Matthew 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: 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:
The verse sets two gates, two roads and two ends against each other, with the wide gate and broad road leading to destruction and entered by many, and the strait gate and narrow road leading to life and found by few. It commands entering by the strait gate and choosing the narrow road that leads to life. The broad road is easy because it leaves room for sin, self-indulgence, pride, selfishness and doing what inclination dictates, requiring no striving but only drifting with the world. The narrow road to life is difficult, self-denying and cross-bearing, requiring giving up cherished sin, self-will and love of the world to follow Christ in His footsteps. Entering it requires earnest striving and obedient doing of the Father's will, for mere profession, outward godliness or saying Lord, Lord without conversion and obedience does not place anyone on the way of life.
Wording and Setting
The verse sets two gates, two roads and two ends against each other: the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many enter by it, while the gate is strait and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few find it. The roomy gate and easy road end in ruin, and many choose that road to ruin, while entrance to life requires going through the constricted gate and staying on the confined road, and few find that road to life. It is a command to enter the strait gate and to choose with care the narrow way that leads to life, following Christ's orders and footsteps as the safe path instead of one's own ideas, plans and suggestions of mind. That call to enter belongs with divine instruction to be obeyed by laboring to prevent souls being snared by Satan's wiles and by not counting it humiliating to confess faults the Lord points out, as both warning and encouragement.
It belongs to the Sermon on the Mount, delivered to the disciples while the gathered multitude also listened. It was spoken in plain simple language that even the poor and unlearned could understand, and with authority as words of eternal life. The sermon is a wonderful production yet so simple that a child can study it without being misled, spoken with an authority exclusively His own, every sentence coming from God. Christ who spoke it is the Word and the Wisdom of God and presented truth with the authority of God, and His words are spirit and life, bearing no comparison with a mass of tradition with merely a semblance of truth that can never fit the learner to live in this life so as to obtain the higher immortal life. The mount where it was spoken is an emblem of the high elevation on which Christ ever stood.
It is Christ's answer to the question whether few will be saved, and the answer matters supremely. It also answers why few are saved: the wide gate and broad way lead to destruction and many go in there because it costs nothing to find, with no hunting, seeking or striving needed, only drifting with the current of the world with its maxims, its standard and its spirit, until the line of demarcation between saint and sinner is obliterated. It stands as part of a test that shows the difference between the genuine believer and the unbeliever, in which the principles of a person's lifework and words and works testify to character and which side is stood on. The call to enter the strait gate belongs with the warning to beware of false prophets who come in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves, to be judged by their fruits and recognized by them though they may appear attractive, as a good tree is known by good fruit and a corrupt tree by evil fruit, with every fruitless tree hewn down and cast into the fire. Entrance into the kingdom of heaven is not by saying Lord, Lord, or by prophesying, casting out devils and doing many wonderful works in Christ's name, but by undivided choice of God's way in doing the will of the Father in obedience to His word and response to the Holy Spirit, apart from which Christ will say I never knew you to workers of iniquity.
The sermon in every way opposed the theories and practice of the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees and virtually contradicted their doctrines. Those religious leaders had long set human ideas, maxims and traditions before the people as if proceeding from God without any Thus saith the Lord, and had so misrepresented God that He was looked upon as a stern judge incapable of compassion, mercy and love, while they professed to know and worship the true and living God. Against that misrepresentation Christ set forth the true character of God to restore confidence in the love of God and to lead to the throne of God by a new and living way in His paternal love. The verse gives the conditions of entrance into the kingdom of God. It disappoints hope of worldly greatness and undoes false education by giving a right conception of the kingdom and of Christ's own character. It does not directly attack error and does not set out the wretchedness of the world on account of sin, but teaches something infinitely better than was known. It leaves hearers to draw their own conclusions about the nature of the kingdom from its conditions of entrance. What it teaches about entrance is a foundation principle of the kingdom, no less important now than for the multitude on the hillside.
It is part of Jesus' teaching about the principles of His kingdom of divine grace, rather than an earthly kingdom of power, freedom and restored glory. It belongs to Christ's Sermon on the Mount and pure gospel teaching where the principles of God's law are taught in their full reach to be received in the heart, explaining God's holy law as the standard for Christian character and conduct, with the heart's condition shaping life and character. The lessons of the sermon are to be exemplified in life, with living them giving a deeper and more lasting impression than sermons alone. The narrow and wide gates are familiar images used to teach divine truth: the narrow gate is difficult to enter while the wide gate admits the multitude, and these contrasting images make Christ's lesson clear and memorable.
Broad Road to Destruction
The wide gate and broad way lead to destruction, death, ruin and perdition, and many enter and travel there, while the narrow gate leads to life and few find it. The broad road to death is followed by many, including youth who reject connection with God and yield to temptation, and the narrow path is one from which feet can be diverted by another's example to the danger of both. The way to heaven is narrow and self-denying in contrast with the broad way leading to destruction, and faith guides the redeemed along that narrow path through the gates into the city to future glory.
The broad way is easy because it allows carrying sin and corruption rather than denying self and obeying God, permitting self-indulgence, pride, greed, selfishness, display and natural inclinations without painful restraint, self-denial and sacrifice. It costs nothing to find, requiring no hunting, seeking or striving, only drifting with the current of the world with its maxims, standard and spirit until the demarcation between saint and sinner is obliterated. The gate is too narrow for worldly desires, and entering means following Christ and lovingly obeying God's commandments rather than holding to the world's attractions, while the world's call to self-indulgence opposes Christ's way that leads to life and is found by few. The verse thus answers why few are saved, applying to professed believers, churches and institutions that must be reformed or remain on that broad way and be lost, and health reform carried forward in right lines meets this same opposition.
The path to destruction is wide and spacious enough for the whole race with all their worldliness, selfishness, pride, dishonesty and moral debasement, with room for every man's opinions and doctrines and space to follow inclination and do whatever self-love dictates. No searching is needed to find this path, because human feet naturally turn into it, and it ends in death. The wide gate and broad way mean discarding Christ and choosing the service of Satan and the world, yielding to Satan instead of yielding to God, resisting truth when the Spirit strives, insulting grace and siding with the rebel chief. They refuse Christ's mercy, refuse to obey His commandments and refuse to share His suffering, self-denial and cross-bearing, though He stands at the head of humanity to show the way to heaven and gives power to become sons of God, and it sets the choice of Christ or the world with the whole world seeming to go therein.
The broad road to destruction is Satan's road, laid by him and kept up ever since, and Satan works with his own power and through all who lend him service to win people, especially the young, away from holiness and truth. From generation to generation he and thousands study to make destruction easy and inviting and to increase its attractions to allure multitudes, employing pride, unsanctified reason, riches, power, genius, pleasing address and strong unconsecrated influence, so it is made to seem the way to life. The broad way is made to look attractive and safe, pictured as happiness and glory offering freedom and bliss never before conceived and strewn with tempting flowers, with riches, power, genius, eloquence, pride, perverted reason and passion enlisted as Satan's agents. Vain philosophy and deceptive teachers clothe darkness in pure robes of heaven, travelers are praised and after death exalted to highest eternal positions, deceiving the unwary not fortified with Bible truth and not firmly anchored on eternal truth, while those who accept pleasing fables, excuse sin and choose worldly indulgence go in the broad way that leads to death with characters stained by sin.
The road leading to destruction can look attractive but its promises are deceptive, with pride, worldly ambition and selfish plans ending in pain, sorrow, remorse, care, disappointment, hope fading into despair and descent into unending night. That road is marked by warnings and consequences, which reflect God's love in making it harder for the heedless and headstrong to destroy themselves. The wide gate and broad road draw the eyes with longing desire while the strait gate and straight narrow path look unattractive and hard, and many go in. Choosing the broad way is choosing the friendship of Christ's enemies and the world's bribery at the cost of righteousness and truth, resisting light, refusing offered grace, despising warnings, slighting invitations to repentance, setting aside the Spirit's conviction, burying truth under tradition and fable, refusing to come out and be separate, and walking in self-kindled sparks, bringing confirmed impenitence, hardness of heart, hiding of peace and mercy and grace and reward of obedience, perdition and irrevocable condemnation.
The broad inviting way leads to death and destruction and many enter it, for the world's attractions are deceptive bringing fraud and misery, and Satan uses them to draw both parents and children onto that way. In the present time when iniquity prevails Satan tries in every possible way to make the broad road attractive and the narrow road grievous, humiliating and objectionable, glamorizing worldly pleasures, exalting cheap unsatisfying pleasures and throwing glamour about amusements that eclipse eternal things. So many sell their heavenly birthright for self-indulgence as Esau did and count worldly pleasure more desirable, trading away eternal things, but Christ overcame in our behalf and by obedience placed man on vantage ground to choose the narrow road. The broad road leads to destruction though it can be made to look safe, happy and glorious through deceptive teachings and worldly attractions that lead many onto it.
Those who follow it will face Christ's coming in clouds with power and great glory with terror, shame and remorse, for pure light and glory will be intensely painful to sin-stained character and awaken wails to hide from His wrath, with every word spoken against Christ burning into guilty souls. The broad way to destruction is crowded with nearly the whole world moving with lightning speed to perdition under Satan's leadership as conductor in the form of an angel of light holding the world in delusion to believe a lie unto damnation, with his next agent as engineer and other agents filling other offices, all bound in bundles ready to burn. Opposite stands the narrow pathway traveled by only a little company firmly united by truth, sealed for the heavenly garner, though care-worn from trials appearing triumphant as victory nears.
The broad road leads to ruin and death and is paved by indulgence in amusements, as Satan tempts tired, worn and depressed people in cities, towns and villages with pleasures that drive Christ from the soul like apples of Sodom turning to ashes when eaten. Amusements that draw people away from Christ and put God out of mind make it appealing, and exciting church socials, festivals, feastings, plays, frivolous gaiety, luxury, fashion and gatherings for pleasure pervert reason, destroy reverence for sacred things and shut out Christ, whose sorrowful presence would restrain mirth and bring neglected duty and hidden sin to remembrance. Those who know the truth must therefore take up the burden for souls, open the heart to God's love, press to the mercy-seat for promised power as co-workers with Him, and make judicious effort to reach and rescue them, for overcoming requires self-denial and following Christ's example.
