Matthew 7:13, 14 - "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."
The Road
In the above verses, Christ gives an analogy, using the illustration of two roads. One road, which has a wide gate at its entrance, is the broad way that leads to destruction. This is the way to hell. It is comfortable. On it, there is plenty of company. It just has a "feel" about it - it feels right. But this is the way which Solomon spoke of when he said, "There is a way which seemeth right unto men, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Those who are not following Jesus are on this road. So much about it "seems right," but it is everything but right. It leads to death; more specifically, the second death in the lake of fire.
The other road is road on which I wish to focus. It has a straight gate, and a narrow path. It is far less comfortable. There is not near as much company. But, this is the road on which I travel. I chose this road not because I enjoy a lack of comfort; I chose this road because of its destination - it leads to life eternal. You may ask, "Where is this road?" The question is not, "Where is this road;" the question is, "Who is this road?" Jesus Christ is the way, the only way, that leads to eternal life. Let me be clear so no reader is confused - YOU WILL GO TO HEAVEN THROUGH JESUS CHRIST AND HIM ALONE, OR YOU WILL NOT GO! The blood Jesus shed on the cross is the only cleansing agent that can cleanse your sins and mine. The works of Jesus are the only ones that please the Father. Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. All religions, creeds, beliefs, good works, prayers, gods, temples, mosques, altars, pulpits, books, philosophies, ideals, and every other sorry, pitiful attempt man makes at trying to save himself will lead man to HELL. You don't want to go hell? Then cast off your religion, creed, belief, and every other thing to which you are clinging, and trust Jesus Christ and His finished work on Calvary, and trust nothing else. Jesus is the absolute only way that leads to life.
The Two Ditches
The straight and narrow way has a ditch on either side. You can go too far either way, and be lost. In the same chapter as the verses mentioned above, Jesus talks about two groups of people, neither of which are on the straight and narrow way. Let us look at these groups together.
Matthew 7:21-23 - "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
The scene in the above verses is the day of Judgment. Jesus speaks of the day when all mankind will stand before God. Jesus talks about two groups of people that will stand before Him on that day, and plead their case. Both groups thought they were on the straight and narrow way, but were not. One group fell in one ditch; the other group fell in the other. Let us look at these two ditches.
The First Ditch
Jesus begins the above passage by saying, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." This is a favorite verse among many Holiness preachers. I have heard it brought out many times. And, what is brought out is mostly true.
The first thought that is brought out of this verse is the fact that not everyone who says, "Lord, Lord" is going to heaven. That is ditch number one. There are those who claim to be saved just because they say a prayer. SAYING A PRAYER WILL NOT SAVE YOU! If all you did was regurgitate a prayer, and there was nothing in your heart that believed, rested, and trusted Jesus Christ solely, resulting in Him giving you a new heart, making you a new creature, you have fallen into the first ditch.
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven," the Lord said. Then, He goes on to say, "...but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." I have heard preachers use the latter part of that verse and say, "You have to do the will of God to be saved." Then, they pull out a long list of works to be done! They say that you must pray so much a day; fast so much a week; witness to so many people; go to church so many times a week - all of this is "the will of the Father," so you must have all these wonderful works if you are going to be saved!
Whoa! Wait a minute. They are right when they say that salvation is more than just saying a prayer. But when you start preaching that we have to keep a long list of works to be saved, you're about to swerve into the second ditch.
Jesus said that those who simply say a prayer are in the first ditch. They're not on their way to heaven. Jesus said the ones who are on their way to heaven are those who "do the will of the Father." What is the will of the Father? THE WILL OF THE FATHER IS NOT A LONG LIST OF WONDERFUL WORKS! In John 6:40, Jesus clearly defines the will of the Father - "And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." The will of the Father is simply believing on the Son and having everlasting life! It is not fasting, witnessing, a dress code, or any other wonderful work. When you pray to be saved, it must be accompanied with BELIEVING, or putting your trust in, Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9 bears this out - "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." So, "doing the will of the Father" is not completing a long list of wonderful works. If you preach it that way, you're about to land in the other ditch, if you're not already there.
