"The Two Ways" Matthew 7:13 - 23

I have a cousin who asked her parents and some of our other family members if they thought that they would be going to heaven. They responded that they would be going to heaven. My cousin enquired further - "Why?" Their response is one that I wonder how many others in the world shares. To paraphrase, they said: We are basically good people and if we do more good than bad, then God surely will not punish us.

Jesus does not put it that way. In fact, Jesus puts it this way (Matthew 7:13, 14): Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

How many people do you know that believe that they are going to heaven because: "God is a God of love and surely his grace will encompass everybody that is not bad". I went to see the Christmas Train a number of years ago and after riding the train my family was told that we had to enter a building so we could sing Christmas carols. After singing a few carols a preacher stood up and spoke for about five minutes and then said a prayer that included "ask Jesus into your heart". After the prayer he told everyone present that if we asked it then we are saved. I wonder how many people left there thinking: cool that was easier than I thought.

I have often struggled with the question: who will make it to heaven. There are so many people in the world that vary as to what is necessary and was is not necessary to become saved. So many think that all you need to do is be good or just believe that Jesus is the Christ If that were the case then I would think that there would be MANY that would make it Heaven. However, Christ's words are: "... there are few that find it." If Jesus's words tells us anything, it is that more will be lost than will be saved.

How can we find the narrow way and avoid the wide path; or, once we have found the narrow path, how can we stay on it so not to fall (see 1 Cor. 10:12). Jesus tells it plainly (Matthew 7:24-27): "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." We must obey Him!

Obeying Him requires examining the word and following his commands. The scary aspects of this are: that so many people rationalize away His commands; some will just pick and choose what commands to follow; some do not know His commands because they have not studied or they have just relied on what others have told them about His commands; and, others have taken the sharp edge off the sword and Jesus's commands, making them easier to follow. Some if not most of these believe that Jesus is the Son and think that they are doing His will. However, Jesus told His disciples (Matthew 7:21 - 23): "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" Jesus tells us that there are some that think they are doing His will in His name that He will not know on the day of judgment. That is a scary thought!

I wonder how many of our church and family members, our co-workers and our friends need to be introduced to Matthew 7:21-23?