The broad road leads to eternal ruin and many walk on it because worldly business, sports, fashions, amusements and unprofitable reading divert minds from eternal realities, with violence, revelry and drunkenness marking lives, and disregard for God's law marks the world's influence on the church. The broad path is a course of pleasure, sinful indulgence and rebellion against God's revealed will in violation of His law, especially the seventh commandment, while the narrow path is obedience to God. Spiritualists and others urge the unwary onto it by calling obedience bondage and slavish fear and presenting sin as freedom, covering dangerous heresies with garments of righteousness and making revolting crimes seem blessings, but their promised liberty is helpless slavery to sin, Satan and demons with no strength to go contrary to them.
The broad road leads to destruction and many are drawn onto it by Satan's attractive promises of liberty through disobedience, for the road to happiness is loving obedience while disobedience is misery, but Satan turns this signpost around so multitudes mistake the true way. Exalting human laws above God's law and disregarding the Sabbath, including through laws exalting human commands and coercing a man-made sabbath, are ways he leads people onto that road. The broad road is the way of disobedience leading to destruction and many are drawn onto it, as Satan works to deceive, confusing judgment and making false directions appear God's way, while faithful sentinels direct souls toward right paths. The broad road that ends in destruction is crowded with thousands because a powerful inviting foe solicits youth with glowing advantages, it is disobedience pursued for promised liberty to be as gods, the same temptation used with Eve, and staying on it means uniting with Satan in apostasy against God's law, accepting his spurious sabbath while the Christian world chooses another mark than God's.
The way to destruction may be entered by many because the path of error can at first appear close to the path of truth and be hard to distinguish from holiness, but the two diverge widely and become widely separated. The road to perdition can be mistaken for holiness when worldly influence rules the heart so wrong seems right, conscience grows dull, and the self-deceived continue believing the course holy. Feet entering a path diverging from the right way tend toward death and the broad road, for little sins, indulgences and digressions from God's plainly stated requirements put feet on that diverging path and eat out godliness even in those who would shrink from great transgression, and once retrograde movement begins no one can tell where it may end. Choosing what seems right by one's own judgment can still lead to destruction on the broad way to death and hell, and following one's own desires brings ruin and can endanger others by example; the wrong course in everyday life is the broad road while the right way leads to heaven, and a person can knowingly turn from the right path he knows from God's Word to follow selfish desires.
Broad views do not make the broad way safe, there is no excuse for choosing it when light of truth has been given, and those who resist truth and refuse God's will choose condemnation and will be without excuse, for the path for the redeemed is holiness. Satan charms people to stay so they do not see their condition until too late to secure fitness for heaven, so they must awake, and honoring Christ and living the religion of the cross means turning from that path. The broad way to destruction is entered by neglecting truth and neglecting great salvation, and it is not traveled alone, for those on it confirm others in impenitence by example and bear others down by influence, becoming instruments of the adversary in leading souls to reject truth and transgress His commandment that the seventh day is the Sabbath. The verse contrasts the broad way to destruction entered by many with the narrow way to life found by few, warning against letting ordinary affairs and trifles take priority over eternal importance.
Many travel the broad way because selfish, ease-loving men and women love their own way and opinions and love self-indulgence, pride and lust for worldly gain, and do not wish to be stirred to change habits, with aspirations and ambition broken in upon. Therefore genuine aggressive reform provokes opposition, calumny, hatred, abuse and outrage, and evil is chosen in place of good, while the pure cannot mingle with the corrupt, and time changes things for the worse. Those who cling to worldly ambition, influence and human approval refuse the sacrifices required to follow the narrow humble path Christ followed through obedience, giving up eternal life and immortal inheritance for temporary gain.
Narrow Way to Life
The strait gate and narrow way lead to life and eternal life, to heaven and the city of God and the mansions prepared for those who love and serve God with all heart, mind and soul, and to future glory, with faith guiding the redeemed along that narrow path through the gates into the city. The gate is not to be refused because the whole path to paradise cannot yet be seen; light already given is to be received and walked in harmony with God's Word, and as advance is made more light is given, the path grows brighter, and Christ leads safely. Those truly passing through keep the commandments, come out from the world and are separate, and walk in obedience on the road cast up for the ransomed, to whom the Spirit of Truth comes to dwell, and merely claiming to be in the narrow road while holding false theories and joining the world in temporal and religious dealing does not place anyone there. The broad road is walked in darkness and does not reach heaven, while the path of self-denial and self-sacrifice following Christ's example leads to eternal life and the city, and the harmful course is to be turned from to enter the narrow gate.
The way to heaven is narrow, steep, rugged, difficult and self-denying, in contrast to the broad easy course, requiring daily self-denial, self-sacrifice, cross-bearing and self-crucifixion, keeping a high clean standard and looking continually for grace while passing the sojourn in fear of coming short of rest. The way remains narrow because God has not widened it, and trying to make it broad and pleasant leaves people destitute of spiritual eyesight and stumbling while retaining a form of godliness without strength, help or blessing; bearing the cross, suffering tribulation and walking where Christ walked is required, while the half-hearted and pleasure-loving who choose a path without cross follow where Christ did not walk. Choosing an easier path that avoids the cross and hardship follows an example other than Christ's and heads toward destruction, for His own path included poverty, affliction, humiliation and death endured to make holiness and heaven available, and its requirements cannot be softened to suit taste. The road is narrow because it includes tests revealing character, exposing whether there is genuine religion with Christ's meekness and lowliness or government by pride, ambition and self-will, requiring daily denial of self, taking up the cross, following Christ, and learning submission and obedience from Him both to endure trials and to serve.
The way to life is narrow and apparently inconvenient, marked by conflict, trial, tribulation and suffering, yet not hopeless, for Jesus leads the way and His presence and promises make the pilgrims' journey a royal path rather than lonely painful darkness. It is the path to immortal life and the desired haven, traveled safely with Christ as Guide, though rough and thorny with steep dangerous ascent and pitfalls on right and left, requiring toiling on when weary and longing for rest, fighting when faint and hoping when discouraged. Christ Himself has trod the rough pathway before and smoothed it for following feet; it is the path of holiness cast up for the ransomed, illuminated by Him who is the Light of the world, and following His steps brings His light upon travelers, growing brighter unto the perfect day as borrowed glory from Christ is reflected. Through hardship, weariness, danger and struggle He guides those who accept Him, His light illuminating the way until the perfect day. It is a narrow thorny pathway requiring being perfect Christians, denying self all along and treading the same pathway Jesus trod, and those who endure as final overcomers will find heaven cheap enough.
The way is strait because it requires the cross and self-denial, and entering means enduring a trying testing process that is painful and humiliating, not to be shrunk from when the preciousness of God's gifts and the graces of His Spirit are remembered. If there were no self-denial or cross the way would be easy and worldlings would rush in and hypocrites travel it without number; the ignominy and shame Christ endured to purchase salvation with His blood shows no humiliation too great for those He saved, and even with the cross heaven is cheap. The way into life begins through a narrow entrance, but its narrowness does not mean life in Christ is confined, for after passing the strait gate its wideness is without limit. It is the path of faith leading out of darkness toward God, fully provided by God so human works and penance cannot add to it or earn entrance; it is broad enough to receive even the most hardened sinner who truly repents, yet narrow because sin has no place in it, being the way for the Lord's ransomed people.
The narrow way is the Lord's way marked by justice and judgment, and those who turn from it bring ruin on themselves and on those who look to them for guidance, with choosing worldly display and unnecessary expense being wandering from it. It is the path of holiness walked by the ransomed, requiring leaving pride, self-will, deceit, dishonesty, passion and carnal lusts behind; though it may look unattractive and difficult, rejecting temptation and following Christ brings heavenly peace and joy, while indulging sin deforms character and cannot bring true happiness. Following Christ on this path requires self-denial and self-sacrifice, and a truly converted taste is shown in dress, while the path of obedience and holiness is narrow and broad paths of sin lead away from God. The narrow way cast up for the ransomed leads to everlasting life, and pressing on against fearful odds and falsehood requires clinging closely to Infinite Wisdom, with those heeding the message for this time given strength to conquer and to testify by purity and nobility to unadulterated principles. Christ guides those on this path to everlasting life, acknowledging and honoring those who truly serve Him, but He will not acknowledge a hypocrite.
The narrow path is the life Christ lived when He dwelt among men, and disciples remain on it by studying the Bible and carefully and prayerfully reading the Saviour's life and imitating it, which keeps them from straying. Entering requires refusing to make erring mortals conscience and guide, and going directly to Jesus when weary and heavy laden with perplexities and trials to find rest and fulfillment of His promise; only personal experience founded in God, bringing forth fruit unto holiness, enables standing amid last-day perils and being purified and not consumed amid fires of affliction through which every saint must pass to remove impurities preparatory to the finishing touch of immortality. The Christian way is a narrow upward road requiring continual effort and chosen by few, in contrast to the broad easy way chosen by many, and the golden rule confronts pride and self-seeking. The strait way is a solitary hard rocky uphill climb toward a distant walled city, walked with perseverance like a traveler with a staff; that narrow way is a life of mercy to those needing sympathy and aid, which is truth as it is in Jesus, and entering it means practicing the golden rule, with the gospel then attended by apostolic power.
The way is pictured as an ascent along a road bordered by a deep precipice on one side and a high smooth wall on the other, presenting it as difficult and hazardous. The road grows narrower and steeper until loaded wagons cannot continue, so travelers must leave wagons, transfer only part of luggage to horses, go on horseback or on foot, and press on with discipline and endurance; the narrowing path illustrates the strait way, requiring giving up burdens that prevent progress, and only those prepared to bear its hardships continue toward the end. It grows more difficult so travelers must go single file, hold fast to cords for balance, and give up shoes and stockings to continue safely amid privations that leave behind those who have not learned to endure them, with a guiding hand and cords from above helping them continue in hardship, self-denial and steady progress. Travelers must abandon wagons and then burdens because these make staying on harder, and an unseen hand guides through dangerous stretches.
