Wide or Narrow -
Which Road Are You On?

Just what IS a Christian anyway?               

There are as many answers to this question as there are denominations and sects in the Christian religion.  The answers are ambiguous, usually taken from one or two lines of scripture or from the answerer's heart or head.  "If you believe in Jesus you are a Christian."  Even those who hold the Bible to be the strict word of God take this question completely out of the context of the Scriptures and over-simplify it.  "If you are 'Saved' you are a Christian."  "You must be 'Born Again' to be a Christian."  One would think that if the Bible truly IS the Word of God, it would be much more clear on this issue.  I believe it is.

Just who IS going to heaven anyway?        

Good question.  Again, you'll get as many different answers to this as to the first question posed.  "Those who are saved."  "Those who have accepted Jesus in their heart."  "Good people."  "If you follow the Ten Commandments you'll go to heaven." "Those who've asked God to forgive their sins."  "All those born again."  Goodness!  And I'm not even mentioning all the 'paths' and 'ways' outside the Christian religion.  How many times have you gone to someone's funeral who you knew to be a bit of a rascal, yet according to the speaker, the gates of Heaven have opened wide for them.  Of course it's not for us to say, is it?  Do death-bed confessions or fox-hole conversions really work?  What about babies who die at birth or soon after?  Is Heaven the home of the many... or the few?  Can we really be sure where we're going when we die?  In all of the Bible, is there shown a course of action we can take that will positively lead to a heavenly afterlife?  I believe there is.

Just what IS this Bible book anyway?        

This is a question for another time and place.  If you truly want to research this subject, I suggest you read the two volumes of Evidence That Demands A Verdict by Josh McDowell.  You'll get some thought provoking answers there.  Personally, I don't see the Bible as a book from which you can pick and choose your beliefs while ignoring what doesn't agree with your ideas of what is or is not true.  The Bible makes absolute claims, such as... it's written by God and therefore it's totally correct.  If it's claims are what is, then we had better become much more acquainted with this tome.  By the way, what is differs vastly from what is true.  What is true for me and what is true for you may be light years apart.  What is is just that.  It doesn't require belief in it to be so.  It just is.  However, if the Bible's claims are not what is, if they are just myth and story, better to throw the entire thing into the trash and forget about it.   All or nothing at all - that's the choice it offers.  I would give one word of caution in making that choice - don't blame the Book for what the Church and it's leaders have done to it and with it throughout history.

How does the Bible teach its lessons?       

The Bible uses both direct and indirect ways to bring us to understanding.  The key is never to put your own ideas into it.   Where there are questions, allow the Scriptures to answer them rather than jumping to your own conclusion.  The Bible gives an example of this within itself.   Let's look at the Parable of the Sower from Mathew 13:3-9:

   Then he told them many things in parables, saying:

    "A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.  It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop - a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

    "He who has ears, let him hear."

A parable is a short, simple story, usually of an occurrence of a familiar kind, from which a moral or lesson may be drawn.  Sometimes these moral lessons were clear to the people Jesus taught and sometimes they were not.  Often, Jesus' disciples were as unclear as the rest of Jesus' listeners.  This time they were determined to confront Jesus with a question (Mathew 13:10-17):

   The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"

    He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.  Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.  Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.  This is why I speak to them in parables:

    "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

    "In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

    'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.  For this people's heart has become callused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.  Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'

    "But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.  For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."

Notice the two distinct groups of people Jesus refers to... the you and the them.  The haves and the have nots.  The major difference between the groups being those who would understand and those who would not.  Understanding is a choice and for whatever reason, these ones long ago had chosen NOT to hear, see, or understand.  The disciples, on the other hand, were open to seeing, hearing and understanding.  Jesus said they would have this in abundance.  He then went on to explain the parable (Mathew 13:18-23):

   "Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:

   "When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.   This is the seed sown along the path."

Here again we see the emphasis on understanding.  This is a thread woven throughout the Bible.   For instance in Paul's letter to the Ephesians he explains the futility of the Gentile way of thinking by saying, "They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts." (Ephesians 4:18)  Would it be difficult to say which group, the you or the them, these Ephesian Gentiles would belong to? 

