“The Strait and Narrow”

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 there at: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
- Matt. 7:13,14

Let me preface this devotion by saying I AM NOT teaching here sinless perfection, even as Christians we will all sin, (though we should not habitually sin) and we should be quick to repent and turn from the sin. I believe if we had to live SINLESS lives as Christians we would all be damned to an Eternity in Hell. But that does not do away with the truth that God has called us to walk the Straight and Narrow! Now let us look into “The Straight and Narrow.”

In this day and age we live in, you’ll find many types of people who claim to be “Christian” or atleast say/think their going to “heaven” and I am very concerned.

Some (many) believe you can have any belief system (Christian, non-Christian, new age, etc.) and if your a “good” person then you’ll go to heaven. First of all there is NOT ONE person who is good (righteous) enough, the Bible says, “...all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags...” - Isa. 64:6 and “...There is none righteous, no, not one” - Rom. 3:10. So you need to understand that NO ONE is good enough to get to heaven apart from Jesus. Jesus died for ALL because all are sinners in need of a Saviour which is Christ Jesus.

Another one that I have heard over the years, when you ask someone if there a Christian is, “Yes, I went to the altar or I was baptized as a child and accepted Jesus" (even though the live like a child of the devil ever since). This ones salvation is also questionable.

And recently I had a teenager say to me, “I’m a Christian because I want to go to heaven and not hell, why else would I bother being a Christian.” The person who said this to me is a special and close teen to me, but those words concerned me, and to me are not an indication of the type of Christian experience we are supposed to have, and makes me strongly question the salvation of this teen.

I find that it seems many think a SIMPLE acknowledgement of Jesus as Savior and Lord is ALL it takes. The don’t have to live like Jesus is their SAVIOR, and they don’t have to let Him be their LORD. What about Luke 6:46 "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" Their SIMPLE acknowledgment of Jesus as Savior and Lord is not enough to save them. This thinking is error/deception in the biggest way. The Bible says in James 2:19 "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils [demons] also believe, and tremble," but the demonsare not saved or going to heaven. Salvation though it involves an acknowledgment of Jesus as Savior and Lord, also must involve repentance (a heart change), and when the heart is changed the life is changed too as stated in Matthew 3:8 "Bring forth therefore fruits meet for [i.e. consistent with your] repentance." And in Matthew 7:16 it says "Ye shall know them by their fruits...."

I think we need to be careful in the church of the 90’s to not produce a doctrine of Salvation that includes almost anyone, and instead of being the straight and narrow and FEW that find it - which is Bible. We have taught wide, broad the way to Salvation/Heaven and MANY that find it - which is NOT Bible.

Let's close with our opening passage:
Enter ye in at the strait gate:
WIDE is the GATE and BROAD is the WAY that
leads to DESTRUCTION and MANY go in there.

STRAIT is the GATE and NARROW is the WAY that
leads to LIFE and FEW find it.
Matthew 7:13,14

There are many ways, paths (i.e., religions, philosophies, etc.) that lead to destruction. But there is only ONE way that leads to life and that is choosing Jesus as your SAVIOR and LORD and thus getting on that STRAIT and NARROW!

Have a Jesus blessed week!

Jim :)