Which Road are You On?

Transcript

GR 671
6/3/1984
Which Road Are You On?
Matthew 7:13-17 Gil Rugh

Jesus concludes the teaching known as the Sermon on the Mount by focusing attention on the contrast that exists between the believer and the unbeliever. He draws a sharp contrast between those who are indeed the children of God and those who are not, and He shows the danger of false teaching and false religious leaders. Jesus warns about such teachers and exhorts His followers to be sure that they are on the road to life and are indeed His followers.
This passage is especially pertinent for the time in which we live when there is so much false teaching around us. We need to understand the guidelines Jesus gave for evaluating the teaching we hear. The contrast is drawn very clearly in the analogy Jesus gives in Matthew 7 verses 13 and 14 in which He refers to two gates, two ways and two destinations. In addition, He draws a contrast between the two groups of people--the many and the few.
Verse 13 begins with a strong command, “Enter by the narrow gate.” The reason is also stated: “for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction.” This is in contrast to verse 14 which says, “For the gate is small...that leads to life.” Jesus is saying that there are many who are going through the broad gate, but there are few going through the narrow gate. Since there are only two gates, there are only two alternatives. Every human being has to come through one of the two gates. Since there are only two roads, every human being is on one of the two roads. There are also only two destinations. All humanity is moving toward one or the other. Jesus has drawn a hard, fast line at this point. The call to enter the narrow gate is a call to decision. It is a call, in effect, to believe in Him.
Every person who has been born has come through the broad gate. The call is now to enter through the narrow gate. The way to change the road you are on is to enter a different gate. This could be illustrated by traveling on a toll road. If you want to go in a different direction, you must get off the road you are on and enter through a new gate.
This call to believe in Christ is not new. The Jews whom Jesus is addressing would understand this. He is presenting to them the way to life or the way to death, and now they are being called on to make a decision. This section lays strong emphasis on the responsibility to decide to enter the narrow gate.
Moses laid before the people the same choice in Deuteronomy 30, “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity” (v. 15). Moses’ challenge continues in verse 19: “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.” The choices are set before them, so now Moses exhorts them to “choose life.” The responsibility is placed before them to choose.
Joshua gave the Israelites the same responsibility in Joshua 24 verses14 and 15: “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” He is calling on Israel to make a choice--to continue the road they have been traveling of worshiping other gods or to serve God. That is the call Jesus is making in Matthew 7:13. His command to “enter by the narrow gate” is a call to believe in Him, to recognize God as their God and to trust Him as their Savior. Jesus is telling them that He is the Messiah and that they are to believe in Him.
In the fourth Gospel, the Book of John, Jesus uses a parable of the shepherd and his sheep to illustrate what He is saying. Jesus is the good shepherd; He is the One who gives His life for the sheep. Then Jesus continues, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture” (John 10:9). In Matthew 7 Jesus commands the people to enter through the narrow gate. In John 10 He says that He is the door. Salvation is in Jesus Christ. He Himself is the narrow gate. You must come through Him for salvation. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” He is the only way of access into the Father’s presence. You must believe in Him because only in Him is life found.
There are other options, but they are all classified as the broad gate. The ones on the road to life are those who have come through the narrow gate. They have recognized that they are sinners and that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died to pay the penalty for their sins.
The road to destruction is populated by religious people, those who are convinced without a doubt that they are on their way to heaven. Yet later in Matthew 7, Jesus will say when they stand before Him, “I never knew you; depart from Me.”
When you enter through the narrow gate, your life is transformed. When you come through the narrow gate, through Jesus Christ, and you believe in Him as your Savior, the Bible indicates that you are made a new creature and your life is transformed. That rearranges and reorders your entire life. You are no longer the same person living the same life you used to live.
Through the remainder of Matthew 7, Jesus emphasizes that the way you live testifies as to which gate you have come through. Jesus spoke of this in Matthew 16:24: “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’” If you follow Him, there will be a difference in your life.