Note also that the seed is sown in the heart.  This is the reason some will say this person is saved.  The scriptural way of coming to an understanding of God's Word is to see with the eye, hear with the ear, and understand with the heart.  Then, because you have this understanding you do certain things, like asking God to forgive all your sins.    This is what many refer to as "getting saved" or being "born again."  But obviously this is only a beginning. Having done that doesn't mean the Word will stay in one's heart, as this parable shows.  I don't want to get into a discussion of "once saved - always saved here."  It's an impotent argument to say that those who get to heaven were really saved and those who don't obviously weren't.  Look what happens to the second hearer of the Word:

    "The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.   But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time.  When trouble or persecution come because of the word, he quickly falls away."

So not only must the Word find its way into one's heart, it must also become rooted there.  Many feel this person will go to heaven because they received the Word with joy.  Yet despite this, the person quickly falls away.  Jesus compared himself to a vine rooted in God's Word.  He referred to his followers as 'branches' of that vine.  He said, "I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers..."  (John 15:5-6)  So it is necessary that we remain connected to Jesus as he remains rooted in the Word.  We will explore this connection a bit deeper later in this essay.

Then Jesus explains the seed that fell amongst the thorns:

   "The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful."

The churches are full of such ones.  Many think they will go to heaven.  Yet these people constantly have their eyes on themselves, full of worry about their lives. But Jesus said, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?" (Mathew 6:25)  And as for seeking wealth... "No one can serve two masters.   Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and Money." (Mathew 6:24)  The Bible clearly shows that such action will choke the understanding of the Word in one's heart and make it unfruitful.

Finally Jesus tells us of the other person who has had the seed sown in their heart.  Contrast the difference with the ones presented above:

   "But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it.  He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

Here is a person who not only heard, they understood.  Then, taking that understanding, they produced!   Now which of these four types would you consider a Christian?  The answers I've received from people make me hang my head.  I have been told, "only the 4th," "the 3rd and 4th," the 2nd, 3rd and 4th," and even, "all 4!"  This from people all sitting in the same church.  There is some obvious confusion among the faithful I would say.

What is a covenant and what's it got to do with being a Christian?  

Simply put, a covenant is a binding and solemn agreement to do or keep from doing specified things.  In modern language it is a contract between two parties.  The Bible mentions two major covenants that God has made between himself and his people.  In these covenants God states that he will do such and such for his followers if his people will do such and such for him. They are open contracts, which either party may walk away from if the other party reneges on the deal.  Contracting with the Living God is always a choice and there is always the freedom to turn away at any time.  Of course, turning away voids the contract.  If one makes an agreement with God and does not fulfill their end of the contract, why should God be expected to make good on his end of the deal?  The Bible clearly shows that Christians are a covenant people, just like Israel was before the coming of Jesus.   Let's take a look at these two covenants, starting with the one God made with Israel in Moses' time.

What is the Old Covenant?          

The Old Covenant was mostly based on what 'not to do' and included much more than the Ten Commandments.  It was a full list of rules that affected most of a person's life.  The contract was given to Moses on Mt. Sinai and was agreed to by the people of Israel (Exodus 19:3-9):

   Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel:

    'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.  Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.  Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.'

    These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."

    So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak.  The people all responded together, "We will do everything the LORD has said."  So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.

See... there is agreement between both the people and God.  God was happy about this and stated a truly wondrous promise (Exodus 34:10):

    Then the LORD said:

    "I am making a covenant with you.  Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world.  The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the LORD, will do for you."

God then preceded to give Moses all the rules and laws of the Old Covenant, starting with the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:27-28):

    Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel."  Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water.  And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant - the Ten Commandments.

But the Ten Commandments were only the beginning of the Old Covenant.  Much more followed (Exodus 35:1):   Moses assembled the whole Israelite community and said to them, "These are the things the LORD has commanded you to do:" He then continued for four more chapters in the book of Exodus, and reaffirmed it in the books of Leviticus and Numbers where he stated and restated the complete covenant that the LORD made with the people of Israel.  The rest of what we call the Old Testament describes Israel's inability to honor the contract, which it made with God and God's reaction to their rejection.