The Second Ditch
Having just looked at Matthew 7:21, let us look at the next two verses.
Matthew 7:22, 23 - "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many WONDERFUL WORKS? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
The first group fell in one ditch because they said a prayer, but did not do the will of the Father - believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As a result, there was no change in their life. They were not made a new creature because they were not "in Christ." Their heart was still filthy. They were not washed from their sins. There was no deliverance from sin. As a matter fact, no man can tell that they have been to Jesus, because they haven't! This group thought they were on the narrow way, but they had fallen into the ditch!
The other group, however, make an interesting claim on the day of Judgment. "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied and cast out devils in your name, and in your name done many wonderful works?" But Jesus will say to them, "Depart from me, ye that work iniquity; I never knew you."
LISTEN TO ME CAREFULLY. You can knock the crowd that just "says a prayer," and there is no life-changing faith involved; and certainly, they are in the ditch. But if you are trusting in a long list of wonderful works, you are not on the narrow way either! The man who is trusting in a long list of wonderful works and outward standards to get him to heaven is just as lost as the man who says a prayer without exercising faith. You can talk about how lost the crowd is that preaches a gospel that produces no change - but if you are trusting in your long list of wonderful works, you are lying in the ditch just across the road from them! Saying a prayer with no faith in Christ will certainly lead you to hell. But trusting in a long list of standards will lead you to the same hell, just as fast.
Dear friend, I am not against having good works; but I am thoroughly against trusting them! If you think you are on the narrow way because you keep a list of rules, standards, creeds, dress codes, laws, or commandments, you are in the ditch.
Conclusion
Jesus Christ is the narrow way. If you say a prayer, but do not trust Jesus Christ, you are in one ditch. If you claim Christ, but are trusting in any wonderful work outside of Christ, you are in the other ditch. We had better get our faith - all of our faith - in Jesus Christ and in nothing else. Faith in anything else leads to hell.
The Road
In the above verses, Christ gives an analogy, using the illustration of two roads. One road, which has a wide gate at its entrance, is the broad way that leads to destruction. This is the way to hell. It is comfortable. On it, there is plenty of company. It just has a "feel" about it - it feels right. But this is the way which Solomon spoke of when he said, "There is a way which seemeth right unto men, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Those who are not following Jesus are on this road. So much about it "seems right," but it is everything but right. It leads to death; more specifically, the second death in the lake of fire.
The other road is road on which I wish to focus. It has a straight gate, and a narrow path. It is far less comfortable. There is not near as much company. But, this is the road on which I travel. I chose this road not because I enjoy a lack of comfort; I chose this road because of its destination - it leads to life eternal. You may ask, "Where is this road?" The question is not, "Where is this road;" the question is, "Who is this road?" Jesus Christ is the way, the only way, that leads to eternal life. Let me be clear so no reader is confused - YOU WILL GO TO HEAVEN THROUGH JESUS CHRIST AND HIM ALONE, OR YOU WILL NOT GO! The blood Jesus shed on the cross is the only cleansing agent that can cleanse your sins and mine. The works of Jesus are the only ones that please the Father. Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. All religions, creeds, beliefs, good works, prayers, gods, temples, mosques, altars, pulpits, books, philosophies, ideals, and every other sorry, pitiful attempt man makes at trying to save himself will lead man to HELL. You don't want to go hell? Then cast off your religion, creed, belief, and every other thing to which you are clinging, and trust Jesus Christ and His finished work on Calvary, and trust nothing else. Jesus is the absolute only way that leads to life.
The Two Ditches
The straight and narrow way has a ditch on either side. You can go too far either way, and be lost. In the same chapter as the verses mentioned above, Jesus talks about two groups of people, neither of which are on the straight and narrow way. Let us look at these groups together.
