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Matthew 7:13, 14 - The Narrow or Wide Gate and Path.

Matthew 7:13, 14 (NIRV) Enter God's 
kingdom through the narrow gate. The gate is large 
and the road is wide that lead to death and 
hell. Many people go that way. But the gate is 
small and the road is narrow that lead to life. 
Only a few people find it.  

Matthew 7:13, 14 (NLT) You can enter 
Gods 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.  

COMMENTARY PEARL

   The first time I remember encountering 
today's passage, I was leading a Bible study for a 
group of guys in my fraternity. You may recall 
that I started this group as a PR move to change 
our bad-boy reputation. You know, sort of the 
thought that if a fraternity is hosting a Bible 
study, they can't be all bad. The only problem was 
that I was not yet a Christian! 
   So when I came to this statement by 
Jesus, I hit a major wall. What in the world did he 
mean? It sure sounded like he was saying that the 
majority of people will go with the flow and take the 
route everyone else is taking, even though it 
leads to destruction. However, his followers 
aren't like everybody else. They will take a more 
challenging passage through the narrow gate. And waiting 
for them on the other side is new life. 
   Jesus' words shook me up, planting seeds 
that later led to my getting on my knees on a 
campus softball field and inviting him into my 
heart as the Lord of my life. But I've never 
forgotten the wonder, fear, and longing I felt when I 
first considered what it means to follow Christ 
and enter through the narrow gate. 
   What direction are you traveling right 
now? Are you on the twelve-lane interstate to 
destruction? Or on the narrow path toward God? 
   I'm committed to following you, Lord, 
even when I don't always understand where you're 
taking me or how I'll get there. Today I want to 
follow you through that narrow gate that leads to 
new life. [Daily Power by Craig Groeschel] 

COMMENTARY

The two ways refer to two types of 
lifestyle: the easy, comfortable, popular life, or the 
difficult way of self-denial. These ways are entered 
by two gates: a narrow gate of surrender or a 
broad gate of self-sufficiency. True righteousness 
leads to self-denial. Note in Matt. 8:18-22 that 
two men turned from Christ because they failed 
this test. Demas also failed this test (2 Tim. 
4:10). [Wiersbe Expository Outlines] 

It must be admitted that, in its first 
stages, the broad way is generally easy and rather 
delightful.  The boat launched on the flowing stream 
sweeps merrily and pleasantly along, the gradient 
of the road slopes so as to make walking easy, 
the sun shines, and the path is filled with 
bright flowers.  But to a life given up to 
self-indulgence, there is only one end - destruction.  There 
is a more excellent way, but it is too narrow 
to admit the trailing garments of passionate 
desire, too narrow for pride, self-indulgence, 
greed, and avarice - it is the Way of the Cross, 
but it leads to Life!  We all want to see life - 
and the remarkable thing is that those who 
expect to get most out of it by self-indulgence 
miss everything; whilst those who seem to curtail 
their lives by following Christ, win everything.  
Few find and enter this path, is the lament of 
our Lord.  Let us put our hand in His, that He 
may lead us into the path of life.  "that 
shineth more and more unto the perfect day."  [F. B, 
Meyer; Time With God SB] 