The way leading to life is narrow and perilous, requiring giving up burdens that threaten progress and needing guidance to keep from falling, pressing forward despite fear and danger. It is so precarious that travelers cannot always place feet fully upon it and must depend on help from above to remain on it, on a narrowing road where unseen guidance carries through dangerous stretches. It is a difficult ascent on which many fall before the end, requiring eyes fixed upward so as not to grow dizzy and fall, with hardships and privations causing some to fall behind while those prepared to endure keep pressing toward the end. Sounds of revelry, violence, anguish, profane speech and vile songs rising from below make the danger of leaving vivid and make travelers more determined to stay on course. Blood on the wall marks pain endured by those before, encouraging later travelers not to lose heart when they suffer likewise, showing that followers endure pain yet continue.
The way to life is narrow and difficult to find and few find it, warning those who expect to join the marriage supper of the Lamb but are unprepared, who do not see their danger and need to be ready to meet the King. It is followed by only a few, while the many who do not obey truth face destruction, here identified as the second death. The contrast of the broad way to destruction entered by many with the narrow way to life found by few shows believers should not be discouraged by being few, since fewness is consistent with following the way to life. The majority's support does not prove a teaching true or on God's side, for the wide gate and broad road attract many and lead to destruction while the strait gate and narrow way are sought by few; God's servants may therefore stand nearly alone as Noah, Moses and Aaron, Elijah, and Daniel and companions did.
The world travels the broad way, while those on the narrow way face temptation and opposition from evil powers; the narrow way is not without help, for Jesus lives to intercede for them and through His strength they can overcome. The broad road leads to destruction with the world caught in Satan's delusion and carried rapidly toward perdition, while by contrast a small company united by truth travels the narrow path, sealed for the heavenly harvest; though care-worn from trials and conflicts they appear triumphant as victory nears. There are two separate roads that do not lie alongside each other, the straight narrow path leading to heaven and the broad road leading to death and hell, which must not be brought nearer together with the distinction between Christian and sinner kept ever clear. The road to life and road to death are distinct and lead opposite, warning against confusing God's work with Satan's counterfeit or treating mixture of truth and error as wholly from God or Satan.
The way to God is narrow, the avenues of speculative knowledge do not lead to life, and the way that does is the way to eternal life. The Bible alone gives the means to distinguish the broad road leading to destruction and death from the path of life, and shows the way of peace and life for the redeemed to walk in, which human wisdom cannot do. The straight narrow path high above the world is followed by the advent people toward the city with Jesus leading them and the light of the midnight cry at its beginning guiding and shining along it so feet will not stumble; those who keep eyes on Jesus are safe, while those who deny that light lose sight of Him, stumble, and fall back into the dark world. Those who grow weary are encouraged by Jesus, but denying the leading light brings stumbling in darkness and falling from the path into the world below. The narrow path is followed separate from the world in danger by those seeking Christ's return, and those faithful to its end receive immortality and crowns of glory while the unfaithful are punished according to privileges and light, requiring humility and faithfulness to keep the promised reward. The narrow way to eternal life is Christ Himself as the way, the truth and the life, where Jesus keeps all the light of revelation shining distinct and plain for the devoted humble seeker, closing curious speculative avenues and sealing every fountain except eternal life, directing in safe paths on the highway of holiness toward the prepared mansions so not one soul need wander.
Striving to Enter In
Entering requires striving, earnest effort and active cooperation with God and the Holy Spirit rather than idle indolence or drifting, for God supplies the power to strive against darkness through active struggle and exercise of faculties, not passive waiting. The broad way leads to destruction and many enter it, while the narrow way leads to life and few find it, and in the last days as in Noah's time many resist restraining truth while those seeking to keep God's commandments must choose life despite surrounding evil. Entering means accepting truth that restrains sin and living in righteousness and obedience to God's law, with the Holy Spirit working in people as they struggle against the powers of darkness.
The way to eternal life is narrow and entered through a strait gate, requiring daily earnest effort to press through it to fullness of joy and everlasting pleasure, for merely wishing or seeking is not enough and a life spent only seeking ends in failure. Entering requires striving, not merely seeking, and many who are at ease and unprepared are walking toward destruction. It means striving with earnest work for the Master instead of waiting in idle expectation for a miracle, studying Scripture, desiring the sincere milk of the word to grow, submitting to definite Thou shalt and thou shalt not, seeking to know and do God's will, overcoming evils condemned in His word, individually battling world, flesh and devil, becoming skillful with God's word as the sword of the Spirit to cut through opposition and darkness, wrenching away from hurtful associations, counting the cost of following Jesus, cleansing from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and forsaking all because eternal life is worth all.
Entering requires coming in humility and contrition and, when reproved, confessing and repenting at once without reasoning about humiliation, bowing under the weight of the law proclaimed from Sinai; those who calculate humiliation will never travel the narrow path and stand on the brink of ruin. It requires willingness to confess and repent when God reproves without fear of humiliation, for those who refuse will not enter, and God's words must be fully acknowledged and made part of daily life like bread from heaven to receive eternal life. Striving means seeing, repenting of and acknowledging careless shortcomings, keeping Jesus in thought, longing and desire, exercising faith that acts rather than faith alone, and asking what must be done to inherit eternal life.
Entering requires earnest effort and assent to truth alone is not enough, for the strait gate is the safe way in contrast to self-reliance and self-exaltation which lead to sorrow. It requires striving, agonizing, earnest effort and courage, humbling the heart to understand God's purpose, for many seek to enter but are unable because they do not live faith, clinging to selfishness, self-reliance and worldly burdens for which there is no room. They must recognize need of Christ and let Him shape character, be stripped of self and worldly burdens, cease loving and serving worldly things which take away courage to strive, and workers must do this before leading others by presenting truth with grace and power, impressing satisfaction and joy in Christ's service, showing fruits of true religion in a godly walk, and constantly partaking of the water of life.
Entering God's city requires passing through the strait gate with agonizing effort, and the way is not easy; yet those who have fallen need not despair but may repent, forsake sin and turn to God for mercy and pardon. The road to heaven is straight and narrow and cannot be entered while carrying the burden of the world with its pride and self-importance; it is marked with trials and discouragements yet is precious and made for redeemed people, and through faith and determined effort to defeat the enemy it can be made victorious instead of unpleasant. Entering the way of life requires pressing through opposition rather than being intimidated, for the strait gate is difficult to pass and cherished idols and indulged sins must be given up even at great personal cost.
The way to heaven is narrow and requires steady persevering effort, with turning back when the way is hard meaning loss of eternal life; love for truth and Christ with Christ's strength helps overcome, and a circumspect life serves as light showing others the way. Christ's way is narrow and self-denying, and entering it and continuing through difficulties requires courage and perseverance, for the path has not become easier since Christ's time. Entering demands warfare, wrestling against principalities and striving against sin even unto blood proportionate to eternal life's value, not cherishing or compromising with sin, cutting off every indulgence as the offending eye or hand, renouncing own wisdom and self-righteousness, receiving the kingdom as a child, giving up worldly associates and human approbation.
The way to heaven is strait and requires earnest effort and sacrifice, and sin must be put away and anything hindering religious life, including cherished indulgences, self-reliance, self-righteousness, worldly associations or others' approval, must be given up however costly because eternal life is of infinite worth. Entering requires earnest effort and surrender of selfish interests, and the gate leads to eternal life worth every sacrifice, with drawing close to God requiring perfect submission and obedience. Entering the narrow way requires earnest effort and dependence on Christ, and in the last days those who make Christ their refuge will agonize to enter; the narrow path seems too restricted to those ruled by self-esteem and self-confidence, but these traits lead to ruin, while abiding in Christ means being crucified to the world, the one refuge provided.
Entering requires more than human effort: humanity combined with Christ's divinity brings people through, for Christ strengthens and overcomes for those who believe and take hold of His promises, while unbelief dishonors Him. The strait gate is the true path that must be sought with diligence by turning to the Lord with all the heart and gathering every ray of light after being convinced of a wrong course; entering does not depend on riches or learning but on a teachable spirit, found by searching Scripture with determined purpose, humbly preferring truth to error and God's favor to the world's friendship, with Christ guiding day by day so as not to be led astray by the enemy or false doctrines. Those who value light received, act on it and bring lives into harmony with it become sanctified and receive more light, and the call is linked to understanding the gospel as God's plan, with the way requiring humility, self-denial, sacrifice, duty, love and willing obedience while pride and self-indulgence including reliance on possessions and symbols of power do not enter, opening to those who come with teachable humble trust of a little child.
The gate is not to be refused because the whole path cannot yet be seen; a person should receive light already given and walk by it in harmony with God's Word, and as he advances more light is given and the path grows brighter under Christ's leading, with light enabling the humble seeker to see clearly the way to the city beyond. The way into life is narrow: Satan's intrigues and deceptions including secret things not yet come to light cannot pass through, and many will be unable to enter while these hold them; God will take the matter in hand by the Holy Spirit to break barriers, bring hidden things to light, and bring men into places where they will speak so things involved in mystery will be revealed in their bearing on His cause. The way into life is narrow and plainly pointed out as going forward and upward to the highest standard, and many seek to enter but are not able because they lack living connection with Christ; saying Lord, Lord does not open it, for like branches never knit to the vine those without union die, while branches uniting fiber by fiber flourish when religion comes into the heart, a connection to be learned and educated into until known by experience. Striving to enter leading to life is how Christ prepares people to enter; it requires receiving Christ and being changed by beholding Him, while self-righteousness earns no credit and self-exaltation turns people from reflecting His character.