Now God, being God, knew the whole thing wasn't going to work out from the beginning. "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." (Genesis 3:15)  He made us and knew our limitations.   One of those limitations being that we need to be shown over thousands of years that we rarely choose to do God's will when we're left on our own.  So seeing that the sacrifice of goats and sheep wasn't going to do the job of atoning for all the sin in the world, God sent the perfect lamb, Jesus, to be sacrificed for everyone.  This ushered in the New Covenant.  Of course, he told his people that he would do this long before he brought it about:

    "The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.  It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord.  This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord.  I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.  I will be their God, and they will be my people.  No longer will a man teach his neighbor, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.  For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." 

Israel and the house of Jacob.  What does this have to do with Christians?  The above text is a quotation from Jeremiah 31:31-34 found in Hebrews 8: 8-12.  The book of Hebrews tells all about the New Covenant but may be a bit confusing for folks new to the Bible.  What happened to the Old Covenant?  By calling this covenant "new" he has made the first one obsolete.  (Hebrews 8:13)

What is the New Covenant?                 

The New Covenant began at the death of Christ and remains in effect today.  He forgave us our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.  (Colossians 2:13-14)  Unlike the Old Covenant, it rests mostly on do's rather than don'ts.  Also it's a lot shorter in words yet much broader in scope.  The first mention of the New Covenant came at the Last Supper, when Jesus took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."  (Luke 22:20)  The book of Hebrews is very specific about the New Covenant.  It gives us the testimony of the Holy Spirit itself:

    The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this.  First he says:  "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time," says the Lord.  "I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds."  Then he adds:  "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."

Note this is a repeat of the scripture I quoted above, but it's found at Hebrews 10:15-17.   The Bible often repeats something that is highly important for us to learn.   It is my opinion, based on these scriptures, that Christians are the people of the New Covenant.

What are the laws that the Holy Spirit will put in our hearts and write on our minds?

Good question!  If you read through the New Testament you will find many ideals set up as standards for Christians to follow.  These are not laws or commandments.  Notice the emphasis of the laws being in our hearts as well as on our minds.  We're not just supposed to think about them.  They are to become our own.  The basis or foundation of the New Covenant can be found in this discussion Jesus had during a theological debate:

   One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating.  Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

    "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.'  The second is this:   'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no commandment greater than these."

    "Well said, teacher," the man replied.  "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.  To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

    When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."

This is found in Mark 12: 28-34.  Matthew 22 tells much the same story with Jesus commenting in verse 40, "All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Pretty simple and straight forward.  Of course one may wonder, "Who is our neighbor?"  The scriptures seem to show our neighbor as anyone who isn't a Christian or, more clearly, those who don't accept God's way.  In other words, they do not share a Christian's house, so they are a Christian's neighbor.  They may even be a Christian's enemy.  "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also.   If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.  Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.   Do to others as you would have them do to you.  If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  Even 'sinners' love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you?  Even 'sinners' do that.  And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?  Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to get repaid in full.  But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.  Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."  (Luke 6: 27-36)

Does that give you a better idea of who your neighbor is?  You're right, I know.  The churches aren't exactly filled with people who understand and follow these concepts are they?  By the way, if you check out Matthew 5: 43-48 you'll find much the same statement made.   Yes, it's repeated.  For emphasis!  Oh, did you notice he directed this to those who hear him?  That just crops up all over the place, doesn't it?

So those are the foundation rules of the New Covenant.  Love God and Love your neighbor.  But the single most identifying mark of a Christian comes from the next command.  It is repeated and explained so often it's a wonder that it has not become the pillar, the central theme of all Christianity considering Christ said, If you love me, you will obey what I command." (John 14: 15)     By the way, it hasn't.

   "A new command I give you:   Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."  (John 13: 34-35)

   "This is my command:  Love each other."  (John 15: 17)

   "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Now remain in my love.  If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.  I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.   My command is this:  Love each other as I have loved you."  (John 15: 9-12)

Read the above statement again and think about all the people you know who's lives don't have complete joy in them.   Think of all the depressed people who can't understand where there depression comes from as they sit in their homes with their eyes focused firmly on themselves.  They have very little joy at all much less having complete joy in their lives.  Do you think maybe the Church has missed something here?  The Bible continues:

   "This is the message you heard from the beginning:  We should love one another."  (1 John 3: 11)

    "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."  (1 John 4: 7-8)

    So now we're told that this is the Bible message from the beginning - that we should be loving each other.  Yet we kept missing it and still do.  Fortunately God gives us a method to discern who's on his side and who isn't.  You get to do this.  It isn't judgment, it's discernment.  There's a difference.  Can you hear what Christ is saying, over and over and over?

