This week we resumed our series of study entitled, “Come to the Door.” Thus far we have shared four messages in this series, with each one focused upon God’s offer of salvation to all of humanity through His Son, Jesus Christ. The fifth message is based out of Matthew 7:13 – 29, and is entitled, “The Inescapable Choice.”
Throughout life, all of us face the responsibility of making choices and decisions. Many of the daily decisions we make might be considered trivial and unimportant in the big scheme of life and eternity. For example, on a daily basis we make decisions regarding the clothing we wear, the food we eat, how we make use of our time, places to which we need or want to go, and so on.
There are other types of decisions we must make which prove to be greatly significant to us because they are ones which are life-changing. Once these choices are made, our lives are impacted forever. For example, decisions regarding a person’s educational pursuits can prove to have a profound impact upon one’s life. The type of career a person chooses to pursue has tremendous significance. Whom a person chooses to marry is certainly a life-changing decision of major proportion.
However, the most crucial of all decisions that must be made in life relates to what each of us purposes to do with Jesus Christ and His kingdom. This is the ultimate choice that must be made in life. This is “The Inescapable Choice” that must be made in life, because what we choose to do with Jesus in this life determines our eternal destiny.
Throughout His teaching found in Matthew 5 – 7 commonly referred to as “The Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus explains and illustrates what the kingdom of God is like. He also shows what the people who belong to His kingdom are like, as well as what they are not like. Now Jesus begins His conclusion for this message. He brings the listeners to that crossroads of truth and faith where each of them would be responsible for choosing which kingdom they would be a part of not only in this life, but, for all eternity. The time for decision— the time for making a deliberate, intentional choice— between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan was upon them. And now, the time for decision— the time for making a deliberate, intentional choice— between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan is upon you as well. For you see, every person of understanding must take the personal responsibility of choosing between God’s offer of salvation through His Son, Jesus, or the self-deception of unbelief; God’s grace and mercy, or His judgment; life or death; heaven or hell; the kingdom of God, or the kingdom of Satan. This is not only the ultimate choice to be made in life; it is, indeed, “The Inescapable Choice.”
I want us to notice that as Jesus begins to bring His message to a conclusion, He illustrates the reality of this inescapable choice each of us face in this life in three specific ways. He speaks of two gates and two ways in vv.13 – 14. He then mentions two trees and two types of fruit born by such trees in vv.15 – 20. He then closes the message by describing two houses and two foundations in vv.21 – 27.
First, we begin with the two gates and two ways, which point us towards the beginning of this life of faith (vv.13 – 14). Jesus presents a spiritual contrast in these two verses, one which is somewhat reminiscent of the contrast described in Psalm 1:1 – 6. Just take a moment to read through this Hebrew song.
Jesus begins this closing section of His sermon with this invitation: “Enter by the narrow gate” (v.13a). This is followed by the first part of the contrast, when Jesus states, “for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it” (v.13b). The Greek word which we have translated as “wide” literally refers to an open square, or a widely travelled street. Jesus’ usage of it here in this context speaks to that which is viewed as being easy and comfortable to access and stay on. In other words, the wide gate leads to the easy way. It is a simple matter to get on the comfortable road of life. It embraces anyone and everyone on their own terms. This road of life is one which does not make any demands of its travelers to leave anything behind. The “wide gate” and the “broad way” reflects the choice to live a life which is completely self-centered rather than one which is God-centered.
The late John R. W. Stott wrote in his book, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount, of his own personal understanding of the choice to live life from the perspective of the “wide gate.” He said,…
It is a simple matter to get on the easy road. There is evidently no limit to the luggage we can take with us. We need to leave nothing behind, not even our sins, self-righteousness, or pride… There is plenty of room on it for diversity of opinions and laxity of morals. It is the road of tolerance and permissiveness. It has no curbs [“guardrails”], no boundaries of either thought or conduct. Travelers on this road follow their own inclinations, that is, the desires of the human heart in its fallenness. Superficiality, self-love, hypocrisy, mechanical [“ceremonial”] religion, false ambition— these things do not have to be learned or cultivated. Effort is needed to resist such things, but no effort is required to practice them. That is why the broad road is easy (p.194).
Renowned author and defender of the Christian faith, C. S. Lewis, provided a shorter description of this “wide gate” and “broad way” through his book, Surprised by Joy. His portrayal of what Jesus meant by this description is powerful in its own right as well. Lewis wrote, “The broad road is where there is nothing to be obeyed, and nothing to be believed except what is comforting or exciting” (p.55). Perhaps this “wide gate” and “broad way” of life may best be painted as one in which everyone does that which is right in his or her own eyes (cf. Judge 21:25).