John also mentions this in 1 John 3:7: “Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.” The next verse indicates that the one whose life is characterized by sin is a child of the Devil: “The one who practices sin is of the devil” (v. 8). This passage makes it clear that the one whose life is characterized by sin is a child of the Devil and the one whose life is characterized by righteousness is a child of God. “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother” (v. 10). The one whose life is transformed is on a different road. Such a one is living under the control of the Spirit of God as the child of God and is manifesting the character of God. There must be an obvious difference between the one who is a child of God and the one who is a child of the Devil.
The Bible does not say that you enter the narrow gate by changing your life. It says your life is changed as a result of entering the narrow gate. Once you enter the narrow gate, you are on the narrow road. Do not misunderstand this point. You cannot get through the narrow gate by changing your life, although many religious people are trying to do that. Your life is transformed from within when you enter through the narrow gate, Jesus Christ, and believe in Him. Many people claim to belong to Christ who do not belong to Him at all. That is not true because I say so, but it is true because God says it. Their lives testify to the fact that they are not children of God because they have not been changed.
You may profess to be a believer. “Oh yes,” you say, “I believed in Jesus Christ when I was a child.” But what does your life say? Is the character of God seen in you? If not, then you do not belong to Him and you are on the broad way. “Well,” you say, “I made a decision.” I do not know what you did, but if your life has not been changed, you were not born into God’s family. Those who were born into God’s family have come in through the narrow gate and are on a narrow road. Their lives are different. It doesn’t matter if you have attended church for forty years. That will not put you on the narrow road. Only believing in Jesus Christ puts you on the narrow road.
In the next study the issue is the character of our lives. But the significant thing in verses 13 and 14 is the destination of our lives. You have entered through a gate and are traveling on a road because you are going toward a particular destiny. There are only two destinations--life and destruction. Everyone--all humanity--is moving toward one of these two destinations. When Jesus refers to life in these verses, He is talking about eternal life. That is the possession of those who are destined to spend eternity in the very presence of God in glory. Destruction is reserved for those who are destined to spend eternity suffering in hell separated from God. It is important that we understand the difference between these two destinies. The narrow road leads to life, but the broad road leads to destruction.
What is meant by the concept of destruction? Religious people today commonly deny the reality of an eternal hell. You cannot believe that it is possible to spend eternal life in God’s presence if you do not believe that it is possible to spend eternity suffering in hell. Every believer in Jesus
Christ ought to be able to show without doubt that the Bible clearly describes hell as involving eternal, unending suffering and torment just as life for the believer involves eternal blessings in the glory of God’s presence.
Jesus says in Matthew 7:13 that “the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction.” The word which is translated “destruction” (apoleia) is used several places in the New Testament. A crucial passage on the subject of the sovereignty of God and His work of election is Romans 9:22: “What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction (apoleia)?”
In writing to the believers at Philippi, Paul instructed them regarding their conduct and used the same word. “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ; so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents--which is a sign of destruction (apoleia) for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God” (Phil. 1:27-28). Those who oppose the gospel, the Good News concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and those who oppose any who teach and preach the gospel are giving evidence that they are on the broad road destined for destruction.
The word is also used in Philippians 3. “For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction (apoleia), whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things” (v. 18,19). Those who believe that you can be saved by your good works are opposing the cross of Christ, their end is destruction.
We have no other place to go in order to find out about hell except the Bible. If we are to know anything about eternity or about life after death, God will have to tell us. If you want to know anything about the reality of heaven or hell, you must come to the Bible and find out what God has said about it.
The Apostle Peter wrote in 2 Peter 3:7: “But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction (apoleia) of ungodly men.” In the same chapter, Peter wrote about those who twist and distort the writings of the Apostle Paul. Peter wrote of Paul, “as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction (apoleia)” (v. 16). These people were using the Scriptures, but they were twisting and distorting the Scriptures to make them say what they do not say. The end of that will be their own destruction.

When God talks about the destruction of the wicked, does He mean they will cease to exist? Many groups and cults teach that there is no eternal suffering in hell. But God says there is. In order to see the clear teaching of Scripture on this subject, two words need to be considered which are used for eternity in the New Testament. In the use of these words, the Scriptures clearly teach that destruction is forever. The words cannot mean that a person is annihilated or ceases to exist. The words mean torment day and night forever and forever.

