Jesus says there are only two doors (or gates) and only two paths that people choose in this life. But according to Jesus, only ONE of them leads to ETERNAL LIFE. In this Eternal Promises Radio Show broadcast, Jeff Tobler walks us through an even deeper exposition behind Jesus’ difficult saying of “NARROW is the gate and DIFFICULT is the path that leads to Life!”
Listen to part 1 of this 2-part series!
Radio Show Transcript
Thank you, Scott. Welcome to Eternal Promises Radio Show. I’m your host, Jeff Tobler. I want to personally thank you for joining us on the broadcast today and remind you that one of the quintessential promises we have is found in John’s first letter to believers where He emphatically states “and this is the promise God has promised us, even Eternal Life!” (1 John 2:25)
Now that is an exciting promises. One that many would like to lay hold of, but if we’re not very careful, might miss out on the promise.
Another messenger of God, Paul (Saul of Tarsus), wrote to the believers in the ancient city of Corinth, reminding them that “all of the promises of God IN CHRIST are “YES” and in Him, “AMEN”. (2 Cor 1:20)
Implicit in Paul’s statement is that these promises of God relating to eternal life require one very important condition be met. That is, that we believe, repent, love and obey His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is, after all, In Christ, that the promises are actualized.
And so, when we here John’s exclamation that God has promised us eternal life, the inference is that those how have the promises are those who have made the choice to identify themselves with the risen, living Lord Jesus Christ. Look how simple God has made salvation.
Well, this week we are going to dig even deeper into Jesus’ eternal promise of the narrow door and the difficult way that leads to life. And we will be contrasting His path with the broad, crowded path that leads to destruction. We want to be very specific and to learn how to navigate to the correct door and start walking on the right path.
Let’s hear directly from Jesus again in Matthew 7: 13-14:
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
Now, to give this more amplification, let’s read it out of The Voice translation:
There are two paths before you; you may take only one path. One doorway is narrow. And one door is wide. Go through the narrow door. For the wide door leads to a wide path, and the wide path is broad; the wide, broad path is easy, and the wide, broad, easy path has many, many people on it; but the wide, broad, easy, crowded path leads to death. Now then that narrow door leads to a narrow road that in turn leads to life. It is hard to find that road. Not many people manage it.
To be very clear about this, all of those found in the wide, easy, crowded road are those who will NOT receive Eternal Life, but rather eternal damnation, condemnation, and never-ending torment. These multitudes are going their own way and not living in obedience to God but continue to love themselves or other gods more than the One and only Eternal God, known as Yahweh, having revealed Himself as consisting of the Father, and the Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
But why will they end up in torment? Well, just like there are two doors and two roads to travel, there are also two masters for us to align ourselves with. The one TRUE master is the Lord Jesus Christ. The one counterfeit lord is Satan or Lucifer, a one-time remarkably beautiful angelic being with great authority over other angels whom God created to serve in His Kingdom, but who early on chose to rebel against God and convinced many other angels to rebel with him.
You see, Satan wanted to have the attention God alone is due. He wanted to be worshipped like God rather than remaining a worshipper of God. Therefore, Satan was cast out of his place of authority, and God prepared a lake of fire for Satan and those other angels who chose to follow their new dark lord.
This is how Jesus puts it in Matthew 25 starting at verse 41:
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
You see, those who have chosen to rebel against God or following their leader, Satan, or the Devil. And Jesus makes it very plain that everyone who has chosen an evil nature will be tormented along with Satan in the lake of fire, forever and ever. This is Eternal death, or Eternal destruction, or eternal torment or everlasting punishment. This punishment never ends. Just as the one receiving eternal life will have blessings that will never end, the one receiving eternal punishment will have never ending torment. God is communicating this to warn us now of the consequences of not choosing Life, of not believing in and following Jesus.
Jesus ends this warning clearly stating that those who end up serving Satan will end up with eternal punishment:
Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Satan is God’s enemy and by extension the chief enemy of all mankind. His goal is to steal, kill, and destroy as many as he can from God. And sadly, many are choosing to be a servant or slave of Satan by continuing to live in their sin and by rejecting the LIFE that God has offered through His Son Jesus Christ.
You see, God is just and must punish lawbreakers just like we would want any earthly judge to do. But think about it, those who will be punished refused to accept the gift of eternal life God has offered everyone. What a dark day that will be for many people.
SEGMENT 2
Welcome back to the show, this is Jeff Tobler, and we are getting a very detailed look at the characteristics of those who walk the narrow path vs the broad path.
We are talking about Satan’s role, our role, and how we can be set free from Satan and sin to now serve the TRUE Master, Jesus Christ, the hope of every person from every tribe and tongue on the planet. It’s all about who we identify with.
You see, anyone who chooses Satan or remains in the service of Satan, receives his destiny. If Satan’s judgment is to be thrown into Hell, then those who identify with satan will also be thrown into Hell, being seen as traitors like their dark lord. Think of it as being an accomplice to THE crime of all crimes against God.
This is how Paul put it in Romans chapter 6 starting at verse 16:
Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
Satan’s destiny is Hell, and he knows it. You need to understand that he is desperately trying to convince those who follow God to deny the Lord and live a life outside of the boundaries God has established.
What does this look like? What does the Broadway path look like? Thankfully, Paul helps us out on this one. He gives us a clear picture of this in not just one letter, but in at least three.
