Two gates, and no more.
Mat 5:2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying…
Mat 7:13 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:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Strait gate.
Wide gate.
Two gates and NO MORE.
Life.
Death.
Two choices and NO MORE.
Narrow.
Broad.
Two paths and NO MORE.
Hard to find.
Easy to find.
Two conditions and NO MORE.
Few.
Many.
Two facts and NO MORE.
Why do we believe there is a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, etc… way? We want to create our own ways that aren't too easy, and aren't too hard, but just right. There are no Goldilocks scenarios here. There is no JUST RIGHT tucked between too hard and too soft, or in this case too hard and too easy. Those who are seeking that 'just right' position between too hard and too easy will end up realizing that 'just right' position is in fact their attempt to make the hard path easier in some way. As soon as we begin to try and change the path to something it isn't, we are venturing down that BROAD path which is incredibly broad because it allows us to create our OWN path rather than take the path our SAVIOR has forged for us.
But first-
We come to two gates.
A gate is--
'Strong's: Apparently a primary word; a gate that is the leaf or wing of a folding entrance (literally or figuratively): - gate. '
We've all walked through gates of various sorts, there's nothing to it. If you desire to enter a place and there is a gate between you and that place, then you simply open the gate and walk through it, right?
A gate is an entrance.
We are entering done God's path or Satan's path and it's our choice to make.
The path is the road we will travel towards our destination.
If we are told plainly that the majority of people will be entering the wide gate and traveling down the broad path shouldn't we question ourselves, our journey and note if we are traveling down a road filled with others- the majority path?
If we CONFORM to the world's ways and not Jesus' ways then we are on the broad path.
It's so easy to conform, much harder to go against the grain.
Jesus NEVER promises us ease in this world, never! Yet we want that, we seek that and sometimes we seek it to the exclusion of no longer caring what path we are on. We don't FIGHT to stay on the narrow way, the HARD way. We are relieved when we things are no longer difficult for us. Is this natural and to be expected? Of course it is. No one desires difficulties or pain, no one. The thing is, we have to question our lives constantly. We have to LOOK at the path we are on, all the time! If we are on that narrow path having gone through the strait gate, we can know because we are heeding all the teachings of Christ. If we heed the teachings of Christ we will automatically no longer be on the broad way.
Is it possible those two gates are presented to us on a constant basis? That it isn't a single occurrence, but rather a life long choice.
Mat 7:13 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:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
It stands to reason that we will be making choices all the time and unfortunately we don't always make the right ones. Is it possible we enter through the strait gate only to find ourselves on the broad path? I don't think so. I think we have to choose to enter through the wide gate at some point. I think both gates are constantly before us in our choices and by the grace of God and ONLY by His grace can we walk through the strait gate and onto the narrow path and stay upon it without being distracted by the wide gate and the broad path.
We make choices, daily choices. If we choose to enter the strait gate and start down the narrow path one day and into the next the same, and so on, then we are living the life that our Savior has taught us to lead all through Him, by His grace and mercy. If we step through a wide gate, living in a manner that our Savior is clearly against, and has taught us that he is against it, then we are no longer on the narrow path, and CANNOT be on that path.
We have to choose and choose with the knowledge that going down our Savior's road won't be POPULAR in any way, but it will be TRUTH.
We make much in our world of having the greatest number of followers and adding to those followers is the most important thing of all. So many have lost complete sight of our Savior and His truth because they've become obsessed with having followers for the sake of the sheer numbers, rather than sincere believers in Christ. They've completely forgotten that the narrow way means 'FEW there be that find it'.
Only by the grace of our LORD will we find the strait gate, the narrow path and journey down that path to be with Him in eternal life. Only in HIS righteousness, through HIS LOVE.
Mat 7:13 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:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Strait gate.
Wide gate.
Two gates and NO MORE.
Life.
Death.
Two choices and NO MORE.
Narrow.
Broad.
Two paths and NO MORE.
Hard to find.
Easy to find.
Two conditions and NO MORE.
Few.
Many.
Two facts and NO MORE.
Why do we believe there is a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, etc… way? We want to create our own ways that aren't too easy, and aren't too hard, but just right. There are no Goldilocks scenarios here. There is no JUST RIGHT tucked between too hard and too soft, or in this case too hard and too easy. Those who are seeking that 'just right' position between too hard and too easy will end up realizing that 'just right' position is in fact their attempt to make the hard path easier in some way. As soon as we begin to try and change the path to something it isn't, we are venturing down that BROAD path which is incredibly broad because it allows us to create our OWN path rather than take the path our SAVIOR has forged for us.
But first-
We come to two gates.
A gate is--
'Strong's: Apparently a primary word; a gate that is the leaf or wing of a folding entrance (literally or figuratively): - gate. '
We've all walked through gates of various sorts, there's nothing to it. If you desire to enter a place and there is a gate between you and that place, then you simply open the gate and walk through it, right?
A gate is an entrance.
We are entering done God's path or Satan's path and it's our choice to make.
The path is the road we will travel towards our destination.
If we are told plainly that the majority of people will be entering the wide gate and traveling down the broad path shouldn't we question ourselves, our journey and note if we are traveling down a road filled with others- the majority path?
If we CONFORM to the world's ways and not Jesus' ways then we are on the broad path.
It's so easy to conform, much harder to go against the grain.
Jesus NEVER promises us ease in this world, never! Yet we want that, we seek that and sometimes we seek it to the exclusion of no longer caring what path we are on. We don't FIGHT to stay on the narrow way, the HARD way. We are relieved when we things are no longer difficult for us. Is this natural and to be expected? Of course it is. No one desires difficulties or pain, no one. The thing is, we have to question our lives constantly. We have to LOOK at the path we are on, all the time! If we are on that narrow path having gone through the strait gate, we can know because we are heeding all the teachings of Christ. If we heed the teachings of Christ we will automatically no longer be on the broad way.
Is it possible those two gates are presented to us on a constant basis? That it isn't a single occurrence, but rather a life long choice.
Mat 7:13 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:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
It stands to reason that we will be making choices all the time and unfortunately we don't always make the right ones. Is it possible we enter through the strait gate only to find ourselves on the broad path? I don't think so. I think we have to choose to enter through the wide gate at some point. I think both gates are constantly before us in our choices and by the grace of God and ONLY by His grace can we walk through the strait gate and onto the narrow path and stay upon it without being distracted by the wide gate and the broad path.
We make choices, daily choices. If we choose to enter the strait gate and start down the narrow path one day and into the next the same, and so on, then we are living the life that our Savior has taught us to lead all through Him, by His grace and mercy. If we step through a wide gate, living in a manner that our Savior is clearly against, and has taught us that he is against it, then we are no longer on the narrow path, and CANNOT be on that path.
We have to choose and choose with the knowledge that going down our Savior's road won't be POPULAR in any way, but it will be TRUTH.
We make much in our world of having the greatest number of followers and adding to those followers is the most important thing of all. So many have lost complete sight of our Savior and His truth because they've become obsessed with having followers for the sake of the sheer numbers, rather than sincere believers in Christ. They've completely forgotten that the narrow way means 'FEW there be that find it'.
Only by the grace of our LORD will we find the strait gate, the narrow path and journey down that path to be with Him in eternal life. Only in HIS righteousness, through HIS LOVE.