The first word is aion and is translated forever. The Book of Jude describes false teachers and false religious leaders. Jude wrote of them in verses 12 and 13: “These men are those who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever (aion)." The black darkness has been reserved for them into the ages--forever.
Revelation 14 speaks about the wicked being sentenced to hell. “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever (aion)" (v.11). They never cease being tormented; they know no rest day and night forever. They are being endlessly tormented without a break night and day. That is the destiny of the wicked, of whom Jesus Christ said the broad road leads to destruction. Revelation 20:10 says, “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (aion)," literally, into the ages of the ages. You cannot say “forever" any more strongly in the Greek language. The Bible is clear that those who reject Christ will be tormented day and night forever and ever. How surprising that some people say that this word does not mean forever, but that it rather indicates that these individuals stop existing forever. How ridiculous!
There are also some passages where the word is used in the context of God and of believers. In discussing these verses with someone who says that this word does not mean forever, show them the following verses where the same word aion is used. Christ said in Revelation 1:17 and 18, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore (aion)." Is Jesus Christ alive merely for a period of time? Is He ever going to stop being alive? No. He is alive forever, unendingly, throughout eternity. That is what forever means. That is what it means when the Bible says the wicked are tormented forever.
First Peter 1:25 says, “But the Word of the Lord abides forever (aion)." Will God’s Word ever cease to exist and be authoritative? No. For all eternity His Word will abide and stand true. Forever means forever--unendingly, unceasingly.
Paul wrote in Romans 1:25, “For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever (aion). Amen." Will God ever cease to be blessed? No. Forever, endlessly, unendingly, through eternity, God will be blessed.
Jesus said in John 6:51, “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever (aion)." Do you have eternal life? If you do, it means you will live forever enjoying the presence of God. In all of these passages, the same word was used as was used for the destruction of the wicked and their suffering day and night unendingly. If “forever" does not mean forever when it speaks of the suffering of hell, then what kind of “eternal life” do you have? If it does not mean forever, then we have nothing. The word aion means forever when it talks about the suffering of hell, and it means forever when it talks about the enjoyment of life in God’s presence.