Self-Denial Following Christ
No one can enter while clinging to besetting sin, selfishness, the world, or any sin, for the broad way that many choose leads to destruction precisely because it lets people carry sin and corruption instead of denying self and obeying God, while the narrow way requires taking up the cross and leads to life and heaven. The broad way is easy because it allows self-indulgence, pride, greed, display, and natural inclinations without painful restraint, self-denial, and self-sacrifice, whereas the strait gate is difficult to enter because leaving the world's attractions and lovingly obeying God's commandments requires restraint and sacrifice. Entering the strait gate means denying self, taking up the cross and following Christ, loving Him more than father or mother or son or daughter, refusing to live by the world's opinions and standards, and accepting hardship, patience, self-sacrifice, reproach, and poverty as Christ did. Few are willing to give up the world, selfishness, and sin to follow God's appointed way, and those who are lost are not lost because they could not be saved but because they refuse that way.
Entering the strait gate and its narrow way to life, contrasted with the broad way followed by many to destruction, requires giving up love of the world and making a complete consecration of everything to God, with wealth, worldly honor, and high position surrendered when they become idols. The way of life has a narrow path and a straight entrance, and clinging to sin, self-will, wrong habits, or unChristlike practices makes the entrance too narrow to pass. Those who follow Christ must give these up and refuse to live by the world's opinions or standards, since rank, riches, self-centered ambition, and love of ease do not fit the way. The path involves toil, patience, self-sacrifice, reproach, poverty, and opposition, as it did for Christ, and those who enter it must accept these hardships on the way to God's Paradise.
Entering the strait gate and following the narrow way requires determined, persistent commitment, putting away besetting sins, evil thoughts and attitudes, harmful habits, and every inclination opposed to God's will, cherishing nothing that hinders progress. Following Christ means refusing the path of transgression even when natural inclination urges otherwise. The narrow way of obedience leads to life, and entering means choosing obedience to God even when it requires bearing the cross and resisting natural and cultivated tendencies to evil. Choosing the broad road to indulge selfish desires and preserve worldly prosperity leads away from heaven and forfeits the life offered to those who follow Jesus.
The gate to life is narrow and must be entered by leaving everything behind for Christ and counting all else as loss for the knowledge of Jesus, through which come light, freedom, and power. Entering the straight gate requires leaving self behind, for self-centeredness keeps a person from following the way that leads to life. Entering the narrow gate requires relinquishing every burden, even idols a person is unwilling to give up, and those who cling to them are left behind. A company growing into a multitude passes through the very narrow gate, where no one can carry even the lightest burden.
The narrow way is the path of regeneration and entire transformation through surrendering self to Christ: receiving a new heart and spirit, overcoming inherited traits and natural desires, changing natural desires, and putting away deception, falsehood, evil speech, and other evil, denying self and obeying Christ and God's law. Character must be shaped by Christ to show love for God and neighbor in meekness and humility with recognition of defects, and a peaceful death, Christian profession, or kindness alone does not assure entrance unless the heart is in harmony with heaven. Those who enter are to live a new Christlike life, testify against evil, point others to Christ, and lead them toward salvation, even when following means swimming against the current of evil, for each person must choose between life and death, good and evil.
The narrow way is the path Christ opened, traveled before His followers, and still leads, and travelers reach the city safely only by placing feet in His footsteps, keeping His life and teaching as guide, and following Him. It is the path Christ leads through the strait gate into the city of God, entered by leaving the world and following Christ so as to guide others in safe paths, and though narrow and apparently inconvenient with conflict, trial, tribulation, and suffering, Jesus' presence and promises make the pilgrims' journey a royal path rather than lonely darkness. Its travelers strive to develop Christian character, live in a way that shows pure principles and genuine profession, and reach the gates of God's city. There are two opposite roads differing in character and conduct, the broad way marked by self-indulgence and disregard for the journey's end even among professed travelers showing no distinction from the world, while those on the narrow way follow Christ who opened it.
There are two roads, the broad road to destruction and the narrow road of Christ's followers, and Jesus the sorrowful and grieving Man opened and traveled the narrow way Himself. His followers are comforted by seeing His example and can safely complete the journey if they follow His footsteps, with conduct, speech, and dress differing from those on the broad road. Reaching the gates of God's city requires traveling the narrow path Jesus pointed out and leads, without compromise with evil, refusing ease and selfish indulgence when necessary and continuing the struggle against self through labor and suffering even when it costs ease, selfish pleasure, labor, or suffering. The broad way permits evil tendencies, low character, and evil companions, and listening to and laughing with them leads further downward, ending in judgment as an unfruitful tree cut down.
The way to life is narrow and rugged, not a broad pleasant path made easy for worldly conduct, but the royal way to heaven made for the redeemed to walk in. Those who enter life must follow the path Jesus and His disciples trod of humility, self-denial, and sacrifice. Those who belong to Christ, who purchased them with His blood, can choose Him as personal Saviour and by example lead others toward life instead of drawing them onto the downward path. The narrow path leads to the city of God, yet people can leave it when they become careless, abandon humility and Christ's yoke, or are caught by Satan's snares. Following Christ means walking in self-denial and sacrifice while remaining watchful against Satan's snares, worldly entanglements, error, and superstition.
The way to heaven is narrow because it requires self-denial, and those who choose appetite and selfish pleasure over God's promised blessings turn away from it. Like Esau they may later grieve their choice, but at the day of God they will find it too late to recover the heavenly inheritance they surrendered. The way to eternal life is narrow and heavenward, while selfish indulgence blocks the way and leads toward destruction, so entering requires self-denial and bearing the cross for Christ. The choices young people make and the characters they form determine their eternal destiny. That narrow heavenward path must be entered by self-denial, crossbearing for Christ, and enduring hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ, forming character that qualifies for usefulness in this life and for the future life in the kingdom of God. Selfish gratification, pleasure-loving, indulgence of every whim, and ensnaring games block that way and prevent entering, and petting youth and gratifying every desire to make them happy molds a selfish character unfit for commonplace duties, missionary hardship, and privation, by which youth decide their own destiny for eternity.
Christ calls people to the narrow pathway where every step requires denying self. Entering means standing upon the platform of eternal truth and contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints. As principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places are fully brought into warfare against the truth and Satan's deceptive power threatens to deceive even the elect, remaining on that narrow way requires discernment sharpened by divine enlightenment in order not to be ignorant of Satan's devices. The way of discipleship is narrow and its entrance is a strait gate with One Leader, even Christ, who leads along this path. Those who follow Him are to trust Him always and walk in meekness and humility, knowing He understands every temptation and is able to take away sin as He has promised.
Christ has marked out the path to salvation through the strait gate and directs sinners to enter it by taking His yoke, learning His meekness and lowliness, and depending on His strength rather than their own. They cannot reach it by their own strength but must trust in His strength, and this is the only way sinners can be saved. The way to salvation is the narrow self-denying path of following Christ, whose life of doing the Father's will and giving Himself for others is its practical example. Those who choose an easier selfish path do not truly represent Christ even if they claim to be Christians, and they will not enter heaven if they refuse to share His shame and reproach.
The way to heaven is the strait and narrow path of obedience, which Christ walked as the perfect example, and through His grace people are enabled to follow in His footsteps. The narrow path Christ marked out leads through the strait gate to the city of God and to the mansions prepared for those who love and serve Him with all heart, mind, and soul, while the broad road traveled by many in darkness leads to destruction and does not reach heaven. The path of self-denial and self-sacrifice following Christ's example leads to eternal life and the city of God. The way to heaven is a straight and narrow road calling for bearing the cross and following Jesus who walked it before, with its hardships met without complaint in meekness and cheerfulness, since trials endured here prepare God's children for glory.
Christ provides the way for the redeemed to walk, and following Him means accepting the cost of sacrifice and carrying the cross. Choosing Christ means being willing to endure trials and affliction for His sake, making required sacrifices cheerfully and without fretting, and following the pattern of His suffering. Sacrifices made to bring happiness to others and save souls take part in the work of salvation. The narrow way that leads to eternal life is where peace and joy are found only in serving Christ, and entering it means putting away all foolishness, refusing trifling, pressing forward with decided resolve, and honoring Christ so His great sacrifice avails. Those in the narrow way draw with Christ and use their influence to help souls around them feel God's converting power and find that peace and joy.
The path to true and lasting riches is narrow, marked by self-denial and sacrifice, while the eager pursuit of earthly treasure leads people away from it. Those who press on through obstacles and lift the cross will reach glory and gain imperishable treasure. Earthly riches are temporary illusions that can obscure the eternal glory ahead, and Christ calls people to look beyond the present and see what lasts forever. Bearing the cross does not defeat those who follow this way; the cross lifts them.
Obedience Versus Profession
Entering through the narrow gate means bringing the whole life under Christ's rule, staying in gospel simplicity rather than rising above it, and exercising faith both by hearing God's word and by practicing it. It means obeying God even when obedience costs self-denial, humiliation and the cross, refusing to excuse disobedience because the step looks hard, accepting truth that restrains sin and living in righteousness and obedience to God's law. The choice is shown by words and works and by response to the Holy Spirit, not merely by calling Jesus Lord but by doing the Father's will, and drawing nearer to Jesus purifies the soul and shapes character to influence others toward Him. Staying with the many in disobedience despite conviction, choosing anxiety about self over faith, is the wide gate and broad way to destruction, which in the last days as in Noah's time many choose while resisting restraining truth, and that destruction falls suddenly on the unready when the day of the Lord comes as a thief.
The new life entered through the narrow gate must be understood before baptism as requiring undivided affections and entire surrender. The wide gate and broad way to destruction is serving two masters with a divided heart, merely saying Lord, Lord and I believe without practicing truth, not loving God and disregarding His precepts. The narrow gate and narrow way to life is thorough conversion, practicing truth, doing the Father's will, loving God and keeping His commandments, bearing good fruit that testifies to character as a good tree does, with the line of demarcation plain and distinct. Entering the narrow gate in this sense means walking the narrow path of obedience to God's will, where obedience proves faith in Christ and those who love God and keep His holy law join will, purpose and actions to His will and join in the salvation of believers. Parents and children who follow their own will work counter to God's will and are not walking that path or entering that gate, for cause cannot be separated from effect so avoiding results without correcting disobedience fails, and letting disobedience continue in children leaves the path and makes them candidates for destruction.