   The path which I have set before you, He 
said, is narrow; the gate is difficult of 
entrance; for the golden rule excludes all pride and 
self-seeking. There is, indeed, a wider road; but its end 
is destruction. If you would climb the path of 
spiritual life, you must constantly ascend; for it is 
an upward way. You must go with the few; for 
the multitude will choose the downward path. 
   In the road to death the whole race may 
go, with all their worldliness, all their 
selfishness, all their pride, dishonesty, and moral 
debasement. There is room for every man's opinions and 
doctrines, space to follow his inclinations, to do 
whatever his self-love may dictate. In order to go in 
the path that leads to destruction, there is no 
need of searching for the way; for the gate is 
wide, and the way is broad, and the feet naturally 
turn into the path that ends in death. 
   But the way to life is narrow and the 
entrance strait. If you cling to any besetting sin 
you will find the way too narrow for you to 
enter. Your own ways, your own will, your evil 
habits and practices, must be given up if you would 
keep the way of the Lord. He who would serve 
Christ cannot follow the world's opinions or meet 
the world's standard. Heaven's path is too 
narrow for rank and riches to ride in state, too 
narrow for the play of self-centered ambition, too 
steep and rugged for lovers of ease to climb. 
Toil, patience, self-sacrifice, reproach, poverty, 
the contradiction of sinners against Himself, 
was the portion of Christ, and it must be our 
portion, if we ever enter the Paradise of God.  
   The Christian life is a battle and a 
march. But the victory to be gained is not won by 
human power. The field of conflict is the domain 
of the heart. The battle which we have to 
fight--the greatest battle that was ever fought by 
man--is the surrender of self to the will of God, 
the yielding of the heart to the sovereignty of 
love. The old nature, born of blood and of the 
will of the flesh, cannot inherit the kingdom of 
God. The hereditary tendencies, the former 
habits, must be given up. 
   He who determines to enter the spiritual 
kingdom will find that all the powers and passions 
of an unregenerate nature, backed by the forces 
of the kingdom of darkness, are arrayed against 
him. Selfishness and pride will make a stand 
against anything that would show them to be sinful. 
We cannot, of ourselves, conquer the evil 
desires and habits that strive for the mastery. We 
cannot overcome the mighty foe who holds us in his 
thrall. God alone can give us the victory. He 
desires us to have the mastery over ourselves, our 
own will and ways. But He cannot work in us 
without our consent and co-operation. The divine 
Spirit works through the faculties and powers given 
to man. Our energies are required to co-operate 
with God. 
   The victory is not won without much 
earnest prayer, without the humbling of self at 
every step. Our will is not to be forced into 
co-operation with divine agencies, but it must be 
voluntarily submitted. Were it possible to force upon 
you with a hundredfold greater intensity the 
influence of the Spirit of God, it would not make you 
a Christian, a fit subject for heaven. The 
stronghold of Satan would not be broken. The will must 
be placed on the side of God's will. You are 
not able, of yourself, to bring your purposes 
and desires and inclinations into submission to 
the will of God; but if you are "willing to be 
made willing," God will accomplish the work for 
you, even "casting down imaginations, and every 
high thing that exalteth itself against the 
knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every 
thought to the obedience of Christ." 2 Corinthians 
10:5. Then you will "work out your own salvation 
with fear and trembling. For it is God which 
worketh in you both to will and to do of His good 
pleasure." Philippians 2:12, 13. 
   But many are attracted by the beauty of 
Christ and the glory of heaven, who yet shrink from 
the conditions by which alone these can become 
their own. There are many in the broad way who are 
not fully satisfied with the path in which they 
walk. They long to break from the slavery of sin, 
and in their own strength they seek to make a 
stand against their sinful practices. They look 
toward the narrow way and the strait gate; but 
selfish pleasure, love of the world, pride, 
unsanctified ambition, place a barrier between them and 
the Saviour. To renounce their own will, their 
chosen objects of affection or pursuit, requires a 
sacrifice at which they hesitate and falter and turn 
back. Many "will seek to enter in, and shall not 
be able." Luke 13:24. They desire the good, 
they make some effort to obtain it; but they do 
not choose it; they have not a settled purpose 
to secure it at the cost of all things. 
   The only hope for us if we would overcome 
is to unite our will to God's will and work in 
co-operation with Him, hour by hour and day by day. We 
cannot retain self and yet enter the kingdom of 
God. If we ever attain unto holiness, it will be 
through the renunciation of self and the reception 
of the mind of Christ. Pride and 
self-sufficiency must be crucified. Are we willing to pay the 
price required of us? Are we willing to have our 
will brought into perfect conformity to the will 
of God? Until we are willing, the transforming 
grace of God cannot be manifest upon us. 
MB138-143 

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YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs