The Golden Gate

Introduction:

Connection:

The Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco, CA, is one of the only ways to cross the waters safely to the other side. If you miss the bridge, you’ll drive right into the waters to your own destruction.

The Pilgrims Progress by Bunyan speaks of only one narrow gate to enter through, and only one narrow path to stay on, if you are going to make it into the Celestial City and enjoy Eternal Life.

Need:

We need to make sure that we know the only way to escape death, destruction, judgment, and condemnation. We need to ensure that we ourselves have entered by the Golden Gate of Christ Jesus—and that we persevere unto the end, that we might valiantly cross the River-Death and find entrance into the Eternal Kingdom of our God and of his Christ!

Theme:

The Golden Gate

Purpose:

To exhort Christ’s disciples to keep the Golden Rule as they follow Jesus; to proclaim the way of salvation through the Gate of Christ; to warn about the easy path that leads to destruction; to comfort those who are walking on the narrow path unto life; and to exhort the saints to persevere through hardship, on the narrow path, with an eye toward the Celestial City of Grace and Glory!

Recap:

Last time we were in the Sermon on the Mount, we saw how Jesus exhorted his disciples about the need for diligent and fervent prayer as they follow Him—and how we must see and believe in the good and gracious heart of our Father who is in Heaven.

This AM we will see another part of Christ’s sermon that addresses the narrow gate and the narrow way of life—a most famous text of Scripture—the one that Bunyan based The Pilgrims Progress on.

Text: Read Matt. 7:12-14 ESV

PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY

(1) The Golden Rule is a Summary of the OT Scriptures - v. 12

Matthew 7:12 ESV

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

(1) The Golden Rule is a Summary of the OT Scriptures - v. 12

This really brings us all the way back around to Matthew 5:17

Matthew 5:17 ESV

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

If you can remember from that sermon, so long ago now, we saw that Jesus did not come to abolish the OT Scriptures, but to fulfill them, in his person, work, teaching, and people. The full purpose of the OT would come to fruition through Christ and His Church. All is yes and amen in him. All will be accomplished. And then, Jesus said:

Matthew 5:19 ESV

Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Because Jesus didn’t come to throw out the OT, the moral law of the OT still stands in force today. We must still keep God’s law, in true righteousness, from the heart, as we seek first the kingdom of Christ. God’s Law is holy, just, and good—and we must keep it—not to earn salvation, but to live gratefully in our salvation.

Exodus 20:2 ESV

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Therefore, keep the 10 Commandments. Because God is the God of redemption—we are to obey Him from the heart, with all your heart! And here, Jesus gives another summary of that moral law that we are required to obey in obedience. It’s best known as the Golden Rule:

12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them,

This is really just another way of saying: love your neighbour as yourself. True love seeks the good of another. True love desires and delights in benevolence—not selfishness. True love doesn’t do something to someone else, that you wouldn’t want done unto you. True love does unto others, only that which you would want to be done unto you.

Now, of course, this being a broad principle, it must be kept within the bounds of the moral law. We never keep the law by transgressing the law. So, implied in this principle, is righteousness and justice. True love fulfills the law—it doesn’t break the law.

If you are sinfully wishing that someone will lust after you, then don’t return the favor. This is crucial. Jesus is not giving the ultimate power of love to our sinful desires. NO! But when our desires are aligned with God’s law and will for our lives—then only what we wish that others would do to us, shall we do to them. Love for God—and love for neighbour must govern our thoughts, desires, and actions.

We need to put ourselves in someone else's shoes. How would they think of this? How would they feel about this? How would they respond to this? Is this helpful or harmful to them?

Ryle: We are not to deal with others as others deal with us: this is mere selfishness and heathenism. We are to deal with others as we would like others to deal with us—this is real Christianity.

We want to be loved, protected, cared for, understood, embraced, pitied, held, exhorted, rebuked, and encouraged—so do such things unto others—fulfilling the love by the power of the Spirit, in true love as you follow Jesus.

for this is the Law and the Prophets.

This is the essence of what God requires of us in the OT Scriptures. You can summarize the OT, and the moral law of God found therein, by the Golden Rule of True Love. And thus, Paul says elsewhere:

Romans 13:8–10 ESV

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

The Golden Rule—running in the way of the moral law—is the heartbeat of God’s will for our lives:

Spurgeon: This is the sum of the Decalogue, the Pentateuch, and the whole sacred Word. Oh, that all men acted on it, and then there would be no slavery, no war, no sweating, no striking, no lying, no robbing; but all would be justice and love! What a kingdom is this which has such a law! This is The Christian Code. This is the [summary] of all that is right and generous. We adore the King out of whose mouth and heart such a law could flow!