The second word is aionios and is translated eternal. If you do not understand the fact that eternity is involved in our destination, you cannot appreciate the significance of what Jesus Christ has done. The issue is where you will be in one hundred million years. Eternity may start tomorrow for you, and it will go on endlessly. A person who dies today without Jesus Christ will suffer the torment of hell day and night, beginning today, and for hundreds of millions of billions of endless years into eternity. Contrast that fact with the fact that if a person who has believed in Jesus Christ as his personal Savior dies today, he begins eternity in the presence of God that goes on endlessly and unendingly.
Jesus said in Matthew 18:8, “And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the eternal (aionios) fire.” This fire is going to torment forever and ever those who are cast there. A similar idea is seen in Matthew 25:41: “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal (aionios) fire, which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.” Verse 46 says, “And these will go away into eternal (aionios) punishment, but the righteous into eternal (aionios) life.” What is eternal life? Enjoying God’s presence for eternity. What is eternal punishment? Suffering day and night away from the presence of God forever and ever. You cannot believe one without the other. Those who want to twist and distort the Scriptures to their own satisfaction try to say that the Bible does not teach eternal hell. But the Scriptures still teach it even though some may choose not to believe it.
The same word is used in John 3:15: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal (aionios) life.” Is the punishment of the wicked eternal? It is if the life of the believer is eternal. You cannot have one without the other.
This is the overwhelming significance of what Jesus is talking about in Matthew 7. These are eternal issues. The gate through which you enter and the road over which you travel culminate for eternity either in heaven or in hell. It is hard for us to grasp the awfulness of eternity in hell. Unbelievers who have already died have been tormented day and night unendingly from the day of their death until today, and they are not even at the beginning of eternity. There will be no rest and no break form their sufferings. We cannot even conceive of that. That is why many people want to deny hell. They cannot conceive of something so awful. It is beyond my conception to understand that people are suffering day and night the torments of eternal fire that will never end in one hundred million billion trillion years. They will be suffering with the same intensity that they are experiencing now. I can’t believe a loving God would do that, you reason. But you must believe what the Bible says. Who set up your beliefs as the standard? Do you think God does not know that it is awful? That is why He commands us, “Enter by the narrow gate” (Matt. 7:13).
Some people are probably thinking, Oh my, that’s awful. How can he preach such terrible stuff about a loving God? If that is your feeling, you do not think it is awful at all. If you did, you would enter the narrow gate! If you reject this truth, you are just pitter-pattering around in your own fake, make-believe world. Some people are more concerned about how much money they make, how important they are, or the things they have acquired. What difference will these things make in a million years? What difference will it make in ten years if you are going to be in eternity then? For those of us who will be in eternity then, it will not matter where we lived or what our bank account was. It will not matter whether we were beautiful or ugly, deformed or healthy, great or whatever! But it is going to matter whether you entered the narrow gate. Somehow we just cannot get a handle on the importance of that. It is overwhelmingly important.
This concept divides all mankind into two groups. You are one who has come through either the narrow gate or the broad gate. You are traveling either on the narrow road or on the broad road. Your life will culminate either in the glory of God’s presence or in the awfulness of hell.
Do you think anyone will go to hell? The amazing thing about Matthew 7 is that it specifically indicates that the majority are on the road to hell--the majority of religious people. They are the ones Jesus is talking about who are on the road to hell.
Some people get caught up in their concern for this approach. “Oh, you ’re so narrow,” they complain. “You think you are the only one who is right.” But the Bible says it is a narrow gate. It does not really matter whether I am right or not, but God is right. And I am right when I agree with Him. Jesus said you have to come through the narrow gate. If you do not, you are on your way to hell. It is just that simple.
Notice the contrast in verses 13 and 14: “The way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.”
Some may suggest that a Gallup poll should be taken to determine what the majority of the people believe. Even if eighty percent of the people believe as you do, that does not make any difference. God is not in the business of taking opinion polls. Many are traveling the broad road that is going to culminate in hell.
“I don’t think it’s fair.” That does not really matter, does it? Jesus has told us the way it is. I may decide to climb to the top of a building and say I would like to fly like a bird, so I am going to jump off. “No,” you say. “Only birds can fly off the top of this building.” “But I don’t like it,” I reply. “Why should they be free to flap their wings and enjoy flying through the air? I am going to jump anyway.” “You ding dong,” someone would say, “birds fly, you don’t! ” Suppose I say I do not like it, and it is not fair, so I am going to jump anyway. It does not really matter whether I like it or think it is fair.
It is the same way with heaven and hell. I do not like to think there is a place like hell. I do not like to think that some people I preach to are going to spend eternity there. But when I come back to the Word of God, it tells me that is the way it is. Some may not like the message and may try to put their fingers in their ears and close their eyes to the facts. That does not change the fact that you are on the road to destruction if you have rejected Christ.
Where would you be if your life ended today? It would not be the first time someone sat in church on a Sunday and was dead before the next Sunday. If your life is over before the week is finished, where will you be? You will either be in life or in destruction. You will either have begun eternity in the presence of Almighty God or you will gave begun eternity separated from Him. There is no middle ground. No one is standing around saying he is glad he is neutral in this area. Jesus said everyone has come through one gate or the other, everyone is on one road or the other; everyone is destined either for life or for destruction.
We are dealing with eternal issues--two gates, two roads, two destinies. Where are you? I am not asking if you attend church regularly. There are people who attend regularly who are on the broad road to destruction. Their lives testify to that fact because there is no change in them. They are living on the broad road. There is no manifestation of the character of Christ in their lives.
The narrow gate is Jesus Christ. You come through that gate when you recognize your own sinfulness and believe in Him as your Savior. Until you are willing to see yourself as God sees you, as an unworthy, condemned sinner, and believe that Jesus Christ died for you, you are on the broad road. The tragedy of it is that if you die on the broad road, you are destined to eternity in the suffering of hell forever and ever and ever!
When we consider the description of those who will spend forever in hell, it is amazing that anyone wants to be on the broad road. Jesus even gives a command, “Enter by the narrow gate” (Matt.7:13). Why would anyone with an ounce of sense want to stay on the broad road? The only reason anyone chooses that road is because we are sinners through and through--proud, arrogant sinners.
When some people read this, it grates on them. They get upset when someone says that religious people are going to hell. They consider themselves just as good as the religious people. There is no doubt that they are. But we all deserve to go to hell.
The narrow gate makes the difference. It is not necessary for you to go to destruction and hell. God has provided life for you. If you will receive the free gift of life that God offers to all who believe, you can enter the narrow gate, travel on the narrow road and experience eternal life.