Jesus said, “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” (Matthew 7:13) This is a definitive statement from our Lord and clearly indicates not all roads lead to heaven. Indeed, to have assurance of heaven we need to enter through the “narrow gate”.
So how do you know if you’re on the wide road that leads to destruction or the narrow road that leads to life? It’s actually a pretty easy question to answer. We can start with a broad statement: if you are adhering to any religion or spiritual path (or no religion at all) that is not Biblical Christianity, then you are on the wide road and your destiny is not good. The Bible says, “It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31)
Easy enough, right? But, you say, “I was raised in a Christian home” or “I’ve been a Christian all my life” or “my parents were Christians” or “I go to church every week”. What then? Is that assurance you have entered through the narrow gate and you’re on the right road? In a word: no! Jesus said, “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) So we better dig a little deeper to see if we’re on the narrow road.
Paul instructed us this way: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5 NIV) And Jesus went on to say, in Matthew 7:21, “Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” We can know we are on the narrow road, and I believe there are some simple questions we can ask ourselves to help us know.
- Do I hold the Bible as the highest authority in my life?
- How often am I opening the Bible and reading and studying it?
- Do I believe God’s Word is absolute truth?
- Can I remember a specific time I repented and trusted Jesus?
There are certainly many more questions we could ask ourselves or reflect on, but these would be a good starting point. And please know that the Christian life is not always an easy one. Jesus said “the road is difficult” and in John 16:33 Jesus said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.” So, especially in these days, if your current path is comfortable, that in itself could be a sign you’re on the wrong road!
Jesus went on to say, in John 16:33, that we should “take heart, because I have overcome the world.” And that is great news for those of us who have entered through the narrow gate. And for those of you who want to enter through the narrow gate, it is not too late! “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” (Romans 10:9-11)
May you find the narrow gate and enter through it, if you haven’t already. God bless.
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