Two Gates

Many books have been written these days on the subject of “How To” do a certain task or event. How to do a multitude of everyday things.

Examples:

How to Do Just About Anything: A Money-Saving A-To-Z Guide to over 1,200 Practical Problems by Reader's Digest (Editor)

How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie –

How to Write Your Own "How-To" Book

These show the way to do a certain thing.

And, when we think about it, the Bible is also a “How To....” book.

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13-14

In the passage in Matthew, chapter 7, verses 13 and 14, Jesus tells us “how to” obtain life.

Jesus is telling us here how we can get to life – real life – abundant life – and eternal life.

Many people, if not most people, have their own opinions about how to obtain eternal life – if they believe it even exists.

The person who identifies as an atheist, or even simply one who does not believe that there even is a God, and that there is no heaven, that there is no eternity – that this earth and this life is all there is.

Other unbelievers would say that there are many roads that lead to eternal life in Christ. So, it really doesn’t matter much which road you take  - you will still end up in Heaven.

Jesus says people have a choice as to which way they will travel through this life. And that is truth. We do have a choice. A choice each of us has to make at some point in our lives.

However, the truth is, there is only one way to Christ and to eternity with Him in Heaven.

So, as we face the decision on how we will live and whom we will serve, we do have a choice. And each person must make his or her own choice.

Many people want to believe that because Mama or Grandpa or some other relative was a solid Bible believing, baptized and lived according to the Scriptures, that they can follow them into heaven on their coat tails.

But the reality and the problem with that kind of thinking is this.....coat tails don’t get anyone into heaven.

Jesus does say that people have a choice as to which way they will travel. We will see that there is only One Way to Christ. But each person individually must make his or her own choice.

As we look at the gates that we must enter, we must choose which gate we will enter.

1.   The Gate that is Wide.

2.   The Gate that is Narrow.

Think about this: there is a word in our language = Strait. This is a narrow gorge between two rocks – possibly even a rock wall of a great expanse.

Now this “strait” is not a method of walking. It is part of a rock wall.

So, we want to be – not in the strait – but on the straight and narrow road that leads to Christ.

In this passage in Matthew, as we read earlier, Jesus makes some comparisons.  He compares “wide” verses “narrow”; He speaks of “few” verses “many. He compares “life” and “destruction.”

He also lets us know that the Wide Way is the Easy Way and that because it is wide and easy, it can lead to the destruction of many who make that choice.

Because this Wide Easy Way is so easy, a person could wander around aimlessly forever and never reach a destination. The Wide Easy Way is so wide and so easy you can walk it without even opening your eyes.

And really that is the condition of those who are walking on the Wide Easy Way – they are walking with closed eyes, and might I say also with a closed mind.

He also points out that the Narrow Way is often hard, difficult to maneuver; but the Narrow Way leads to Life – Life eternally with our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Now suppose you are driving down a road that you haven’t travelled before. You see a sign that reads: NARROW BRIDGE or possibly BRIDGE OUT AHEAD.

What do you do? Obviously, a decision has to be made. Either I will not believe the sign, or I will need to seek another plan of travel.

So, on the road we are traveling in our lives, we need to know the Road.

This requires planning; it requires preparation, it requires effort.

And, of most importance, it requires that we make a very important decision.

Will we continue to behave anyway we desire regardless of what Jesus has taught us? That’s the popular way. And many people will choose popularity over reality. Some people don’t want to travel their road alone – so they encourage their friends to come along on the Wide Road to Destruction.

So, travelling along the Narrow Road comes with some requirements:

 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ Matthew 7:21-23.

Many will not take the walk toward eternity with Christ because they won’t believe, or submit, to what Jesus said is required of them:

Belief – Repentance – Confession – Baptism for the forgiveness of sin; and then, to begin living a life of holiness with Christ.

So, we have looked at the pros and the cons regarding life in Christ. Whichever life is chosen – there is going to be an end.

All of humanity will face a judgment.

And that judgment will be one of two conditions:

Destruction – or Life

Proverbs 14:12 – “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

It Is a road that leads to death – spiritual death

This is a road that Satan doesn’t point out to those who walk this road. He conceals the end destination – but lures people in by pointing out the pleasures of his road.

The better choice when we come to the Crossroads, of course, is to choose Life with Christ as our destination.

This life is one that is always going forward; there is no desire to stop or turn around. There is also no opportunity to stop, sit back, relax thinking we have made it.

Because that is when Satan strikes – attemping to lure you back to him.

CONCLUSION

Jesus Christ has set before us the way of death and the way of life.

He offers us a choice. He does not force us onto either path.

The choice of the path we will walk is up to each of us individually.

Most of us here today have already chosen the path walking toward Jesus Christ and looking forward to everlasting life with Him.

Have we remained on that path, or have we wandered over toward the wider path?

Someone here may not have made a first choice for Christ yet.

Let me urge you to choose that life today.

Enter in at the narrow gate, because it leads to life.

The wider, more popular gate leads to everlasting fire, death, and destruction.

Matthew 11:28-29 gives us encouragement and promises of the better life – “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and My burden is light.”