    "No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.  (1 John 4: 12)

    "We love because he first loved us.   If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar.   For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.  And he has given us this command:  Whoever loves God must also love his brother."  (1 John 4:19-21)

These are strong words.   Are we liars?  The Church has taught for centuries, Love God, Love God, Love God... which is a good thing, BUT perhaps even more emphasis should have been placed on Love Your Brother!  Especially since you cannot say you love God unless you can say you love your brother!  Look down the rows of people in your church.  Look at each face and try and find the real person behind it.  Can you then look God in the eye and tell him you indeed love your brother?  Consider this:

    "Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.  And this is his command:  to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.   Those who obey his commands live in him and he in them.  And this is how we know that he lives in us:  We know it by the Spirit he gave us.  (1 John 3: 21-24)

Here Jesus provides the final piece to the puzzle that is the New Covenant.  The only other actual command Jesus puts upon us.  We now know all the rules.  They are simple to read:

Love the Lord your God all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength

Love your neighbor as yourself

Love one another

Believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ

How important is the New Covenant to God?  Is he as serious about this as he was about the Old Covenant?  Will we really be held responsible if we claim to be part of this New Covenant by referring to ourselves as Christians?  I want you to read the following very slowly with both your mind and heart.  Think about how it applies to you.  I'm not trying to scare you with this, I'm trying to show you how God sees the New Covenant relationship.  And I'm praying that you HEAR:

    If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

    Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.  How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?  For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people."

    It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.  (Hebrews 10: 26-31)

Why does it sound like not many will find their way to heaven?    

Can you imagine Christ showing up at your church and he spends an hour or so teaching the above.  Afterwards as he is eating cookies with your minister in the fellowship hall, someone comes up to him and asks, "Are so few going to make it to heaven?  What must we do?"  And Christ answers:

    "Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many will enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few will find it."  (Matthew 7: 13-14)

"But, but," they stammer. "Haven't I spent my life learning about you?  Are you not my Lord?  Haven't I cured the sick in your name?"

    "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!'"  (Matthew 7: 21-23)

Did Christ really mean that?  Did he ever say anything like this anywhere else or is this a single statement, which I've taken out of context?  Well, consider this from Luke 13: 22-30:

    Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.   Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people to be saved?"

    "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.  Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where your come from.'  Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.'  But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from.  Away from me, all you evildoers!'

    There will be weeping there and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.  People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.  Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last."

What IS the Wide Road?         

Do you remember the two groups... the haves and have nots?  This theme is continued here.   Scripture makes it very clear that God sees our nature in two ways.  "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters."  (Matthew 12: 30)   As in most things concerning we humans, the struggle is both physical and spiritual.  God relates the have's or those with him as being of his Spiritual Kingdom.  The have not's or those against him, he relates to being of this earthly realm.  Note these words in 1 Corinthians 2: 12:

    "We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us."

Understanding is again of paramount importance.  This is the beginning.  The choice between accepting God or going with the World.  Understanding opens what is called the "Roman Road" for us so we can see who we are in the eyes of God and make choices that will lead to a heavenly reward if we choose to uphold his New Covenant.  Note what is said here in Ephesians 2: 1-2:

    "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.   Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath."

Strong language.  And it gets stronger.  There are constant warnings to Christians concerning the siren call of the World.  Just as the parable of the sower mentions becoming choked by the "worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth," so we are warned about being taken in by the call of this World:

    "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ."   (Colossians 2: 8)

Deceptive philosophies.  How many of these are out there today?  They have even been introduced into the church and been given 'Christian' trappings so they are even harder to detect.  Either we are told that almost any action we commit is ok with God or we are condemned for the slightest indiscretion.  There is no balance in either message.   Both come from the world with a focus on self.  The warning is not against dancing or playing cards or drinking coffee it is against becoming snatched into the spirit of this world where the focus is not on others, but on the self.  James refers to it as 'friendship':  "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?  Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."  (James 4: 4)  This 'friendship' turns people away from God and towards corruption.  It puts one on the Wide Road. 

