Did you know God’s Word says that few will make it to Heaven? These days there are a multitude of beliefs that conflict with this statement. Many people are of the false belief that because they are a “good person” they will make it to Heaven. “I do good deeds. I’m a good person. I don’t commit any of the major sins like murder or adultery.” Did you know ALL sins are EQUALLY bad in the eyes of God? So someone’s little white lie is just as bad as murder. We’ve all sinned against God. In other words, none of us by our own merit are worthy to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Many are of the opinion that because Jesus spent time with sinners that He was okay with their sin. Yes, Jesus entertained sinners, but He did not entertain sin. When he spoke to sinners, He didn’t speak to them in a haughty manner, but He did tell them what they were doing was wrong, to repent, and to go and sin no more. He died to save us from our sins not save us in our sins. We must repent which means to confess and turn away from our sin.
There is a popular belief that there are multiple ways to get to Heaven, but Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” Jesus is our intercessor. “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” John 10:9.
We really must examine our faith. Do we believe these myths the world teaches us, or do we believe the truth of God’s Word? Do we have a relationship with Jesus? Are we faithful in that relationship or is it one-sided? Many times we use and abuse God. We have a “relationship” and we have a feeling of “spirituality” with Him when we need His help. When everything is going well, we put Him in a little box for our convenience. We don’t defend Him when others are against Him. We don’t witness or speak specifically of Him for fear of “offending” someone. Jesus said if we are ashamed of Him, He will be ashamed of us before The Father. We encourage others to sin against Him and His Word by voting for laws contrary to His Word. We make sinful decisions. Then when trials arise, we conveniently remember Him and pull Him back out of the box to beg Him for help once again.
God’s says in His Word, “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
Do we have a relationship with God that is merely out of convenience and selfishness? Are we entering through the small gate to follow Jesus on the narrow road or are we entering the wide gate and traveling on the broad road? Do we look like the world? Do our values fall in line with the ways of the world? If we are following the world, the social norm, the sinful way, then clearly we have entered the wide gate and we are traveling on that broad path to destruction. The Bible verse above states many enter the road to destruction.
It is virtually impossible to know someone if you spend your whole life ignoring them, walking in opposition to their path. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want that to be said of me, that I was simply a fan and not a follower. Have you read that book yet, Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus
We must stay as close to Jesus as we possibly can in order to know Him more. That is my prayer for all of us, that we will follow Him through the small gate down the narrow road. I pray you and I will know Him more intimately and live our lives with expressions of gratitude for all He has done for us. The world will try to pull us into the crowd on the broad path of destruction, but I pray His perseverance and favor on us as we walk the narrow and unpopular path. Let’s make a commitment to walk hand-in-hand with Him through that narrow gate today. It’s the best decision you will ever make!