There are only two roads on which we may travel in life which lead to our eternal destiny. They are described by Jesus when he said: "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matt. 7:13-14). The strait gate and way are restricted to doing things according to God's word. The entire life must be dedicated to following these guidelines.
The wide gate and way are opposed to God's word. One can literally forget about God and keep on drifting down this broad way. One does not have to follow any law. In fact, some say we have no law to follow. On this road one, can do just that which pleases him and /or makes him "feel good."
In Matt. 7:24-29, our Lord contrasted two builders. He was saying to us that we have a decision to make in our spiritual travel through life. He tells us that if we build on sand (do not do his will), we will perish. If we build on a rock (obedience to the truth of God), we will be saved in heaven. This passage eliminates the false teachings of "grace only," and "faith only." Note verse 24: "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them..." One is not saved by anything only.
Joshua said: "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Josh 24:15). In other words, if I serve God the way my mother served him, I could be doing it the wrong way if she was in error and did not serve him as he commanded.
In Matt. 7:21 Jesus said: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Then in verse 22-23, we read of those who thought they were doing what God had instructed. "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." They thought that they had been doing what God had instructed, but they were on the wrong road. Perhaps they had been taught by such false teachers as Christ had warned about in verse 15. We must do as those noble Berean's in Acts 17:11, who "searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Christ only built one church and he built no denominations. In Eph. 4:3-6, we read of "one faith" (not many), "one body" (not many), and "one baptism." Christ only provided one plan for one to be saved, yet I am told that there are over 3000 different "churches" today, each providing a different plan of salvation, or they wouldn't be different.
The type of death we die is up to each of us individually. There are two ways to die that affect the eternity of a person. We may die "in the Lord" (Rev.14:13), or we may die "in sin." To be "in the Lord" is to be in the church (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18). The road we travel while we are alive determines where we will spend eternity. Jesus spoke of two places in Matt. 25:46 when he warned those in sin: "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment [the broad way]: but the righteous into life eternal [the narrow way]."
"If any man speak let him speak as the oracles of God" (I Pet. 4:11).
Don H. Noblin
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