    "If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning."  (2 Peter 2: 20)

Is God saying here that some sin is worse than others?  No... he is saying simply that these people will realize both what they have done and what they have lost.  That in itself will make them worse off.  God could not be more clear in this, yet still many of us seem not to understand his words:

    "Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For everything in the world -- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does -- comes not from the Father but from the world.  The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."  (1 John 2: 15-17)

It truly amazes me how worldly views have weaved their way into our churches.  Instead of being taught to 'love our neighbors' and 'love each other' we are being taught things like, "you can't love others until you can first love yourself."  Where have you ever seen that in Scripture?  It is this constant grasping for the self that mires people within the depths of worldly philosophy.  The exact thing the Scriptures warn against:  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice."   (James 3: 16)  "But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger."  (Romans 2: 8)  "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."  (Philippians 2: 3)   Does that ever fly in the face of most modern psychological teaching!

If you need a point by point description of The Wide Road you can find a perfect example in 2 Timothy 3 :1-5. It sums it up right there.  It states that in the last days people will be:

Lovers of Themselves

Lovers of Money

Boastful

Proud

Abusive

Disobedient to their Parents

Ungrateful

Unholy

Without Love

Unforgiving

Slanderous

Without Self-Control

Brutal

Not Lovers of the Good

Treacherous

Rash

Conceited

Lovers of Pleasure rather than Lovers of God

Having a Form of Godliness but Denying its Power

In the first chapter of Jude, the writer lays it all on the line.  The language that is used leaves little for imagination.  There can be no doubt that he describes those on the Wide Road as well:

    "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.  They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.  In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings.  Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals -- these are the very things that destroy them.  These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm -- shepherds who feed only themselves.  They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted -- twice dead.   They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.  These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.  These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit."  (Jude 1: 81,4,8,10,12,13,16,19)

I hope you are beginning to catch some things in what is said.  It is rather obvious that the people being spoken of here are church members or clergy.  There are many verses in scripture that seem to condemn someone or something.  But before you go off on a holy war against witches, pro-lifers, lesbians, or queers I'd remember those verses about loving your neighbor and loving others.  This acute hatred of people is as much Wide Road as other more distinguishable actions.  Part of loving some one else is to stop judging the person.  Let God handle that.  These people are no less sinners than we are.  They are no less loved by God than we.  We all came to sin the same way:

   "But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.  Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."  (James 1: 14-15)

Who is to say one person's sin is worse than another?  To do so is to forget where we came from.   We live in a cracked and broken world that we can not make straight again.   That will only happen when Jesus comes back.  I am not saying its wrong to teach against these things, I saying it is wrong the way it is usually done... by  personal attacks upon people. 

I am amazed by Christians that tell me they can't wait for the second coming.  I shake my head.   It clearly states in the Word what will happen then.  Jesus told us in Matthew 25: 31-40, saying:

    "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.  All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

    Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

    Then the righteous will answer him 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

    The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.'"

Notice how the ones chosen didn't even recognize what it was within them that separated them from the others.  But Jesus did.  What of the ones on the Wide Road?  Jesus continues in Matthew 25: 31-46:

    "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

    They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

    He will reply, 'I tell you in the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

    Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Now I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty serious to me.  Note the same theme of the two groups has followed all the way through this.  The have's, the have not's.   Those who hear, those how don't.  Those who understand, those who don't.   Those on the Wide Road, Those on the Narrow Road.  Now let's take a look at that Narrow Road.

What IS the Narrow Road?            

Jesus and his apostles both told us they were examples for us to follow.  "I have set an example that you should do as I have done for you."  (John 13:15)  "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."  (1 Corinthians 11: 1)  "Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.   (Philippians 3: 17)  Perhaps it was said best  when Paul penned these remarks to Timothy in his first letter 4: 12 - 5:2:

    "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.  Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them so that everyone may see your progress.  Watch your life and doctrine closely.  Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.  Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father.  Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity."

