Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV Strong’s Bible)
” 13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
In today’s message we are going to be talking about the wide gate and the wide path. Contrary to the command to enter the narrow gate given by our Lord to us, Jesus warns us about entering the wide gate and walking the wide path. Jesus warns that this wide gate and wide path leads only to destruction of the person entering and walking it. Jesus also tell us that contrary to very few finding the narrow gate and walking the narrow path, many will find the wide gate and walk the wide path. Let’s look at the verse in detail.
I said in my previous message that the word narrow, in Greek, also means to groan, meaning discomfort or displeasure or pain. I said that it has a sense of walking against the natural inclination, meaning as an example, swimming against the current or walking uphill. I therefore then said that entering this narrow gate and walking this narrow path is entering through a gate full of discomfort and pain and walking a path which is equally full of discomfort and pain. This is the reason why only few will find this gate, and even if they find it, very few will enter through it, and even if they find it, even fewer will walk the path.
On the contrary the other gate that leads to destruction is wide, meaning broad and the path that follows this gate is easy, meaning broad and spacious, without obstacles. Jesus says many continue to enter through this gate. If the narrow gate and the narrow path are full of discomfort and pain then, the wide gate and path will be full of earthly joy and happiness. If this wide gate and path leads to destruction, it means the gate can only be devil and the path is a path of sin. This means many will follow the devil and many will continuously live a sinful life that leads to hell. This is the path as defined by Paul:
Ephesians 2:1-3 (New Living Translation – NLT)
1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.* He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.”
The wide gate is the devil, and the easy or wide path is continuously living a life in obedience to the devil. You see, this path is easy because, when you follow the devil, you can live a sinful life as you want and you don’t have to worry about obeying God. As you can see in the verse above, while you walk this easy path, the devil continues to work in you, continues to decieve you so that you stay in this path. He promises and in most instances gives you anything that you want, and unfortunately what the devil gives, is what many people in this world want: success, deliverance, breakthroughs, health, promotions, marriage, winning court cases, etc. The devil will make sure you get anything you want as long as you reject Jesus and continue to reject Jesus. This is what the narrow gate and the easy path is all about. It is about rejecting Jesus and obeying the devil and allowing him to decieve you.
Remember that the devil cannot force himself on to you, you freely choose him and allow him in your heart by choosing to enter the wide gate and the easy path. This is the reason why most people when confronted with the gospel truth, their response is always, ‘but everyone else also sins’. It’s as if it means because everyone else sins, therefore sin is no longer sin. If one look at how many people have chosen to enter by the wide gate and walk the wide path, one can understand why they think it is ok, to sin. I remember one person telling me that it is the society that decides what sin is. If the majority thinks, it is not sin, then it is not sin.
This reminds me of a movie called “God’s not dead”, where one of the characters said that the devil allows one to live a trouble free life so that he/she, does not see the need for God and she said that sin is like being in jail with the jail doors wide open. But because it is so nice and comfortable in this jail, one does not see a need to leave. Until one day, the door is shut, and it is too late and no longer possible to get out. This is exactly what the wide gate and easy path is all about.
Wake up, open your eyes and notice that you have entered by the wide gate and are walking the easy path. Get out of the gate while the gate is open, for soon, it will be shut (Luke13:24-25, Matt 24:44, Mat 25:10-13). This message ties in with my other message called “Following and Supporting a False Teacher, is a sign of your own pending destruction in Hell“, which showed that if you find yourself sitting in a church, following and supporting a church whose pastors promises you success, deliverance, breakthroughs, health, promotions, marriage, winning court cases, etc, and it is these very promises that attracted you to this church or this pastor, then this might be the sign to you that you are on your way to destruction in hell fire as that pastor you are following, might be a strong delusion sent by God so that you may beleive what is false and be condemned because, you have rejected the true word of God and ran after short lived earthly pleasures. Those that follow or support these pastors because of these promises, have clearly chosen the wide gate and are walking the easy path. Look at your life, is your life characterized by the constant need to obey God? If not, you might have entered by the wide gate. Repent and seek the narrow gate and walk the narrow path that leads to life. Amen.