The reason so many churches and ministries are popular today is that they have widened the gate and broadened the way. They tell people they can have the benefits of Christianity—forgiveness, peace, and eternal life—without having to leave their sin, their self-centeredness, and their love of the world behind. This creates a counterfeit conversion where people are convinced they are saved simply because they’ve made a decision or attend a “Christian” church. They are lulled into a false sense of security, believing they are on the road to heaven when they are, in fact, on the broad road to destruction.
This broad road is popular precisely because it is easy. It makes no demand on a person’s life.
- It’s broad in its dealing with sin. You can enter with all your baggage—your lust, your pride, your covetousness—without truly repenting. The focus is on forgiveness without forsaking sin, offering comfort and promises without the commands and duties of God’s Word. You can love the world and its entertainment, and still consider yourself a Christian.
- It’s broad in its acceptance of self. The narrow way calls for self-denial and living for the glory of Christ. The broad way, however, makes self the ultimate goal. People on this path seek Jesus for their own happiness, security, and glory, using Him to get what they want. They want the blessings of Christ, but not the responsibilities of His cross.
- It’s broad in its acceptance of self-will. The narrow way requires a heart that says, “Not my will, but yours be done.” It demands a complete surrender of our desires to the will of God. In contrast, those on the broad way hold on to their own will, hearing the truth preached but refusing to change or obey.
The Urgency of the Narrow Gate
Jesus is very clear: there are only two paths. The narrow gate is difficult to find, and few will enter it. The gate is narrow because it demands that we leave everything behind: our pride, our self-righteousness, our worldly desires, and our cherished sins. It is a humbling process of stripping ourselves naked before a holy God, recognizing that we have nothing and can do nothing on our own. It is the gate of brokenness and repentance.
We must actively and consciously choose to enter this gate. It’s not something that happens by accident or by simply attending a church. It requires a focused, single-minded resolve to make this “one thing needful” the priority of our lives.
You’ve issued a powerful warning that is not meant to discourage but to awaken. The purpose of this “narrow” truth is to shock us into a serious examination of our own lives. Are we on the narrow road of genuine, biblical faith, or are we on the broad road of counterfeit religion? Are we among the few who are truly saved, or are we among the many who will hear, “I never knew you”? This is the question that each of us must face today.
Just as there are two gates, there are two distinct paths that lead to two different destinations. These paths are set in contrast, just as described in Psalm 1, which distinguishes between “the way of the godly” and “the way of the ungodly.”
The Wide Gate and Broad Road
The wide gate is a gate of self-indulgence. It represents an “anything goes” approach to life and faith. The broad road is a way of accommodation and no restrictions. You can believe what you want, live how you want, and bring all your baggage with you—your sin, immorality, and lack of commitment to Christ. On this road, there is no need to study the Word of God or have a “beatitude attitude.” It is a path of superficial religiosity, where people can be a “dead fish floating downstream,” simply going with the flow. This is the path of cheap grace and easy believism.
Many people are attracted to this path because it offers what they want to hear: blessings, comfort, and no demands of discipleship. It is a popular and well-traveled road. However, Jesus warns that this road, though easy, leads to destruction. The tragic irony is that many who think they are on the right road will find out too late that the door is shut in their faces.
The Narrow Gate and Narrow Road
The narrow gate is a gate of humility, self-denial, and repentance. It requires agonizing effort and a complete surrender to Christ. After entering, the path remains narrow and difficult. It is not an easy road, but it is the only one that leads to life.
The narrow way is one of constant self-examination and warfare against sin, the world, and the devil. It requires a decision to count the cost, as a builder would before constructing a tower or a king would before going to war (Luke 14:28-33). Jesus drew a hard line, stating that we cannot be His disciples without forsaking everything.
This path is not for the weak-hearted but for those who are determined to follow Christ. It requires a radical commitment to live according to God’s Word, rejecting the counsel of the ungodly and the customs of the world. Those who walk this path are like living fish swimming against the current.
If you claim to have entered the narrow gate but find yourself living on the broad road of sin and compromise, be warned. As the story of Jacob and Esau shows, God’s love for His children is demonstrated through discipline. If God does not correct you for your sins, it may be because you are not His child. The most terrible kind of divine judgment is to be left alone in your sin.
The path is difficult not because God made it so, but because of our own sin and depravity. Our hearts are naturally opposed to spiritual things, and we must undergo a miracle of grace to turn from our worldly affections.
The Two Destinations
The broad road, though easy, leads to destruction. The end is a terrible, terrifying reality: hell. The Bible describes hell as a place of consciousness, torment, darkness, and eternal separation from God. It is a place of unending misery, where all the natural joys of life are absent. It is a place of memory and regret, where there is no escape or rest.
The narrow way, though difficult, leads to life. Its end is a glorious, blissful heaven with the fullness of life—an unspeakable, everlasting, and unclouded fellowship of joy with God that we cannot even begin to imagine.
A Final Question
There is no middle ground. Everyone is either on one road or the other, destined for either life or destruction. The question you must ask yourself is not whether you attend church or have a religious belief, but which road are you on? Are you on the popular, easy road that leads to destruction, or the difficult, narrow road that leads to eternal life? The majority is not always right. Do not be deceived by the crowds. Choose the narrow path.
Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Bangalore 