Entering through the narrow gate requires exact and particular service instead of lax loose ideas of Christian character, faithfulness in that which is least, refusing to mingle with and make companions of those who decoy away from truth and righteousness, and rejecting false theories that make others careless, unthankful and unholy. Ministers, teachers and professing students must lead the way in that path, accepting the restraint God's commandments bring instead of calling it loss of liberty, and refusing pleasure and wild license falsely called freedom. It means welcoming the Holy Spirit's conviction of sin, righteousness and coming judgment unto genuine conversion with strength to resist temptation, instead of loving association with the light, trifling and vain, and taking Christ's yoke of meekness and lowliness to find rest of soul as the experience needed to enter the kingdom. The way to life is narrow and difficult with obstacles and opposition while the broad way leads to destruction, so entering means choosing obedience rather than avoiding loss, inconvenience or ridicule, and resisting Satan, worldly pressure and demands that would make one disloyal to God. The Sabbath commandment is a test of that obedience and the sign between God and His people in the third angel's message, and without union with Christ the strong pull toward disobedience can sweep a person away.
The narrow path is obedience, purity and holiness learned from God's word and not from the world. Parents must train children to walk in it from babyhood, refusing dress and display, vanity, conformity to the world and following imaginations of the heart, for many now call such training old-fashioned and choose the broad way under the prince of darkness, molding the home by the world's standard and ruining children. Those who enter seek God with the whole heart, become partakers of the divine nature, and show Christ's love, purity, patience, meekness, perseverance, integrity and zeal in spirit, words and actions. The path of holiness and obedience to God's commandments is narrow while broad paths of sin and transgression lead away, and Satan works to delude and entice God's adopted children from righteousness into forbidden paths, while the Lord's way alone is safe so those who have received light must walk in it and live truth as it is in Jesus.
The narrow way is the way of holiness in which those striving are kept steadfast and reclaimed from guilt by the word of God alone, requiring trust in God rather than in men. Trusted men thought true to principle will be tested and will apostatize through corrupting their way before the Lord, and Satan uses their fall to tempt those in the narrow way to lose confidence in whom to trust, to distrust everyone and to abandon the way. Their fall stands as a beacon of warning that only the word of God can keep men steadfast in holiness or reclaim them from guilt. High profession does not ensure salvation, for the broad way to destruction with its wide gate is entered by many in contrast to the narrow way to life found by few. Possessing God's word, professing readiness for Christ's return, or belonging to God does not put a person on the narrow way when character and conduct remain worldly and unsanctified, with no distinction from the world in how one lives. Those on the narrow way follow Christ who opened and traveled it before them and can reach its end safely by following His footsteps, keeping eyes on the joy at its end, while those on the broad way are marked by self-indulgence, absorption in appearance and pleasure, and disregard for the journey's end. Professing truth while conforming to the world, cherishing idols and becoming spiritually indifferent leads away from life, while humble self-sacrificing followers continue toward perfection.
Mere profession of following Christ or acknowledgment of truth does not show one is on the way to life, for merely seeing the gate without passing through leaves one never thoroughly converted with a religious life not according to the Bible standard. Outward godliness that avoids the cross and hardship, religious excitement or emotion alone, and seeking Christ only for worldly rewards do not place a person on the way or establish that the course to everlasting life has begun. True entrance requires thorough conversion and surrender, giving up cherished ambitions, walking the self-sacrificing path Christ traveled with His poverty, affliction, humiliation and death endured to make holiness available, and showing Christ's character in humble conduct and fruits of the Spirit. Mere profession of faith is not genuine confession; true confession requires Christ's mind and Spirit within, shown by humility, heavenly speech, blameless conduct and a life bearing righteousness and peace, while words may profess Him and conduct deny Him. The way to life is not broad and easily found by many on strength of outward religion.
Entrance to life is restrictive and found by only a few, and many who claim to believe fail to act in harmony with truth and will perish in religious delusions. Many church members lack the wedding garment and beautiful garments, are blind to danger, and though they expect the marriage supper of the Lamb are unprepared for the coming of the King. Merely claiming to be in the narrow road while holding false theories and joining the world in methods of dealing does not place anyone there. Those truly passing through keep Christ's commandments, come out from the world and are separate, walk in obedience on the road cast up for the ransomed, and to them the Spirit of Truth comes to dwell with and in them and Christ comes to them. Words and actions that proclaim the broad way even while professing truth show religious profession without Christlike character does not prove following Him, and the Christian course begins with first steps on the road to everlasting life which excitement alone does not establish.
The way to life is narrow as the path of duty, peace and obedience where people of different temperaments can walk together if they follow Christ, and it cannot be walked while clinging to evil traits and selfish habits. Choosing one's course in response to temptation determines whether one is on the broad path to destruction or the narrow path ahead. The narrow way begins at an entrance where the cross must be taken up, and entering means turning from corrupt thoughts, honoring the marriage vow, holding truth in righteousness, and allowing God's Spirit to guide life toward peace and service to others. The narrow gate is entered by yielding the heart and bowing to heaven with faith that works by love and purifies the soul, representing Christ's character instead of Satan's practices. Treating truth as a galling yoke of bondage and complaining of restriction and narrowness proves the heart has never yielded nor known rejoicing in God's love, while entering is not bondage but walking in paths of peace and holiness with Christ's joy and sunshine in the soul from His presence and acceptance with God.
The broad way is the path of sin to destruction while the narrow way and narrow gate require decisive choice to follow Christ at cost of all things. People may long to leave sin and make efforts in own strength, yet selfish pleasure, love of the world, pride and ambition can keep them from the Saviour, so merely desiring good with partial efforts without renouncing own will and cherished pursuits does not enter. The narrow gate opens onto the narrow path of loyalty to God and His commandments, from which teachers of falsehood arise to draw people away. They come concealed in sheep's clothing while inwardly ravening wolves, so they must be watched and proved not by fair speeches and exalted professions but by fruits and whether their message leads to reverence for God and obedience to the moral law. Religion centered on self is the broad way substituted for the narrow gate, putting self in God's place, denying the Holy Spirit's work, making human opinions more important than truth and turning religion toward selfish aims. This cheapens experience, leaves without guidance, separates from God with self prominent and God unseen, and leads to false piety and fruitless effort, while the way to follow is God's way revealed in His word.
Professed piety that promises obedience but does not obey and bears no good fruit is exposed as workers of iniquity on the broad way to destruction. This applied to the Jewish people and leaders who knew the Father's will and said I go to work in the vineyard but did not intend to go, and by persisting in evil became as ravening wolves, false prophets in sheep's clothing, bringing upon Jerusalem foretold destruction. Their failure to walk in light given separated them from Him, and darkness came in proportion to light allowed to shine on the path. The same choice governs business conduct: worldly standards may approve what God condemns but conformity does not make injustice right, and unselfish principles with strict integrity belong to the narrow way so wrongs must be repented and put away. Sharp, unfair, selfish dealing belongs to the destructive way, dishonest dealings and deceptive schemes bar entry to the holy city, dishonest practices in temporal or spiritual dealings cannot be carried through the narrow gate, and treating clever cheating as valuable knowledge is crooked dealing toward destruction with no place in heaven for deceptive practices. Those who profess truth but mingle sacred with common without straightforward honesty show by actions they have chosen the broad way entered by many, requiring heart, mind, soul and strength fully conformed to Christ's will.
Those who act contrary to Christ's example, including using sharp dealing to take advantage for gain, travel the broad road to destruction, not the path Jesus leads to holiness and heaven. Dishonest worldly gain places a person on the road to perdition, where success at cost of integrity secures no lasting riches and ends in loss, with a wounded conscience possibly remaining even after repentance and restitution. The way to life is narrow and cannot be entered while clinging to the world; trying to reach heaven while conforming to the world is taking another way, not entering through the narrow gate. Worldly dress and conduct cannot substitute for a life showing faith through righteous works with clear distinction between Christian and world, and those claiming to follow Christ while conforming in dress, speech and actions seek a world-shaped life instead of self-denial, imitating the world in vanity and pride rather than humility. Trying to gain heaven while giving oneself to the world's vanity and pride is climbing another way, and love of display and outward adornment can keep people from entering when they will not give it up to believe in Christ and follow His footsteps, so those who will not restrain it may bar themselves.
The wide gate and broad road open to ruin, and the devil works in alluring deceptive ways to lead people into them through cheap common talk, words of flattery and foolish witticisms spoken to create a laugh. All who indulge in such talk trade in Satan's merchandise and make impressions on hearers drawing them toward destruction, every transaction recorded in heaven's books, and at the last great day it will appear in true light before the guilty when all discern the devil's working and lure into the broad road. Deceptive, worldly, foolish, flattering and trivial talk and conduct can thus be part of the devil's work luring people onto that road, while its true character, harm and consequences will be revealed at final judgment. The path may be made to look safe, happy and glorious by false teachers disguising danger, even portraying followers as destined for honor after death.
Guidance, Family and Mission
The warning calls for diligent prayerful searching for Christ's teaching and faithful choice of the way of life as part of salvation's terms leading to the city of God, for the way to destruction is broad with wide entrance and many enter it while the way to life is narrow and difficult to find and few find it. The Bible alone makes it possible to distinguish the way of life from the broad road, requiring making the Bible the standard and aim of life, following the guidebook, obeying Christ's example and teaching, showing profession genuine by well-ordered godly conduct far above worldly ways, striving to develop Christian character and doing Christ's work, and measuring life by God's law rather than personal judgment or self-made standards. The way to destruction is broad and many enter it, while the narrow path avoids its pitfalls; the Bible marks out that safe path, and following its instruction faithfully is the only safety.