Let’s examine each instance. Here, Paul writes to the believers in Corinth and warns them not to be deceived. This is 1 Corinthians 6:9-10:
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
And here in a letter to the believers at Rome, Paul is very explicit about the behavior of those who walk in the broad way that leads to destruction. This is found in Romans chapter 1:
By choosing a foolish lie over God’s truth. They gave their lives and devotion to the creature rather than to the Creator Himself, who is blessed forever and ever. Amen. This is why God released them to their own vile pursuits, and this is what happened:they chose sexual counterfeits—women had sexual relations with other women and men committed unnatural, shameful acts because they burned with lust for other men. This sin was rife, and they suffered painful consequences.
… Their days are filled with all sorts of godless living, wicked schemes, greed, hatred, endless desire for more, murder, violence, deceit, and spitefulness. And, as if that were not enough, they are gossiping, slanderous, God- hating, rude, egotistical, smug people who are always coming up with even more dreadful ways to treat one another. They don’t listen to their parents; they lack understanding and character. They are simple- minded, covenant- breaking, heartless, and unmerciful; they are not to be trusted. Despite the fact that they are fully aware that God’s law says this way of life deserves death, they fail to stop. And worse— they applaud others on this destructive path.
And writing to the Ephesians, in chapter 5, he is consistent in warning those who may be straying away from the difficult, constricted path that leads to life:
Ephesians 5:1-7 (NKJV)
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.
Look at the contrast between walking in the Spirit, in love, imitating Christ vs walking in the flesh, in immorality, imitating Satan.
Lastly, let’s read out of Paul’s letter to the Christians at Galatia. This is Galatians 5: 16-25 and we see a very clear contrast between a believer’s ability to walk pleasing to God by the power of the Spirit or to choose to grieve the Spirit of God by walking contrary to God’s power and instead choosing to please our old sinful nature, that should be staying dead.
Here’s Paul with a promise that should take to heart and believe with all of our heart:
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Now, Paul follows with a description of what it looks like to NOT walk according to the God’s desires, not submitted to the Spirit’s leading:
For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Now listen to the contrast again of a surrendered life willingly under the authority of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Beloved, we have a choice. It’s so clear that we can choose between to sources: Jesus or Satan. Jesus leads to LIFE; Satan leads to DEATH.
SEGMENT 3
Welcome back, this is Jeff Tobler with Eternal Promises, and we are going to wrap up this two-part series on The Narrow Path by some exceedingly great promises from God as well as instruction on how you can receive the Promise of Eternal Life through Christ!
Before we get to that, let’s be very clear about one thing. Satan does NOT have to try to convince those who are already his servants. He already has them right where he wants them.
No, he wants everyone to remain instead comfortable in their abiding death sentence – to make them think that the life of comfort and ease they are enjoying will have no dire consequences. But Satan is the Chief liar – the father of lies. Satan’s path leads to destruction, because it leads us away from God, the source of all LIFE!
But it doesn’t have to be that way for you! No, today and for the rest of your life going forward, you can choose life and escape the wrath to come by repenting – turning away from a self-centered life of sin and toward a life of loving and serving God – and accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
For you remember the promise the Jesus Himself stated to Nicodemus, and be extension to all of us:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whomever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting LIFE!” (John 3:16)
Maybe now that little phrase “shall not perish” makes more sense and the urgency of turning back to God today is the door of your heart.
This is how you go through the narrow door. Jesus Christ is the Door that leads to life, and He not only offers life but abundant life – both here and for eternity.
Earlier we read out of Romans 6 about our slavery to sin and Satan, but now let’s read about our freedom from slavery when we turn to the Lord:
…having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness…
What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Well the good news is that Jesus is not only the Door but also the Way or the Path that leads to Life. If you enter in through Jesus and continue to walk in His path you will end up receiving Eternal Life!
[After all, Jesus said “I am the door, if anyone enters by me he will be saved” and later to He said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me”. These sayings are recorded in the Gospel of John, and I encourage you to read it for yourself!]
But did you hear that? If you enter through Jesus you will be saved, and if you follow Him all your days, with all of your heart, you will enter into eternal life when you die and be in the presence of your Heavenly Father forever!
Well, the Good News is that if you receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, you will receive the free gift of salvation and the Promise of the Holy Spirit. Your name will be written in the Lamb’s Book of LIFE and saved from eternal damnation and the Lake of fire! Not only will you be able to spend eternity in His blessed presence, you will be able to live a life that begins to please God on this earth.
If you haven’t yet received the Lord and experienced the gift of being freely forgiven, but would like to receive Jesus and start following Him, let’s pray together. And if you mean it from your heart, God will honor the prayer and do what He has promised to do. You have his word on it, so let’s pray together:
“Father in Heaven:
I confess that I’m a sinner. I have sinned aginst you and I need a savior. Thank you for sending Jesus to die for my sins. I believe with all my heart that He was raised from the grave on the third day.
I confess Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I repent of living for myself, and give my whole life to you, Heavenly Father.
Thank you for your amazing love, for adopting me into your family, and for the gift of salvation!
For this day forward, I will serve Jesus Christ as my King!
I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen!”
If you prayed that prayer you have just been granted privileged access into the Kingdom of God and become a child of the living God. Because this is the promise He has promised us, even Eternal Life!
Please let us know if you’ve received Eternal Life today by going to to eternalpromises.org/newlife. We want to encourage you, and send you FREE resources to equip you on your new journey.
And that’s a Word of Promise today to you from Eternal Promises. I’m Jeff Tobler, and I want to encourage you to seek the Lord while He may be found, because if you seek Him with all of your heart, the promise of God is that you will find Him.
The Lord richly bless you!