Matthew 7:21-23 - "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
The scene in the above verses is the day of Judgment. Jesus speaks of the day when all mankind will stand before God. Jesus talks about two groups of people that will stand before Him on that day, and plead their case. Both groups thought they were on the straight and narrow way, but were not. One group fell in one ditch; the other group fell in the other. Let us look at these two ditches.
The First Ditch
Jesus begins the above passage by saying, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." This is a favorite verse among many Holiness preachers. I have heard it brought out many times. And, what is brought out is mostly true.
The first thought that is brought out of this verse is the fact that not everyone who says, "Lord, Lord" is going to heaven. That is ditch number one. There are those who claim to be saved just because they say a prayer. SAYING A PRAYER WILL NOT SAVE YOU! If all you did was regurgitate a prayer, and there was nothing in your heart that believed, rested, and trusted Jesus Christ solely, resulting in Him giving you a new heart, making you a new creature, you have fallen into the first ditch.
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven," the Lord said. Then, He goes on to say, "...but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." I have heard preachers use the latter part of that verse and say, "You have to do the will of God to be saved." Then, they pull out a long list of works to be done! They say that you must pray so much a day; fast so much a week; witness to so many people; go to church so many times a week - all of this is "the will of the Father," so you must have all these wonderful works if you are going to be saved!
Whoa! Wait a minute. They are right when they say that salvation is more than just saying a prayer. But when you start preaching that we have to keep a long list of works to be saved, you're about to swerve into the second ditch.
Jesus said that those who simply say a prayer are in the first ditch. They're not on their way to heaven. Jesus said the ones who are on their way to heaven are those who "do the will of the Father." What is the will of the Father? THE WILL OF THE FATHER IS NOT A LONG LIST OF WONDERFUL WORKS! In John 6:40, Jesus clearly defines the will of the Father - "And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." The will of the Father is simply believing on the Son and having everlasting life! It is not fasting, witnessing, a dress code, or any other wonderful work. When you pray to be saved, it must be accompanied with BELIEVING, or putting your trust in, Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9 bears this out - "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." So, "doing the will of the Father" is not completing a long list of wonderful works. If you preach it that way, you're about to land in the other ditch, if you're not already there.
The Second Ditch
Having just looked at Matthew 7:21, let us look at the next two verses.
Matthew 7:22, 23 - "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many WONDERFUL WORKS? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
The first group fell in one ditch because they said a prayer, but did not do the will of the Father - believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As a result, there was no change in their life. They were not made a new creature because they were not "in Christ." Their heart was still filthy. They were not washed from their sins. There was no deliverance from sin. As a matter fact, no man can tell that they have been to Jesus, because they haven't! This group thought they were on the narrow way, but they had fallen into the ditch!
The other group, however, make an interesting claim on the day of Judgment. "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied and cast out devils in your name, and in your name done many wonderful works?" But Jesus will say to them, "Depart from me, ye that work iniquity; I never knew you."
LISTEN TO ME CAREFULLY. You can knock the crowd that just "says a prayer," and there is no life-changing faith involved; and certainly, they are in the ditch. But if you are trusting in a long list of wonderful works, you are not on the narrow way either! The man who is trusting in a long list of wonderful works and outward standards to get him to heaven is just as lost as the man who says a prayer without exercising faith. You can talk about how lost the crowd is that preaches a gospel that produces no change - but if you are trusting in your long list of wonderful works, you are lying in the ditch just across the road from them! Saying a prayer with no faith in Christ will certainly lead you to hell. But trusting in a long list of standards will lead you to the same hell, just as fast.
Dear friend, I am not against having good works; but I am thoroughly against trusting them! If you think you are on the narrow way because you keep a list of rules, standards, creeds, dress codes, laws, or commandments, you are in the ditch.
Conclusion
Jesus Christ is the narrow way. If you say a prayer, but do not trust Jesus Christ, you are in one ditch. If you claim Christ, but are trusting in any wonderful work outside of Christ, you are in the other ditch. We had better get our faith - all of our faith - in Jesus Christ and in nothing else. Faith in anything else leads to hell.