There is no safety in only casual sight of the straight and narrow path cast up for the ransomed; it calls for deeper penetration and highest integrity, constant heed lest feet be diverted, walking humbly with God with hand clasped in Christ's hand, leading to success and triumph in the third angel's message. Travelers on the narrow way need God's restoring grace each day to endure conflict and keep moving forward, without which they faint, while grace strengthens and encourages them. The journey is like climbing a ladder to heaven where earthly possessions, convenience, riches and personal advantage are hindrances and each step must be taken firmly, for riches do not make anyone good or secure salvation; the wide gate and broad way are disobedience and indulgence leading to perdition with no city whose Maker and Builder is God at the end, while the strait gate is self-denial and the narrow way is obedience and following Christ's footsteps into the city, and no human device can make it smooth or easy, so those who travel it must daily receive restoring grace through thanksgiving and prayer or they will faint by the way.
Entering at the strait gate means following Jesus as Leader step by step as an obedient child of light, with God's Word shining as a lamp for the next step rather than the whole journey. Those who enter have set the mind with determined purpose to do God's will, come to the Bible with teachable spirit preferring truth to error and God's favor to the world's friendship, and refuse transgression even when others take a course opposed to God's revealed will and natural inclination pulls to keep company with evildoers. The road to heaven is narrow and the gate strait, yet all who will may pass through by ever looking to Jesus; entering means bringing heaven into present life below, for final heaven must begin below, and the more of heaven brought into present life the greater the happiness above.
The way to life is narrow, and Christ who opened it at great cost leads humble earnest whole-hearted seekers along this way to holiness and heaven so those who follow fully are not left to stumble in darkness. Faith guides the redeemed along this narrow path through the gates into the city to future glory as they wait patiently for Christ's coming and deliverance. The way to heaven is narrow and needs the light of Christian hope and the Bible, but Satan's deceptions including spiritual manifestations that discredit the Bible and diminish Christ obscure it, lead people to trust manifestations and believe even the wicked and unbelieving are destined for heaven. Satan darkens guiding light by undermining confidence in the Bible and Christ with false teachings and wonders and promoting broad assurance regardless of belief or conduct, leading away toward destruction, while the Bible must light the way.
The Lord loves people and guides them along the narrow path, Jesus wanting to guide thoughts, words and deeds, and the Spirit guides those who walk in it to eternal honor and glory even where teachers and members are unconverted, human plans have replaced God's, and only form remains because self-sufficiency hardens the heart. The narrow way can be abandoned when people follow false guides into uncertainty and falsehood, choosing darkness rather than light and disregarding evidence at risk of blessings, and resulting darkness is great. The narrow way is right even when it brings fear of failing, and life on it must be measured by God's Word. Staying in it is not merely following conscience but pressing on constantly with conscience void of offense toward God and man, safe only when God controls the being, cultivating capabilities, wisely employing powers, and grasping divine will with sanctified intellect and living faith as Abraham did leaving country and father's house for an unknown land with obedient heart.
Walking the narrow way means following Christ's example and teaching, obeying the guidebook, and showing by well-ordered godly conduct that profession is genuine; its path is far above worldly ways and reaching its end requires striving to develop Christian character and doing Christ's work. The narrow path leads to heaven, and those who walk it bear fruits of godliness and give evidence they are the light of the world; their good works are fruits of salvation, not means to earn it. The path to eternal life is straight and narrow, and believers must keep feet on it without missteps, requiring heedfulness without going astray; saints receive angelic care and encouragement but can fail to heed it and leave the path.
People can be diverted from the narrow path, and one person's example and steps can cause others to leave it to destruction, bringing danger to both misled and leaders, so there is call for care not to lead anyone off. Hasty passionate words and neglectful conduct can set another on destruction's path, so Christians must value souls and deal helpfully, renouncing whatever hinders progress and showing mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, patience and Christlike love in daily life. Choosing what seems right by one's own judgment can still lead to destruction on attractive bypaths of the broad way to death and hell, warning against trusting feelings, claims of holiness or self-made standards instead of God's law; the safe path is humble penitence, faith and obedience, while following own desires brings ruin and endangers others, and youth following the multitude into wrongdoing take fatal steps that can lead others astray and must seek safe paths relying on God.
People can be drawn gradually from holiness through ambition, indolence, skepticism or self-indulgence, losing the Spirit's witness, growing discouraged and distrustful and avoiding services; the way back is to retrace steps, humbly confess and forsake the half-hearted course, renew earlier faith, cherish divine aspirations and trust Christ's power for strength and guidance. Turning from the straight and narrow path to crooked deceptive ways leads to perdition, and repeated yielding forms habits drawing farther toward ruin. The way of holiness is narrow, and children should be patiently tenderly lovingly guided along it, parents teaching eternal principles rather than compelling outward form, Christ making the path suitable to their strength and guiding as they are able to endure without hurrying ahead and leaving them behind.
The way to life is narrow, and children must be taught and guided to walk in it rather than left to wander in sin; parents are responsible for restraining and directing them so the family may enter together, making faithful effort and prayer until desires agree with God's will, teaching righteousness gradually to train love and service to God. The narrow way to life in contrast with the broad way is where parents are to set example by walking in it so the family may enter God's city together, since neglecting restraint can leave children on destruction's path and cost heaven; children preparing for baptism need loving instruction to keep feet on this narrow path of obedience. There are two separate roads that do not lie alongside each other, the straight narrow path to heaven and the broad road to death and hell, which must not be brought nearer together with distinction between Christian and sinner kept ever clear; parents must live out faith, not mingle with the world, subdue children's passions early, and not by silence or consent allow association with those who have no love for God or purifying testing truth that makes overcomers by obedience. The way of rectitude is narrow with dangers branching away and the way away from the right path open on every side, so children need careful training, prayer, watchfulness and kind but firm restraint and must not be left to drift.
The way of holiness is narrow, and young people are to walk in it rather than yield to pleasure or depart from heaven's approved straightforward course; praising lives that did not glorify God does not help them. The narrow path leads to God's city, and guiding inexperienced steps onto it means helping through kindness, prayer and loving interest rather than driving away through lack of sympathy. The way to perdition is wide open for children to enter and be lost when parents allow disobedience and disrespect, and characters must be changed or there is no hope; children whose characters are neglected and become morally deformed and youth growing up in sin and impenitence have feet on the broad road to death and ruin.
Satan seeks to draw inexperienced children and youth onto the broad way by making it look enticing, while the Spirit strives to draw them to God and those working for Christ must earnestly seek to win them with special care. The way to life is narrow and found by few while destruction is broad, warning youth whose flirtation and self-willed conduct separate them from God and dull sacred and eternal things; keeping form without heartfelt devotion does not put them on the way, and ignoring counsel they may realize outcome too late, while rejecting connection with God and yielding to temptation puts them in danger of the broad road to death, and choosing right requires moral courage and resistance. Many youth even in churches, institutions and Christian homes are choosing destruction; giving way to intemperate habits and greed for money for indulgences ruins health and character with disease and dishonesty, leaving them aliens from God and outcasts feeling without hope and breaking parents' hearts, yet God regards them with pitying tenderness, understands circumstances leading to temptation, and marks them as demanding compassionate labor to seek and save, for they are not beyond help.
Christ's followers are to teach people how to enter the narrow gate and be saved, for the broad way leads to destruction and many follow it; the way to eternal life is narrow entered through the strait gate, and followers are to lead seekers onto it through unselfish effort. The way to life is narrow and wandering people need guidance onto it; Christ's followers help guide wandering footsteps toward the Master, and those who stay close to Christ and gather divine principles from His Word can lead others toward Him and help them leave destruction. The broad road leads to destruction, but people on it can be guided toward heaven when others let God's light shine through active work; the way of destruction is the path from which sinners must be turned toward holiness opposite the narrow way, and working to turn them is good and right even when it brings ridicule, persecution, violence and injustice.
The way leading to destruction is a forbidden unsafe path into which people may be seduced, and Christ's followers are to call, warn and lead souls away into safe paths; entering the narrow way Christ leads through the strait gate into the city means leaving the world and following Christ so as to guide others in safe paths. The way to life is entered through a strait gate, and those seeking it need guidance; God's followers should help repentant sinners find their way rather than turn away. Entering the strait gate brings eternal life, and the way is seen when light shines for others; pointing souls to Jesus, showing how to believe and have His righteousness imputed by taking Him as personal Saviour, helping children and neighbors, letting light shine near and far, and going into highways and byways helps others see and enter.
The verse shows a broad road traveled by many and a narrow way of holiness heavenward; those on Christ's side must use time and talents for God and let light shine through life and character to attract souls from the broad road, remaining on the gaining side by honoring Jesus with gifts, offerings and self rather than spending on feasts for earthly friends, laboring for the church to be transformed to Christ's image rather than conformed to the world, for everything is to be gained or lost. Eternal life requires passing through the strait gate and narrow way, and God-given abilities and resources are entrusted to bless those being helped to find that way; people's choices and influence can lead others toward immortal life or eternal ruin, no influence too small, and its effects may spread and endure. Each person must choose the narrow way and faithfully use entrusted gifts, for a talent cannot be handed off to another; the verse shows man's relation to God as one who must render His own by making kingdom and righteousness first in reasoning powers and everything undertaken, thus reaching a high standard with success, pressing against current and multitude toward destruction, striving and enduring where none can do another's part, even if walking without friends who refuse to come.
Safety depends on faithfulness in stewardship and working out salvation amid deception warned of in the Sermon; Jesus qualifies people to lead others in truth, happiness and obedience. Those claiming to believe must turn out of the broad way the world travels toward ruin into the path cast up, retrieving errors with earnestness and zeal, representing Christ in good works, speaking truth in love from sanctified heart with Christ within, approaching others in kindness, since God has done His part through Christ's blood, the Word and Spirit and wants cooperation of living channels of light seeking Him earnestly to save many before souls perishing for the Word are lost. The narrow way cast up for the ransomed must never be swerved from by the repentant converted, who must not rest in self-confidence but are safe only as they devote heart and soul to God's work after Christ's example, developing Christlike character doing all possible in the Redeemer's service and suffering rather than yielding; avoiding false paths requires pressing in with effort and help, and succeeding requires overcoming through the Lamb's blood and living testimony.