Peter also spoke up, adding, "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps."  (1 Peter 2: 21)

Where the Wide Road focuses on Self, the Narrow Road is the opposite, focusing on Others.  Note the following:

    "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."  (Matthew 7: 12)

    "Do to others as you would have them do to you."  (Luke 6: 31)

    "Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others."   (1 Corinthians 10: 24)

    "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6: 2)

    "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."  (Ephesians 4:29)

    "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  You attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 2: 3-5)

    "And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."  (Hebrews 13: 16)

    "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.  (1 Peter 4:10)

Do so many references get the point across?  Notice in the first passage that the Law and the Prophets are summed up in both doing to others what you would have them do for you and <earlier> the commandments to Love God and Love your neighbor as yourself.  We are told to build others up.  I hope you saw that God knows you will seek your own interests, but that he also asks you to seek the interests of others.  Sharing comes in to play, and using for others the unique gifts God has given to you.

Can you see that by doing this it would be very difficult to either get or stay depressed?  When you give love to others, love comes back to you.  That is a spiritual law.  With the giving of love to another they, in turn, also give love.  That is called "fruit" and it comes from the heart.  Look at what Christ says about fruit:

    "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.  People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.  The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6: 43-45)

   "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."

    "I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.  This is my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (John 15: 1-8)

But what is this "fruit?"  Is it new Christians sitting in the pews of your church?   Is it converts?  Is it people who listen to your message?  I suggest that biblical fruit is none of these.  It is more in line with what we find in Luke 3: 9-11:

    "The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire."

    "What should we do then?"  the crowd asked.

    "John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."

Have you noticed the repetition of the sharing of food and clothing?  The bible actually tells us what the fruit is, but most pass over it.  "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."  (Ephesians 5:22-23)

So is the fruit actually love and all those things mentioned above that are the byproducts of love?   Or are these only qualities of the Holy Spirit?  Consider these words from 1 Corinthians 13: 1-3:

    "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

    If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have no love, I am nothing.

    If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."

So there you have it.  The Narrow Road is Love.   Everyone knows that the 13th chapter of Corinthians is the Love Chapter in the Bible.  Here are the qualities of a person traveling on The Narrow Road as they are laid out in verses 4-7.   Such a person would be:

Patient

Kind

Not Envious

Not Boastful

Not Proud

Not Rude

Not Self-Seeking

Not Easily Angered

Keeps No Record Of Wrongs

Does Not Delight In Evil

Rejoices With The Truth

Always Protects

Always Trusts

Always Hopes

Always Perseveres

Note the differences between the above and one who is travelling on the Wide Road as described previously.  This is the road less traveled.  The one that leads to the promise of God.  I know what you're thinking.  At times you strive to do these things.   But is there anyone outside of Jesus who could do them all the time?  Yes... all of us.  Although his love was perfect and ours does usually seem to fall somewhat short of the goal, you must agree that the Scriptures command us to love as is written above.

What IS Love, Anyway?                      

The word 'love' means many different things to many different people.  There are all kinds of love.  Bible students know that the word 'love' as it's used in the Scriptures is translated from four different Greek words.  I'm not going to get into that because I think its been overworked and underdone.  Any student of the Bible will know that the Greek word for the 'love' mentioned in this essay is 'agape'.  It's been taught in most Bible Churches throughout the world.  Many people who call themselves Christian will be the first to tell you that they have 'agape love', or 'unconditional love' in their church.  Some have even ventured so far as to use the word 'agape' in the name of their church so folks will know what kind of people go there.   Is my sarcasm love?  No it's not.  I really need to work on that, but I digress. 

If you need a definition of the word 'love' as used in this text, Jesus gave it best.  I'm sure that comes as no surprise.  It's in John 15: 12-13 where Jesus says:

    "My command is this:  Love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

This doesn't mean that each of us has to physically give up our life for someone else as Jesus did.  But it does mean that you should give up your 'life' for others as Jesus did.  Your 'life' might be your possessions.  It might be your ego.  It might be the control over others that most of us seek.  It might be your job.  It might be your money.  Look how John explains it in his first letter (3: 16-19):

   "This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?   Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.   This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us.  For God is greater than our hearts and he know everything."

