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. Matthew 7:13-14
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 47-53
Before every man and woman, boy and girl, young and old, believer and unbeliever, white and black, educated and uneducated, master and servant are two gates –the strait gate and the wide gate. Whether you and I like it or not, we must go through one of the gates, it is not negotiable. The choice of the gate to enter through is our decision.
Matthew 7:13- 14 says 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. In our memory verse, Jesus talks of two gates. Not only that, He also gave characteristics of both. Gates are used to limit access into a building. The first gate, wide gate, has a wide entrance. The wide gate leads one to a broad way. This broad way leads to destruction. The second gate, strait gate, has a strait entrance. The strait gate leads to a narrow way. This narrow way leads to life.
The wide gate leads to hell. The way to hell is very broad in other words everything goes. Because the entrance is so wide, one can come in with as much as bag and baggage as possible.One can come in with the bag of malice, bitterness, unforgiveness, hatred, pride, just name it. Because the way is very broad, walking in it very easy. On the other hand, the strait gate leads to heaven. The entrance is so small, not everyone can go through it. Hebrew 12:1 says wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. To go through the strait gate, one must first lay aside every weight and the sin that easily besets him or her. The road that leads to eternal life is so narrow; two people cannot travel on it at the same time. This is why the decision to reign with Christ in heaven is not a group decision but a personal one. Each individual must make up his mind and begin to work towards it. One of the characteristic of the narrow road is that it is a very difficult road to walk on. Jesus Christ gave a hint of how difficult walking on this path is when He said only few people find this path. It is a shame; people are now broadening the narrow way with teachings such as you do not need holiness to make heaven. Hebrews 12:14 says without holiness no man shall see God. Friend, to make it to heaven there is a price you have to pay after salvation. Jesus says in Matthew 24:13, he that shall endure to end shall be saved.
PRAYER POINT: Father, help me to endure to the last.
Bro Samuel – Reaching the world for Jesus.
