Only One Way Pt 2
Matthew 7:13-14
2 Gates
2 Paths (Ways)
2 Destinations
What is immediately striking about these verses is the absolute nature of the choice before us. We would all prefer to be given many more choices than only one, or better still to fuse them all into a conglomerate religion, thus eliminating the need for any choice. But Jesus cuts across our easy-going syncretism. He will not allow us the comfortable solutions we propose. Instead he insists that ultimately there is only one choice, because there are only two possibilities to choose from.
But the terrible word ‘destruction’ (terrible because God is properly the Creator, not the Destroyer, and because man was created to live, not to die) seems at least to give us liberty to say that everything good will be destroyed in hell—love and loveliness, beauty and truth, joy, peace and hope—and that for ever. It is a prospect too awful to contemplate without tears. For the broad road is suicide road.
but to total ruin and loss (cf. Matt. 3:12; 18:8; 25:41, 46; 2 Thess. 1:9; Jude 6–7). It is not the complete loss of being, but the complete loss of well-being. It is the destination of all religions except the way of Jesus Christ, and it is the destiny of all those who follow any way but His. It is the destination and destiny of perdition, hell, and everlasting torment. “The way of the wicked will perish” (Ps. 1:6).
The dynamic of this life. The word translated “life” is the Greek word “zoe” which gives us our English word “zoology.” Used in a spiritual sense in Scripture, this word speaks of “the absolute fullness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God” (Thayer). It is used of that life “which the Father has in Himself, and which He gave to the Incarnate Son to have in Himself, John 5:26, and which the Son manifested in the world, 1 John 1:2” (Vine). Christ is not talking about being the life of the party here but about obtaining Divine life which comes through Christ in salvation. Jesus said regarding this life, that He was “the life” (John 14:6), and that “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
The delight of this life. This life will bring great joy. As such it will more than compensate for any trials and troubles and sorrows one had to endure from the “strait” gate and from the “narrow” path. No one will ever be sorry they experienced the “strait” gate and the “narrow” way in order to obtain this life. The rewards God gives us for holy living far exceed any affliction we experienced in living holy. Paul spoke of these afflictions when he said, “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). Our temporal troubles from being on the right path give way to eternal blessings at the end of the right path.
The duration of this life. This life is eternal life. Christ is talking about life everlasting in our text. This life continues forever. There is no end to it. The bliss, the joy, the blessing of this life will know no end. Just as loss at the end of the wrong path is forever, so life at the end of the right path is forever. The world has nothing to offer like this life. They have nothing that even remotely compares to this life. All that the world has to offer is the wrong path.
2 Crowds
The many will include pagans and nominal Christians, atheists and religionists, theists and humanists, Jews and Gentiles—every person from whatever age, background, persuasion, and circumstance who has not come to saving obedience to Jesus Christ.
This is the path where you will find a big crowd. This will be the path that will be most recommended to you by the world. It is popular to walk on this path. Sin captures many through the means of popularity. When everybody is doing it, folk foolishly tend to think it is the thing to do.
Jeremiah did not find a large crowd sitting with him who were devoted to the Word of God. Being unpopular always adds to the difficulty of any pursuit. It can be very discouraging and disheartening to be unpopular.
There is no limit to the number who could go through that gate, if they go through in God’s way, in repentance for their sins and in trust in Jesus Christ to save them. Nor is the number few because heavenly space is limited. God’s grace is boundless, and heaven’s dwellings are limitless. Nor is the number few because God desires that most people perish. He earnestly desires “for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).
If you find little company in regards to your faith in Christ, that does not invalidate your faith but instead may validate what the Scriptures say about “few” being on the right path. The idea of a “moral majority” may sound nice, but it is a myth. The majority have never been moral. Such a thought contradicts the statements of Scripture.