Of course something this important always gets repeated.  This gets repeated a third time, just so no one has missed it:

   "This is love:  not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins!"  (1 John 4: 10)

It would seem the Scriptures show that the greater part of love is being able to forgive.   Forgiveness is a very large par of love.  Listen to the message of the following block of scriptures:

    "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive you."  (Matthew 6:14-15)

    Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?  Up to seven times?"  Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." (Matthew 18:21-22)

    "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, for give him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." (Mark 11: 25)

    "Do not judge, and you will not be judged.  Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven."  (Luke 6: 37)

    "If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."  (Luke 17: 4)

    "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you."  (Colossians 3: 13)

Jesus knew that forgiveness would be one of our largest stumbling blocks in our ability to "Love one another" as he commanded.  He knew that asking us to do that would be the same as asking us to give up our life.  Unforgiveness is a way of life in this world.  He made it perfectly clear in this parable in Matthew 8: 22-35:

    "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.  Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.  The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.'

    The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.  But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.   He grabbed him and began to choke him.  'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.

    His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'  but he refused.  Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.

    When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.  Then the master called the servant in.   'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?'

    In anger his master tuned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.  This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

I know this doesn't sound like the God of Love that we are so often taught about.  There are many who have a difficult time relating to a God who punishes as well as rewards.  But this is the way it is in the Scriptures.  We need to learn how to love and forgive.

Is it possible to learn to love the way God commands us to love?    

One would expect that if God commanded us to do something he would show us how right in his word.  He does.   Not only does he give us step by step directions, but he attaches a promise to them as well.  And the promise is so great it will take your breath away.

God gives us the message through Peter.  Yes, the same Peter to whom he gave the keys to the kingdom.   Somehow that just makes perfect sense. 2 Peter begins as follows:  "Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord."  Note that we gain this grace and peace through knowledge.  Perhaps you remember from the beginning of this how important our knowledge of God and his son is by now?  Peter continues:  "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."  Everything we need for life and godliness.   That's amazing isn't it?  Everything leaves nothing out!  And look... it comes to us through what?  Our knowledge....  again! 

"Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises,"  The 'these' mentioned here is God's glory and goodness.  Oh those great and precious promises!  "so that through them"  The precious promises... "you may participate in the divine nature" Wow... "and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."  Sounds like our way out, doesn't it?  "For this very reason,"  So you can participate and escape... "make every effort to...

Add to your FAITH, goodness;

And to GOODNESS, knowledge;

And to KNOWLEDGE, self-control;

And to SELF-CONTROL, perseverance;

And to PERSEVERANCE, godliness;

And to GODLINESS, brotherly kindness;

And to BROTHERLY KINDNESS,

L O V E !!

There it is.   Step by step.  It takes you from salvation to being able to exhibit the kind of love that keeps you on the narrow road.  I'll go over each step individually in a few moments, but I want to finish this because it's the finish that has the knock-your-socks-off promise.  Peter goes on to say, "For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure,"  Note that once we have gained them we should increase them... "they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."  There's that 'knowledge' word again.   Can you see how this all fits together?  "But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins."  It takes you all the back to the parable of the sower!  "Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure.  Here it comes... get ready... "For if you do these things, YOU WILL NEVER FALL, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

Wow!   Read it again.  And again, and again, and again.  Now this doesn't mean that we work out our own salvation.  No... that was God's free gift to us when Christ sacrificed his perfect life for us on the cross.  What this IS is the way we can learn to do the same.  To sacrifice our life for others as Christ asked when he gave us the 'Love' commandments.  If we do this, we don't run the risk of ever falling away as those in the parable of the sower did.  We show we heard and understood.   We get to be a have... instead of a have not.  A sheep and not a goat.

By the way, each of these things needs to be attained in order if the process is to succeed.  You can't get to Godliness without truly learning self-control for example.  And without a strong knowledge of Jesus, his ways and life, brotherly kindness could be a strong stumbling block.  Having said that, I believe there are people who have never heard of Jesus that have these qualities in their life and are able to love others in the way the Bible shows.  Hopefully someone will meet them who knows how to share Jesus without shoving him up their nose.