(1) The Golden Rule is a Summary of the OT Scriptures - v. 12

So, brothers and sisters, disciples of Jesus Christ, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb—you have been set free in order to serve the Lord in true holiness. So run in the way of his commandments, keeping his good law, by the power of His Holy Spirit—and you shall be blessed. Trust and obey, and keep the golden rule—on your way to the place where there are streets of gold. But how do we get there? What is the path to the Celestial City? Let’s find out, as Jesus continues in the next 2 verses:

(2) The Narrow Gate is the Only Way to Enter into Eternal Life - v. 13-14

Matthew 7:13–14 ESV

“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. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

(2) The Narrow Gate is the Only Way to Enter into Eternal Life - v. 13-14

13 “Enter by the narrow gate.

Enter into what? Into the Kingdom of God. You must be born again. Blessed are the poor in sprit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. The chief imperative and command of these verses is: enter.

Enter into the Gospel of the Kingdom. But how? By the narrow gate. Enter through the narrow gate. But how is this done? Jesus has already told us, right before he began the Sermon on the Mount: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! It is that repentance and faith, in the Spirit, that transfers a sinner into the kingdom of God, into the life of salvation, into the family of God, and into the assembly of the true church. There is only one gate, and there is only one way through the gate. That Gate is Jesus Christ Himself, and the way through is by faith and repentance in His Name!

John 10:9 ESV

I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

John 14:6 ESV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Acts 4:12 ESV

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Acts 20:21 ESV

testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 28:31 ESV

proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

It is only through Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, who was born of the Virgin Mary, who suffered under Pontius Pilate, who was sinless, righteous, and perfect, who stood in our place on Calvary’s Cross, bearing our sin, shame, and sorrow—who satisfied God’s Wrath on our behalf—and who rose from the dead to reign forever in His Heavenly Kingdom…

It is only through Jesus Christ of Nazareth, that anyone can be saved! There is only one God and one Mediator between God and Man, the man Christ Jesus! If you get nothing out of this sermon this morning—know this: Jesus is the Gate, Jesus is the Way, Jesus is the Saviour. So trust in Him for salvation, and follow Him in your salvation.

And because Jesus is the only way of salvation, who calls sinners to trust in Him, repent of their sins, take up their cross, and follow Him—he warns us about another way, which is a deadly way. There are only two ultimate choices that one can make—life or death, heaven or hell, salvation or damnation.

And Jesus loves us enough to warn us about this. Jesus didn’t water down the call to salvation and the call to discipleship. He didn’t tell people that they would live their best life now if they came to Him—no—he told them that if they are going to be saved, if they are going to follow Him, that they must prepare to suffer, be hated, and even die. The Way of Christ is the way to glory—but the path to glory is the path of suffering. The Cross precedes the Crown. And so Jesus exhorts us firstly about the way of death:

For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction,

Jesus isn’t the only gate—but he is the only gate to life. There is, however, another gate. A wide gate. An easy gate. But it leads to destruction, ruin, damnation, and eternal death.

The wide gate and the wide path are the way of sinners. The gate is wide, so you don’t need to throw aside every weight of sin that weighs you down. You can bring all your sins and all your earthly vanities through this gate. You don’t need to deny yourself. You don’t need to fight against evil. You don’t need to endure persecution. You don’t need to be hated by the world.

The master of this gate, the prince of the power of the air, the Devil, summons forth and says: come unto me, and brings your sins with you, enjoy them, indulge in them, and just be yourself—God made you just the way you are. The most important thing you can do, is be you.

This is the wide gate, and the wide path, but where does it lead? It leads to destruction, to death, and to damnation. As John the Baptist has already said about the judgment to come:

Matthew 3:12 ESV

he will burn [the wicked] with unquenchable fire.”

Only a fool would enter this gate, and stay on this path—living in the fleeting pleasures of sin, to then be cast into the eternal flames of hell. But sadly, due to sin, depravity, and hard hearts—this is a path that many willfully choose:

and those who enter by it are many.

Especially in the days of Christ. Many went head first, boldly, and pridefully into the everlasting burnings. They would rather starve and be thrown into the outer darkness, with weeping and gnashing of teeth, separated from the gracious presence of God; then enter by the narrow gate, by faith and repentance. Jesus is saying: many did, and many do, choose rather to suffer the wrath of God than to forsake their sin, confess it, and find mercy by clinging to the Gospel of Christ, and entering the Gate of Salvation.

