Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)

The Narrow Path And The Broad Way

Jesus did not mince words. His sermon on the mountain was a radical change from the teachings of the Jewish leaders who soft-pedaled God’s word, imposing their own rules of righteousness. The Lord was speaking to a Jewish crowd, telling them truths that were not new but needed to be reminded in the hearts of the people who had grown callous to preaching that would convict. Jesus did not offer any path to salvation other than the one in which the Father always revealed through His word. The world is made up of those who are seeking eternal life and those who are seeking worldly pleasures. What made the teaching of Jesus extreme in the crowd’s minds was how He concluded that most people would never see eternal life.

The world does not accept the idea that most will not be saved. There is a feeling that all who die rest in peace (RIP) and are in Heaven. The greater part of the world rejects the concept of Hell as too harsh and cruel, and a loving God would never consider such a thing. With Hell out of the way, everyone will enjoy an afterlife in one form or another. It does not matter how a person lives. Having a belief in God helps but is not necessary. If a person is a good person, they receive special treatment from the Lord. Religious people are guaranteed a place in eternity with God. Those who are left behind view their loved ones as angels in Heaven waiting for other family members to join them for a grand eternal family reunion.

Jesus said there was a narrow path and a broad way. Entering the narrow path requires a narrow gate. The way of the narrow path is difficult. It is not an easy life. The way is hard which leads to eternal life. There is no easy course to follow if one is seeking eternal life. It is not given to everyone. Jesus says that because the narrow path is difficult, which leads to life, few people will find it. If few find eternal life, most find eternal destruction. The reason that most people will be lost is because the way is wide and broad. It is the easy path of life filled with pleasures. There is no accountability because those on the broad path live according to their rules. The broad way is the path of least resistance.

When the Father sent His Son to save mankind, He instructed how men should be saved. What Jesus taught in the mountain sermon was what the Father had told the Son. God will not save everyone. In fact, God will not save most of the world because they refuse to acknowledge Him as Sovereign Lord and Almighty God. False religions permeate the world. Worldliness with carnality is the joy of the masses. The world aims to satisfy self. Most people do not believe in an afterlife, and those who do – believe that everyone goes to Heaven. Nothing is further from the truth. Satan has done a masterful job of convincing people not to fear God. Ironically, Satan is not against anyone believing in God. The devil allows many to accept there is a God, but he persuades them that they are okay and God would never punish anyone. Jesus said Satan is the father of lies. Satan is true to his word to be the father of lies.

There is sadness in Jesus’ message. If one takes a moment to survey the world around them, the startling truth emerges that most people are lost. What that means in reality is that most people will go to Hell. That is the greatest tragedy of the human story. God gives everything man needs to save himself, and most of the world is not interested. Jesus taught that there is a narrow way and a broad way. Everyone is on one of these paths. The gospel of two eliminates other options. You are on a path. The narrow way leads to life. Taking the broad way leads to destruction. Jesus said that. Believe it. It’s real.