Whether you believe it or not, we are on a journey on this earth. Indeed this planet is not our home; we are just passing through as said by a musician. As we are born and grow, the journey of life continues and ends somewhere.
Relating to our earthly journeys, we may use several means and ways to get to our destinations. Some of the means of transport are better, satisfactory and comfortable than others. Different routes and means of transport may lead you to the same destination.
There are two final destinations for our spiritual journey; heaven and hell. Moreover, there are also two routes, one for each destination. The strait or the narrow way that leads to heaven and the broad way that leads to hell.
“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.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
Jesus Christ says the truth about this strait or narrow way. Few people find it or tread on it. The word “strait” in the above verses must not be confused with the word “straight”. These two words mean different things. The latter means “extending uniformly in one direction only; without a curve or bend.” The former means “a narrow passage of water connecting two seas or other large areas of water or a situation characterized by a specified degree of trouble or difficulty: in dire straits.” The former word is the one intended.
If it is so that few enter the strait or narrow way and indeed it is true as Jesus Christ said then it is worth finding out why.
Reasons why few enter the narrow way:
1. The love of the world
The way to heaven is too narrow for worldly things to be carried along with. We cannot love the world and God at the same time. The Bible tells us that “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Mat 6:24)‘Mammon’ is a Syriac word, a name given to an idol worshipped as the god of riches. The word is used to denote wealth. The meaning of this is clear. You cannot serve the Almighty God, and at the same time be totally busy obtaining the riches of this world. One will surely meddle with the other.
No wonder, the young rich man was sorrowful when Jesus asked him to go and sell all his great possessions and give to the poor. He did not understand laying up of treasure in heaven. He wished to carry the world on his back and tread on the narrow way; this is not possible.
Jesus told his disciples “Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. . . . It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” (Mat 19:21-24)
Of course, we need such things to survive in this physical world, but the love of it which turns us away from God is the problem here. Some have gone to the extent of selling and sacrificing their souls to the Evil one for these worldly things. The funny side of it is that no one has ever carried these material things beyond the grave and no one shall ever be able. God is omniscient. Upon your demise, that ends it, judgment is what awaits you.
Satan has succeeded in trapping many people to his Kingdom. This reminds me of the story of a farmer and a monkey. A farmer who was angry with a monkey for disturbing his farm for several years set up a trap for him. The farmer took a gourd made a small hole on top of it and poured in roasted groundnuts. He placed the gourd and the content in a vantage point on his farm.
The next day, the monkey went to the farm to have something to eat. The aroma of the groundnut drew his attention. He got closer, put his hand inside the gourd and fetched a lot of the groundnut. There was a problem. The monkey could not pull his hand out of the gourd. If his hand is to come out of the gourd, not even a single nut will remain in his hand.
The Monkey saw the farmer approaching him. He has a divided interest; either to leave the nuts in the gourd to set himself free or keep trying pulling his hands with the groundnuts. The Monkey could not afford to go without taking anything. The trap caught him. The farmer took him home.
This is how Satan traps us. The Bible tells us that “For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? ” (Mar 8:36-37) “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33) and
2. Prejudices
The Oxford dictionary defines prejudice as a “preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience”Prejudice is, therefore, adverse judgment or opinion formed beforehand without good justification. Pre-judgment prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation. Even though it may be favorable sometime, prejudice in most cases is unfavorable especially, when it comes to matters of salvation.
There are several examples of prejudices in the Bible. The majority of the Jews did not believe that Jesus is the Christ, including the chief priests and the scribes. They consistently mounted pressure on the governor, Pontius Pilate to have Jesus crucified. They have established their own righteousness, ignoring righteousness which is of faith. (Romans 10:2)
Paul, the Apostle who was Saul, thought his former religion, Judaism is the best. He persecuted the Christians of that era. It was later on that he was called by Christ before he knew that he was actually wrong. (Acts 22:3-5)
Prejudice is bad behavior that causes mockery, anger, disrespect, and dishonesty. The most serious of them is that it closes one’s mind against the truth. Many have heard the truth but their prejudices prevented them from accepting and obeying it. A typical example of this is the pre-flood era. The Bible tells us that Noah did preach to them but they did not listen. For before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark.