Oh brothers and sisters, let us pity the great multitudes that are heading toward eternal destruction, who shall drink the full the wrath of the Lamb. Let us weep over them, but let us never be drawn in by them.

We must not let the many around us who reject Christ, lead us to do the same. We must be in the world, but not of the world. We must keep our eternal eyes before us—we must keep eternity stamped on our eyeballs. We must rather be mocked and slandered and persecuted by those on the broad path, then be persuaded to leave the narrow path—for eternal life and death are before us:

Deuteronomy 30:15 ESV

“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.

Joshua 24:15 ESV

choose this day whom you will serve!

Matthew 3:7 ESV

flee from the wrath to come!

Ryle: Repentance, faith in Christ and holiness of life have never been fashionable . We must not mind if we are thought singular and peculiar and bigoted and narrow-minded. This is “the narrow road.” Surely it is better to enter into life eternal with a few, than to go to “destruction” with a great company.

And so Jesus returns us to consider the narrow way—the only way to everlasting life:

14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life,

Unlike the wide gate, which you can bring everything through—this gate is narrow. You must leave things behind. You must cast off your sin and the works of darkness. You must repent of your iniquity and self-love. You must turn from your rebellion against God. And you must trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. You must cling to His life, death, and resurrection as your only hope. You must rest in His promise of grace to the helpless. And you must reject all other ways. Hear this loud a clear, brothers and sisters, and any visitors here this AM: You can’t go through the narrow gate without purposefully refusing to go through the wide gate. You can’t have it both ways. If you are apathetically walking on the broad road, then you’ve gone through the broad gate—but to reverently walk on the narrow road, you must go through the narrow gate.

And this path, this road of following Jesus, this way of the Christian life: is just plain old hard. The Greek word is: τεθλιμμένη, which literally means: to oppress or to afflict. Jesus is saying: the narrow road is thorny. It’s painful. It’s full of suffering. It’s full of danger. It’s filled with challenges and hardships. It will force you to throw off your sin, it will force you to change your life, it will force you to change your priorities, it will force you to bear reproach as you bear the name of Christ, it will force you to deny yourself, it will force you to spend yourself, it will force you to suffer for Christ—but—the end thereof is LIFE! Eternal life! Fellowship with God! Heaven on Earth! The New Creation! The Eternal Kingdom! The City of God! The New Jerusalem! Where sin and sorrow is no more. Where resurrection anthems swell! Where the saints see Jesus face to face, and serve Him forevermore!

Only a fool would reject the narrow gate. Only a fool would choose the easy life now, to endure damnation forever. Oh if you have not entered by the narrow gate of Christ Jesus—you need to do so now. You are on the brink of eternity. Death could hunt you down this very day. And if you haven’t been redeemed, and cleansed by the blood of Jesus, and washed by the Holy Sprit—then you will be cast into the eternal pit, where you shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.

But there’s another warning too—as in Pilgrim’s Progress—Christian met many pilgrims who were travelling the narrow road, but who never went through the narrow gate and stopped at the foot of the cross. It doesn’t even matter if your on the right path—if you didn’t get on it in the right way. Only if you come through the gate, and through the Cross, to receive your scroll of pardon—can you rightly enter the Celestial City. And this is vividly pictured by Mr. Saved by Works, who makes it to the Celestial City after travelling the Narrow Path, but who didn’t have his scroll of pardon, as he was relying on his works and not on Christ by faith—and even at the very gate of heaven, he is cast into the pit of hell. Congregation—please, I beg you—reject the easy way, and enter by the gate, to endure through the hard way, for this is the only way into the Celestial City.

And yet, though these promises and warnings abound, Jesus says:

and those who find it are few.

And so it was, especially in the day of Christ—very few followed the King, very few walked the Way of Salvation & Holiness. Very few came to Jesus. In fact, his very own people rejected Him. Millions ran after the evil one, the desires of their flesh, and thus did not find the narrow gate—for all they wanted was the broad gate, and the broad path, and thus they shall join the broad company in the place where the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

And one small phrase is added in the Gospel of Luke, that is so piercing:

Luke 13:24 ESV

“Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

Strive to enter now—call out to the Lord Jesus Christ, plead with Him to grant you faith and repentance, seek Him until He saves you, and causes you to be born again unto a living Hope! Ask, seek, knock—and this gate shall be opened unto you. This is the most important thing you will ever do—because it brings eternal consequences—forever, and ever, and ever, and ever…… For when you are burning in hell, shut out from the light of God’s gracious presence, being gnawed on by worms of conviction, and being tormented by the wrath of God—you will seek to enter into heaven, you will wish that you would have listened to me, you will long to be delivered from the pain you shall be under—but you will not be able to, for between heaven and hell there is no road to travel. You will be in so much suffering that you will wish to not exist, you even will cry out for the rocks to crush you and annihilate you—but you will not be able to. For the LORD, who is holy, holy, holy, can by no means clear the guilty—and his everlasting burnings will justly abide upon those who remain in their sin.