The Christian life is the narrow way that must not be forsaken despite temptation, requiring taking God's will as standard and separating entirely from everything displeasing to Him to perfect character for eternity; leaving the heart unguarded betrays thousands, as worldly cares drive out godliness and speculation makes advance impossible, so remaining demands sober watchfulness unto prayer joined with earnest striving to guard the heart, since prayer without effort is mockery. The Christian life is a narrow path walked step by step under God's guidance, seeking and following God to advance, requiring steady deliberate course; a person should not remain dependent but grow strong enough to influence others, comfort the sorrowful, strengthen the weak and testify for Christ. The Christian life is a narrow path of humility under Christ's yoke traveled as pilgrims and strangers amid dangers from those who rejected the Saviour and hold out subterfuges and scientific problems to tempt swerving, which must not be heeded; many cast aside the yoke and leave the path blinded, so everyone must seek God personally, be vigilant against concealed snares, and the careless must beware lest the day come as a thief.
God's servants travel a rugged self-denying self-crucifying way unlike the smooth broad road to destruction; they should not expect work to proceed smoothly or mistake trials, privations and burdens for unusually hard lot, for these belong to faithful service, and those who love ease and refuse self-sacrifice are not fit to remain in the work. The path through the strait gate involves self-denial and self-sacrifice leading to the Lord's pastures, contrasting the broad road to destruction, and entering and continuing through difficulties calls for courage, stamina and perseverance rather than expecting freedom from trials. The way to eternal life can feel trying and difficult, and helping others in Christ's work of saving souls is a way believers receive help themselves and grow in grace, earnestness and prayerfulness. The humble straight narrow way to eternal life must still be walked even when others' unholy lives or failures discourage, for their choices do not change the truth or excuse turning away.
Tests Warnings and Application
The instruction in Matthew 7 must be studied most critically again and again by ministers and members for their own enlightenment and conversion, not to prove supposed faults discerned in others, and those whose thoughts are absorbed with others' faults have very serious defects and unless decidedly converted will prove stumbling blocks though thinking themselves lights. Obeying the chapter follows stopping criticism and evil thinking, casting the beam from one's own eye, having faith that works by love and purifies the soul, bearing good fruit by which one is known, and understanding the preceding verse about doing to others as one would be done to, and in this setting the warning against judgment calls members not to discourage or reject one who repents and asks forgiveness. The verse is divine instruction to be obeyed by laboring to prevent souls being snared by Satan's wiles and by not counting it humiliating to confess faults the Lord points out, heeded as both warning and encouragement. Those needing wisdom must not lean on human wisdom and human guidance as a snare but turn to Jesus and ask the Father directly, with assurance that God gives good things to those who ask, seek and knock, and with obedience doing to others as they would be done to, for depending on human opinion or support instead of God's Word leads away from the path to the city.
There is a right way and a wrong way and no one can follow his own way and prosper, the narrow way being walking in the Lord's way to do justice and judgment, obeying His word and trusting Him, bringing prosperity, help and guidance in judgment while wandering is esteeming human wisdom above His, following display into indulgence and self-glorification and entering needless expensive undertakings bringing heavy debt and depriving the work, making crooked paths that fail under test and bring ruin on self and followers because God cannot bless distrust. The narrow path is obedience to God's commands with the Lord as Counsellor, and those who have lost bearings must hurry with no time to lose to correct errors and walk in it, turning from man's plans to unite with God in spreading present truth and the last warning. The path of obedience and holiness is narrow and departing from it is serious danger to be recognized as such, calling people to seek the Lord, examine themselves, and not excuse disobedience by doing as others do, since following those who left the Lord leads away from the right way. Perdition is a path to shun and heaven a goal to gain, and the safe course is to obey all God's requirements whatever the cost rather than follow a course contrary to Scripture, for disobedience brings woe while God's requirements are founded in love and wisdom.
The verse bids followers be strong by placing feet in Christ's footsteps and following His orders as the safe path instead of listening to own ideas and plans, and entering requires heart, mind, soul and strength fully conformed to Christ's will, with dishonest dealings and deceptive schemes incompatible and barring entry to the holy city. Entering means counting the cost and not living in deception, denying self, taking up the cross and following Him, loving Him more than father, mother, son or daughter, and the way to life may have to be followed alone when companions or children refuse truth, requiring patience, forbearance, firmness and tenderness without giving up truth to please others or letting family duties displace duty to God, while the broad way is chosen by those refusing this cross-bearing course with consolation limited to this world. The contrast warns the way to life is not the popular or easy course, for many choose the broad road because more convenient while Christ's people choose the road marked out for the redeemed in obedience. Leaving the right path for a broader popular road puts people in spiritual danger, and seeking influence by hiding unpopular commitment to God's commandments and the faith of Jesus is leaving the narrow way.
The Lord has set a straight and narrow path and bids people be careful to take the right path and move onward and upward, the strait gate being the right path to life found by few and the wide gate the wrong path to destruction followed by many, and turning away leads from His guidance and ends prosperity. Propositions about paying higher wages to retain talented workers lead away from the straight and narrow way to life, in contrast to the broad way to destruction. The warning against making Battle Creek a great center applies the contrast to choices drawing people from the Lord's directions and hindering carrying the message throughout the world. Refusing worldly standards and plans in education and choosing God's direction instead belongs to the narrow way where followers of Jesus are illuminated by heaven's light, while treating religious principle as too narrow and separating education from religion to seek prominence is fatal delusion leading to destructive harvest.
The broad way is easy because it allows self-indulgence, pride, greed and natural inclination without painful restraint, while the strait gate is difficult because leaving worldly attractions and lovingly obeying requires sacrifice, and the world's call to self-indulgence opposes Christ's way so that health reform carried forward in right lines meets this opposition. The warning calls for turning feet from wrong practices including extravagant spending and for rejecting display for a humble restrained life rather than extravagance, while false teachers however attractive must be judged by fruit. Entering the narrow way and passing its gate to eternal life requires turning from sin to Christlike kindness, purity, unselfishness and good works rather than criticism, accusation and conduct dishonoring God and harming others, leaving self behind in exact service and refusing indulgence falsely called freedom. The verse means leaving a mind occupied with eating, drinking, dressing and a heart reaching covetously for worldly benefits and pleasures, and making decided changes especially in family life to serve God with humility and prayer while diligently inquiring what must be done to be saved, with God giving understanding of His Word and teaching true worth of eternal things.
Entering is personal work to be striven for, not church membership which is not the greatest thing, but coming with softened heart to brethren after mistakes and cleansing from the heart everything lessening influence for good in church and world. Church and world travel together on the broad way rather than choosing the strait gate and narrow way to eternal life, and many youth are on that road despite names on church books, showing membership alone does not mean following the way of life. The broad way leads to destruction and souls choose it when perverted imagination and unconverted appetites and passions lead from light pointing to the strait gate, while Christ has made provision and the narrow way leads heavenward to everlasting life, and worldly attractions draw people away from God onto perdition's path. The broad road leads to death and is followed by those rejecting everlasting life, so in marriage between believer and unconverted person one may seek eternal life while the other walks that road creating deep conflict, and the steep rugged path is made more dangerous when an unbelieving spouse adds weight and draws thoughts from Jesus.
Frequenting saloons and indulging alcohol is following the path to destruction ending in eternal death and surrendering body, soul and spirit to Satan. Sensational stories lead youth onto that entered path by stirring them to crime and evasion. A corrupt physician sets feet on the broad path to destruction by betraying trust and leading toward moral ruin and loss of souls. Lizzie is in the broad road leading to ruin, her course causing sorrow and remarks, not dealt with as strictly at home or abroad as her case demanded. Anna's disobedience and unkindness toward her mother place her on the broad road to destruction, her actions recorded by God and her forming character unfit for heaven. Frank is urged to turn from his harmful course and enter the narrow gate to eternal life.
Taking a stand for or against light God gives the world is life-and-death choice between two ways, turning against that light when confused by subtle satanic reasoning being the wide gate and broad road where many go, and standing for it by reviewing past experience of God's people and history of the work as in a mirror until truth bears heaven's signature in past, present and still more in future being the strait gate and narrow way found by few, for no soul is safe on a false path. The call to enter remains the message to infidels and rationalists who demand a miracle, refuse God's Word, treat Christ's miracles as idle tales, reject great light and cherish scientific delusions of Satan's working, to whom no further evidence will be given and concerning whom Christ's word is Let them alone, joined to beware false prophets in sheep's clothing known by fruits. Entertaining doubts leads toward unbelief and the way of destruction. The verse applies to those desiring to be first and to rule, calling them to be first in good works and Christian graces, to read, study and examine Christ's words and make diligent work for salvation with deeper consecration or be unprepared for the holy city, for many deceived while refusing obedience and correction will be led by Satan's angels to be lost, carrying hereditary and cultivated traits that cannot enter, quick to see others' faults yet blind to own, lost by persisting in own way and refusing to humble the heart and die to self, needing covenant by sacrifice of will and pride, perfecting character with patience and kindness, and earnest whole-heart prayer to which Christ responds.
Professed believers, churches and institutions must be reformed by baptism of the Holy Ghost or remain on the broad way and be lost, for the wide gate costs nothing to find with no hunting, seeking or striving, only drifting with the world's current, maxims, standard and spirit until demarcation between saint and sinner is obliterated, answering why few are saved. The call to enter is urgent appeal for God's people to rise from formality to genuine spiritual life and to follow searching truths by sound doctrine in practice through faith and obedience to God's Word. Entering and walking requires leaving the world behind including evil surmisings, doubts, criticisms, jealousies and unkindness, following Jesus through good and evil report and walking in light already given rather than waiting for mysteries solved, for refusing first rays prevents seeing more while walking in light illuminates the path until plain. The Christian journey is narrow and difficult with few continuing, growing steeper and tighter so travelers must give up wagons, luggage, horses, shoes and stockings rather than risk falling, enduring hardship and relying on guiding hand and cords from above with self-denial and steady progress.