The flood came and took them all away by surprise. They might think that the flood took too long to come. They brought forth children and they had grandchildren, to them, it was just a joke. It was only eight souls that were saved. The then world took the longsuffering of God for granted. (1Peter 3:20) this happened because of prejudices.
There are serious prejudices going on now. Many people are flabbergasted by the fact that Christians are called by the gospel of Christ. How can one be born of water and the spirit? To some, only mosquitoes and tadpoles are born of water. Again, some believe that their sins are just too grave for the cleansing of the blood of Jesus Christ.
3. The belief in false doctrines
Many false preachers and prophets have gone out to deceive the masses. They succeeded in sowing the seeds of false doctrines in the hearts of rather innocent people. The Bible did not fail to warn us about the tricks of Satan. How can one tread on the way to heaven when he is made to believe that heaven does not exist or is reserved for a few people?Universalism is another doctrine that many are deceived with. It is a doctrine that teaches that all people will be saved through the atonement of Christ. Even those who have rejected Jesus Christ and have not repented and covered by the blood of Christ before their death will enjoy the future with God.
This devilish doctrine is based on the idea that God’s love is infinitely great. God is not wicked to send people to hell. This false doctrine gives people security against salvation. There is no need of hearing the gospel let alone believing it. How do I bother about the narrow way if it does not matter what I do, I will be saved.
This doctrine is not only false but devilish; it is not true. Holders of this doctrine have the burden to prove that those in Noah’s era who got flooded were not humans. They must also prove that the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah who were burnt were sticks.
Another phony doctrine similar to universalism is purgatory. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Purgatory is “a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who depart this life in God‘s grace are not entirely free for venial faults or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions.” Purgatory is understood by many as the place of cleansing in preparation for heaven because they do not recognize Jesus’ sacrifice has cleansed and redeemed believers.
Read also:
Jesus is the only way to God
The power of the gospel of Christ
We are saved by grace through faith if we obey
Have you reconciled with God?
4. Following others and the “Majority”
We are in a democratic system in the world, where the majority is the winner. For some people, where the majority is, there, they will be. It does not matter whether what they are doing or believe in is wrong and false. What the majority is doing, they will do some, where they are going, they will follow, and what they say, they will reecho it. If you follow the popular way and the majority, you are on the broadway not the narrow, to destruction.Now, observe, those that do not believe that the flood would come in the era before the deluge, was the majority yet they got flooded. The inhabitants of the cities, Sodom and Gomorrah in the days of Lot were the majority yet they were burnt to ashes in their sins.
Some people follow their parents because they were groomed in a certain doctrine and have grown in it. What is good for their parents is good for them too. The Bible teaches that “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37)
There are certain preachers and people that are held in high esteem and because of their influence, many follow them. Were they the people crucified on the cross for you? Remember, when a blind man leads another, they will all fall into the pit. We must wise up. We need to search the scriptures and see whether those sugar-coated words of these preachers are true.
Conclusion
Which of these reasons is preventing you from getting onto the narrow that leads to eternal life? The beginning of true discipleship is not easy to flesh and blood. The attainment of salvation demands the exercise of self-denial. The attainment of salvation demands singularity. You must leave the multitude and follow the few that are on the narrow way.
Leave the world behind you and move forward. You cannot carry the world on your head tread on the narrow path. Understand that there many false prophets that have come to deceive the masses, do not follow the majority. Prejudice is a bad habit, do not do that against Christ and His church. God loves you. Jesus paid the price for you, just accept Him, carry your cross and tread on the narrow way. Even though the journey on the narrow is not easy, He has promised not to forsake us.
Do not harden your heart. You have words that produce faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
Believe unto righteousness (Romans 10:9-10)
Repent unto life (Acts 11:18)
Confess unto salvation (Romans 10:9-10)
Be baptized unto the remission of sins (Acts 2:38)
All scriptures are taken from the King James Version (KJV)
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