The gate to eternal life is narrow

In Matthew 7, the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus began in chapter 5 comes to a startling crescendo. The climax comes in verses 13-14. The remainder of the sermon is simply an expansion of these two verses. Jesus said, “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.”

This is a very provocative statement by our Lord. His entire masterful sermon climaxes at this point. A decision must be made by each person. Two gates bring an individual to two roads that lead to two different destinations populated by two different crowds. There is a single and inevitable choice — a choice that will determine your eternal destiny. Jesus calls for action. Verses 13-14 are the apex — the climax to which Jesus has been moving through the entire sermon. You must respond. The choices are clear. There are only two gates, the narrow way or the wide way. Satan doesn’t mark the wide way, “This is the road to hell.” No. The devil is very deceptive.

Every person makes a choice. Either you think you’re good enough on your own or through your system of religion to make it to heaven or you know you’re not good enough and cast yourself on the mercy of God through Jesus Christ. These are the only two systems of religion in the world. The broad way (the religion of human achievement) is contrasted with the narrow way (the religion of divine accomplishment). The religion of divine accomplishment is Christianity and it stands alone.

The crux of interpreting Matthew 7:13-14 is understanding the narrow gate. There are six aspects to understanding the narrow gate.

• First, “You must enter.” Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate.” There is a sense of urgency. Jesus said this in the imperative tense. You cannot gain eternal life unless you come on the terms He described. You must abandon your self-righteousness. You must see yourself as a spiritual beggar (Matthew 5:3), mourning over your sin (verse 4), meek before a holy God (verse 5), and hungering and thirsting for righteousness (verse 6). You have to enter on his terms. Hell will be full of people who admired the Sermon on the Mount but failed to respond. You must enter through the gate.

• Second, “You must enter the narrow gate.” Christ is the only way to salvation. The way is narrow. There are no other alternatives. You must enter by an act of the will through faith. God has given only one way for man to be saved. Acts 4:12 says, “There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Jesus said, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35) and “I am the way, the truth and the life” (14:6). In John 10, he said he is “the door of the sheep” (verse 7) and “he who does not enter by the door… but climbs up some other way is a thief and a robber (verse 1). A holy God has the right to determine the basis of salvation. He has determined it through Christ alone.

• Third, “You must enter the narrow gate alone.” The gate is very, very narrow. The best contemporary expression of this would be a turnstile. Jesus said, “To enter into my kingdom, you must make a decision by yourself.” It isn’t enough for a person to say, “I was born in a Christian family. I have gone to church all my life.” People don’t gain salvation in groups. They come in by an individual act of faith.

• Fourth, “You must enter the narrow gate with difficulty.” It is very difficult to enter the narrow gate. Unfortunately, the contemporary church teaches that it is easy to gain eternal life. Some say that all you must do is just believe, sign a card, walk an aisle, raise your hand, or go to the prayer room. In Luke 13:24 Jesus said, “Strive to enter through the narrow door.” The word “strive” is the Greek word agonizomai It means “to agonize.” You must seek the narrow way. When many discover what it costs to enter they aren’t willing to pay the price.

The kingdom is for those who seek it with all their hearts. It is for those whose hearts are shattered over their sinfulness. Salvation is for those who mourn in meekness, hunger and thirst for righteousness, and long for God to change their lives.

• Fourth, “You must go through the narrow gate unencumbered.” You cannot go through a turnstile with luggage. The narrow gate is the gate of self-denial. There must be a jettisoning of self. Like the tax collector beating his breast you must say, “God, be merciful to me the sinner!” (Luke 8:13).

• Fifth, “You must enter the narrow gate repentantly.” Charles Spurgeon said, “You and your sin must separate or you and your God will never come together.” You must turn from sin to God. There must be repentance.

• Finally, “You must enter the narrow gate in utter surrender.” Salvation is not an addition to your life. It is the transformation of your life. Jesus said, “I can tell who my disciples are, for they obey my Word” (John 8:31). If you think you are a Christian but there is no sign of obedience in your life, then you are on the wrong road.

Jesus died for you on the cross. The way to heaven is narrow but it’s wide enough to take in the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:13, 15). You must choose to follow Jesus alone. You cannot escape the choice. To make no choice means you’ve made a choice and you will face the consequences of that decision. Won’t you turn to Jesus today?

Ethan Hansen is pastor of Faith Bible Fellowship in Big Lake. He can be reached at ethanchansen@gci.net.