God Direction: Take the road less traveled.

What a cliché. This saying is everywhere, yet we still have to say it. If everyone who heard it followed this advice the road would be heavily traveled. So why won't people take the road less traveled? Let's read today's Bible verse.

Matthew 7:13-23 “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.

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

The answer to the previous question comes partly from verse 15, false prophets lead people astray. Other reasons are: our sinful desires, the devil, and the world (our peers, those whom we want to empress).

Let's think about the idea of a narrow path to life (heaven). This goes against much of what we are taught. We should love everyone, we should accept everyone and their ideas, we should be united, God is love therefore He will give us the benefit of the doubt. But this verse says something different. It isn't talking about how we treat people; it is talking about the way to heaven. Jesus is saying there is one way, only one. Jesus says only those who do the will of God will enter into Heaven. In other parts of the Bible, Jesus says "I am the way" Jesus makes it clear that we can't earn our way into heaven nor can we buy our way. It is not through religious rituals and spiritual acts that we go to heaven. It is only by the grace of God thru faith.  Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, was crucified in our place (died), and on the third day rose triumphant over sin, death and the devil will go through the narrow gate to heaven.

There are many who refuse to believe this. They ask how can God be so closed minded and cruel? They say that they can't believe in a God like that. My question is how can we demand anything different?  God is our creator. He created mankind perfect but we rebelled and sinned. Yet instead of destroying us He gave His one and only Son to pay the penalty for our sin. How can we make a mockery of that sacrifice? How can we say that He didn't do enough? Jesus did all that was needed and to say there is more that we need to do or to say we can get to heaven without Jesus mocks everything that God has done for us. Thank God for grace. Through the grace of God we are saved, not by our merit or work for we could never do enough, but by God's free gift of grace.

Let's pray: Father God, thank you for giving us the way to Heaven. Help us to see the narrow path and put us on it. Fill us with Your Spirit and open our eyes to see the truth and see your will for us. Help us to find the time to pray and read the Bible and protect us from the false prophets that will try to lead us away from you. In Jesus Christ's Name I pray, Amen.