162 of 365 - The Narrow Gate

​Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14
 
Pastor Rick Warren says, “If you always feel comfortable reading God’s word, you either aren’t reading ALL of it, or you aren’t letting it sink in.”
 
This is one of those passages. Jesus says that destruction is along the easy path with the wide gate…a path that MANY are on. Conversely, eternal life is found on a path that is hard with a narrow gate…few find it.
 
We have to be careful not to pick and choose ONLY the parts of Scripture that are easy to follow, easy to understand, and feel good to us. John Piper says, “Whatever you do, don’t domesticate the radical teachings of Jesus. If they make you uncomfortable, let them do their work. They are designed to create real disciples who are ready to lose all to gain Christ. The world may call it hate. They may call it foolishness. It is not. It is love. And it is the wisdom of God.”
 
Some parts of the Bible are difficult to understand and make us uncomfortable. In the presence of His holy word and righteousness, we often come face to face with our sin and pride; our desire for control and our desire to conform to the patterns of the world. God knows this about us. He loves us and says, “Come along, I’ve got more to show you; more to give you. Let me transform your mind and give you my peace and power. My ways are always better. Follow me on this path, through that narrow gate. I promise it is worth it.”

Though the wide-gate-culture-preaching of live and let live, make your own rules, believe your own truth is tempting at times, it will never lead us through the narrow gate along the path that leads to freedom, peace, salvation, redemption, and eternal life.

Questions: What kinds of things put people on the destructive path to the wide gate over the life-giving path through the narrow gate? Why do you think MANY are on the path of destruction and FEW on the path of life?