And so please, I beg you, hear the words of Jesus Christ this day and be converted! As Jesus himself said:

Luke 13:5 ESV

No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

And know that when you come to Jesus, when you enter the narrow gate, that it is only the beginning. Oh your sins and burden of guilt will roll off your back forevermore, and your entrance into the Celestial City will be secure. But you’re not there yet! You must endure, you must persevere, you must follow Him—you must keep on that narrow path—for the City of God is only at the end of the way. And if you have truly entered by the narrow gate, then you will persevere in the narrow way. So:

Proverbs 4:26–27 ESV

Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

And as you persevere in faith and obedience, know this, children of God:

Psalm 31:23 ESV

The Lord preserves the faithful.

Philippians 1:6 ESV

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

So which gate will you enter? Which path will you trod? Choose this day, you who are gathered here this morning. Enter by the narrow gate, through Christ, the Blessed Man and Saviour of Sinners! And walk in Him! He will keep you. He will hold you. He will save you. So stay in His Word, and rely on His Spirit.

Psalm 1:1–6 ESV

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

(2) The Narrow Gate is the Only Way to Enter into Eternal Life - v. 13-14

We have a golden rule we must keep—and a narrow path we must trod. So in light of this, hear our conclusion for this morning, with four final applications:

(C & A) The Golden Gate is Christ Alone, so Enter and Endure in the Hard Way of Life, Escaping the Easy Way of Destruction.

Psalm 119:105 ESV

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

(1) The true Church will show their faith in obeying the golden rule of love, whereas the world will show their unbelief by obeying the rusted rule of selfishness. You will know them by their fruits. Know that the narrow path is lit up by the living Word of God. This is the only way to walk forward, with an eye toward the kingdom of glory.

(2) The proud try to walk on the narrow path without going through the narrow gate (and they shall be cast out, even at the door of heaven); the humbled gladly come through the narrow gate as their only hope in life and death, and true believers shall persevere unto the end, held up by the LORD our God who has sealed us to the day of redemption.

(3) Young Christians need to look to older Christians who have been walking on the narrow path for a long time, and to follow their lead, as they are journeying to glory. We need each other’s fellowship, like Christian who was met by Faithful on the path, and in such fellowship we shall find renewed strength to endure in the hard way unto everlasting life (even as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death).

(4) Backsliding Christians need to be warned that their lives of unrepentance might prove that they are on the wide and easy way to destruction, and not the hard way to life—even if they might act as those who have entered by the narrow gate. Be warned, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God—but also be warmed, you his saints, it is a blessed thing to rest in Christ with the scroll of pardon!

Let me give some final words to Matthew Henry:

Henry: The way to eternal life is narrow. We are not in heaven as soon as we are got through the strait gate. Self must be denied, the body kept under, and corruptions mortified. Daily temptations must be resisted; duties must be done. We must watch in all things, and walk with care; and we must go through much tribulation. And yet this way should invite us all; it leads to life: to present comfort in the favour of God, which is the life of the soul; to eternal bliss, the hope which is at the end of our way, should make all the difficulties of the road easy to us!

Psalm 16:11 ESV

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

(C & A) The Golden Gate is Christ Alone, so Enter and Endure in the Hard Way of Life, Escaping the Easy Way of Destruction.

Amen? Let’s pray.

Discussion Questions:

(1) What is the ‘Golden Rule’? How does it summarize the moral law? And what are some practical examples of it?

(2) Does the ‘Golden Rule’ have some bounds? Is Jesus affirming all wishes and desires of human hearts?

(3) What (or who) is the ‘Narrow Gate’? And how do we enter by it (or him)?

(4) Compare and contrast the two gates, the two ways, the two pilgrims, and the two destinations. What do you notice?

(5) The word for ‘hard’: ‘τεθλιμμένη’ is literally translated as ‘oppressed or afflicted’. How does this shine light upon what Jesus is saying? And given this—why is the hard path still worth it?