The way to life is narrow requiring self-denial, giving up the world and refusing conformity rather than choosing the broad easy way to destruction, and heaven is entered only through the strait gate along the narrow way requiring conversion to God's plans. The straight and narrow way leads to life and glorious reward, pointed out by reproofs and warnings holding up the perfect standard especially to those pained to see professed believers go astray, and remaining means striving to do God's work and will earnestly and prayerfully, holding light before willing and unwilling eyes and faithfully representing Christ's compassion without discouragement even when the estranged strive against the Spirit. There is but one path to heaven, the strait and narrow way, whose entrants are God's witnesses, walkable only by loving God supremely and neighbor as self, following Christ in everything and conforming life to His teachings, with duty to press toward light keeping His perfection in view. The way begins through the narrow path and straight gate to reach the city of God and win the crown of life, meaning striving to walk the narrow path prepared for the redeemed toward life with Christ and place in the first resurrection, a solemnly personal choice.
There is only one path and one gate, and Christ took human nature, lived as a poor man, faced and conquered temptation, and showed how to share divine nature and escape corruption by sinful desire. The way is narrow because tests and trials reveal whether religion is genuine, exposing when desires, pride or ambition are crossed whether one has Christ's meekness and humility or is governed by pride, ambition and own way, requiring daily self-denial, cross-bearing, submission and obedience learned from Him both to endure and to serve. The way is a narrow steep rugged path of strangers and pilgrims too narrow for rank and riches in state or ambition and too steep for ease, and entering paradise requires toil, patience, self-sacrifice, reproach, poverty and enduring contradiction as Christ did, for by momentary will one may leave it for Satan's power while return costs hard fighting inch by inch with briars and torn feet. The way grows narrow and steep so wagons and heavy loads must be abandoned, and two roads lie before every person, the heavenward to eternal life, happiness, peace, immortal glory, dwelling in Christ's presence and seeing the King in beauty through warfare overcoming world, flesh and devil by giving mental, moral and physical powers to Jesus for service and soul-winning, traveled not alone for Christ helps each step with angels and heavenly agencies and divine nature by faith, giving present peace with Christ within and eternal reward at resurrection when gates open.
The broad road leads downward to death with followers of the world rushing along it, while the way of the cross is uphill requiring continual effort and seeking heavenly things with earthly things left behind, or one will be carried down. The broad road is darkness and error to death and destruction, traveled by many believing they are on happiness and heaven which they will never reach, though made to look safe, while the narrow way is the path of duty where different temperaments can walk together if following Christ. The chosen road leads to life or destruction, the road to death and hell being rejecting God's light and following selfish unrighteous plans away from Christ's school toward ruin, while life requires choosing the path Jesus leads, obeying His voice against contrary voices and keeping in light rather than neglecting it into darkness. The way to destruction is followed through choices and harmful associations that weaken faith, shape character and make counsel distasteful or resisted, so early ties control later steps.
The way is narrow and may seem too strict to shallow faith, so some hearing plain truth complain it is too narrow and turn from Christ, showing no sure foundation by living God's Word, and when His words test them those appearing to follow become displeased and abandon Him. Those who would receive Christ and share life and glory must surrender, give up cherished ambitions and walk His self-sacrificing path, while seekers of worldly rewards turn away when teaching calls to costly discipleship, for walking the narrow path of the Man of Calvary means sustaining spiritual life by assimilating truth, accepting and acting on His life-giving words, partaking divine nature, and being Christlike, meek, lowly, self-denying and self-sacrificing, which many refuse as too great a test and walk no more with Him. The path to everlasting life is narrow with faith at its entrance and lit by peace and joy of willing obedience, so what seem crosses prove crowns by experience. Entering heaven by the strait gate along the narrow path means daily denying self and lifting the cross as Christ's humiliation and shameful death, keeping a high clean standard, looking for grace to meet it, and passing sojourn in fear lest any come short of entering His rest.
The broad road is pleasures of sin and rocks of Satan to death while the narrow pathway is holiness and purity, and those on the broad road can be induced to leave it when a parent's example shines as light upon the pathway. The broad way to destruction is traveled by many including those with mere form while pride, selfishness, self-indulgence and attachment to pleasures and amusements unite them with the world and give false security making them worse, and leaving requires faithfully following Christ, denying self daily, praying, believing, following the Lord's directions, and using talents to help one another and prepare a people to meet Him. Entering the kingdom by earnest effort applies to parents and families who must seek God's kingdom first, gather every ray of divine light, cherish and walk in it so they and children may enter through the strait gate, with faithful effort to keep children's feet on the narrow way. People are on either the straight narrow path to heaven or broad road to death and hell, none reaching heaven by accident or without knowing life's direction, each able to examine whether following life by renewed heart through grace, transformation by the Spirit, repentance, confession, forgiveness, becoming a new creature, valuing Christ above all and consecrating life to service.
Entering requires agonizing struggle and earnest effort to turn from sin, which sinners in the ministry fail to make, for God does not work with those remaining in sin which He hates and cannot endure, holiness being His throne's foundation and sin its opposite that crucified the Son, even beloved angels disloyal being cast out with their rebel leader, so seeing sin's hatefulness leads to reforming life and character and overcoming secret faults, since to be saints in heaven requires first being saints on earth. Going through the strait gate and narrow way to everlasting life is daily advance making straight paths, keeping simplicity of true godliness, separating from corrupt influences and committing the soul to heavenly powers, with Jesus present daily as Helper giving increasing light, joy, hope and consolation to those running with patience looking to Him, a solemnly personal striving to walk the redeemed's path toward life with Christ. The way is entered through a strait gate and followed upward as God's Word points out the right path illuminated by the Sun of Righteousness, which self-love and selfish ambition cannot pass and which is rejected when the world is preferred, in contrast to the broad road to destruction. The road is narrow because it includes tests revealing character, being the path of following Christ with life and teaching as guide, showing pure principles and genuine profession while striving to develop Christian character unto God's city gates.
Few find the safe way because they hear Christ's words but do not heed them, continuing in unbelief and sinful indulgence, for hearing alone does not suffice but one must press through and walk to eternal life, and the majority claiming to be Christians are not truly spiritual-minded, as true now as when Christ spoke. Entering is obeying God when obedience costs self-denial, humiliation and the cross without excusing disobedience because hard, while the wide gate is staying with the many in disobedience despite conviction and choosing anxiety over faith unto destruction falling on the unready when the day of the Lord comes as thief in night with sudden inescapable destruction. In the last days as in Noah's time many resist restraining truth, while seekers keeping God's commandments must choose life despite surrounding evil and distractions, accepting truth that restrains sin and living in righteousness and obedience to law through striving. The broad road leads to death chosen by the majority while life is narrow, and in the last days most reject saving truth for they will not give up dishonesty, greed, pride and sin.
Those persisting in worldly pleasures despite repeated calls and light continue toward destruction, yet God knows each person and action and the Good Shepherd tirelessly seeks wanderers back to safety and peace, though when probation ends judgment is just and those found wanting have no answer. The strait gate requires earnest fear about entering, while confident pride, disobedience and following inclination over duty lead onto the broad road to ruin, and those without Christ and lacking personal experience cannot show His character, are in danger of perishing with unbelievers and lead others to ruin. Many choose the broad road though God offers life through His Son, for people are free and God does not force the will, and those refusing salvation will ultimately be destroyed and return to dust, not kept alive in endless misery. The way to destruction is broad drawing many, while life is rugged not made pleasant to suit worldliness but humility, self-denial and sacrifice as Jesus and disciples followed, and profession without changed life acts as false light leading others toward destruction.
The way is narrow found by few, warning youth that following the multitude, worldly associates and customs and making gain and pleasure highest aim places them on the broad road to eternal destruction and death, and even professed Christians intent on gain lose sight of heavenly reward and are left in darkness, while worship of fashion keeps from discipleship, each having individual responsibility to choose life, and those seeing danger turn to seek the heavenly crown with light and holy joy. Entering requires a stubborn complaining spirit changed, the heart set right with God and disposition made like Christ in spirit, words and actions, for such spirit cannot pass the strait gate to eternal life. The narrow way is holiness where Christ worked to help souls walk, and peace and joy are found only in serving Him. The wide gate and broad way many choose for convenience lead to destruction, in contrast to the road prepared for the redeemed, and the broad road of Satan stands against it, so the loyal are thankful not to have chosen it and each must consider which road he travels and choose loyalty rather than sin.
The narrow way does not exclude the penitent for Christ's arms are open to every repentant soul, and followers have spiritual battle with help from God and angels, while Christ having endured temptation warns humanity against pursuits leading from the narrow path toward destruction and has made a way toward heaven, raising how many will find it. Amid widespread evil and enticing amusements drawing people toward destruction, the truth Christ spoke must still be carried to the world. Choosing human teachings over God's plain Word is choosing the broad road to death, while eternal life is the blood-stained path of bearing the cross and following Christ. The straight and narrow path to eternal life is difficult to keep, requiring daily self-denial and holding fast to integrity amid prejudice, opposition and wrongful treatment, and choosing a road avoiding the cross rather than accepting self-denial is choosing the broader way to destruction.
The broad way to destruction is the path to perdition, and staying long in it endangers the soul, leaves without strength to overcome defects of character, and is an unchristian course. Christ's way is called narrow because it requires true religion of both faith and practice, integrity and devotion, which rejecters call too restrictive or hard, but each must choose to serve Christ or Satan with eternal consequences. The way to life is narrow, the way the Lord prepared for the redeemed to walk in, and believers are called to lead others away from sin, pleasure and folly onto it. The road to heaven is straight and narrow while the wide worldly road offers room for self-gratification and temporary pleasures but leads to destruction, carrying toward ruin those delaying to turn from selfishness, for the narrow way alone leads to the city and none reach heaven by the broad road. The way to life is narrow and difficult unlike the broad way, the narrow way of holiness where the ransomed walk, rugged, self-denying and self-crucifying unlike the smooth broad way, requiring endurance of privation where the unaccustomed fall behind while trials strengthen determination of continuers to the end, and it cannot be made smooth or easy but leads through self-denial's gate to the city.