In contrast, the “narrow gate” leads to a hard, or difficult, path in life. Let us take note of the following word descriptions concerning “narrow” and “difficult.” The root of the former word conveys the idea of “to groan, to agonize.” It depicts a sense of something which proves to be hard to follow due to specific conditions which must be met. The latter term means “to press hard upon; to press as grapes.” Its usage here portrays a pathway in life that can be hard and demanding, one in which an individual will suffer some afflictions and trouble for the sake of developing a godly character.
Let us again contemplate the thoughts of Stott on this portion of Jesus’ contrast between the “wide gate” and the “narrow gate.” Stott wrote…
The boundaries [of the narrow gate] are clearly marked. Its narrowness is due to something called “divine revelation,” which restricts its pilgrims [followers] to the confines of what God has revealed in Scripture to be good and true.
…It is a fact that revealed truth imposes a limitation on what Christians may believe, and revealed goodness on how we may behave. And in a sense, this is “hard” [“difficult”]. Yet, in another sense,… the hard and narrow way of Christ is to be welcomed, because He later declared, “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30) (p.194).
I am convinced that Jesus’ teaching in vv.13 – 14 compel us to ask a serious question regarding the faith we declare to hold fast within our hearts, minds, and souls. Here it is: “Has my profession of faith in Jesus Christ cost me anything?” In other words, “What demands for sanctification has my professed faith in Christ placed upon my life? Have I denied myself and forsaken a love for the appetites and temptations of this world?” 1 John 2:15 – 17 address these very issues. The Apostle John closes out that passage by emphasizing that only “he who does the will of God abides forever.”
In his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, the late Warren Wiersbe declared this provoking thought: “We cannot walk on two separate roads— travelling in two different directions— at the same time” (Be Loyal, p.53). Beloved, we find ourselves living in a day in which many people are choosing to outright reject any belief in the One, true and living God. Then, too, there are others who declare to be living life by their own self-defined “faith.” And some are attempting to live by nothing more than a “casual Christianity” which makes no demands for a life of devoted obedience and holiness. In essence, such “faith” is really nothing more than empty religion.
In contrast, to accept Jesus’ invitation to “enter by the narrow gate,” we must do so with a repentant faith— we must turn from our sin, and follow Jesus. 2 Timothy 2:19 declares, Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The LORD knows those who are His,” and “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” Such a choice marks the beginning of an exchanged life under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Next, we move into the second aspect of Jesus’ conclusion to His “Sermon on the Mount.” Here Jesus mentions two trees and two types of fruit, which speak to our growth in this life of faith (vv.15 – 20). Following an expression of repentant faith, our faith in the Lord Jesus must then be nurtured to grow and mature into…
Ø an obedient faith as we read and hear His Word, and do His will (cf. Deuteronomy 30:15 – 16).
Ø a disciplined faith as we learn what it means to abide in Christ each day, as we learn to pray, and as we share with others the Gospel as His ambassadors (cf. 2 Peter 3:18 \ 2 Timothy 1:13 – 14 & 2:1 – 7).
Ø a fruitful faith as we demonstrate the reality of a changed life under the Lordship of Jesus (cf. John 15:4 – 5 \ Galatians 5:22 – 23).
Ø a fragrant faith as we live a life that demonstrates to others the beauty and sweet fragrance of God’s grace and mercy, His holiness and love (cf. 2 Corinthians 2:14 – 15 & 5:20 – 21).
This leads us to another piercing question we need to ask of ourselves today: “Has my profession of faith in Christ— my professed devotion to Him— my professed surrender to Him— changed my life?” Is there irrefutable evidence of spiritual fruit in my life that testifies to the righteousness of the Lord Jesus reigning within me? Is there evidence which reveals and affirms that the Holy Spirit is shaping and conforming every arena of my life to the likeness of Jesus? An obedient faith— a disciplined faith— a fruitful faith— a fragrant faith— testifies to a believer’s spiritual growth and maturity in this life of faith.
Finally, we now must examine the third illustration which Jesus uses in His final statements of this message. He closes by bringing to mind the illustration of two houses and two foundations, which address the end of this life of faith (vv.21 – 27). We now move into vv.21 – 23, which is arguably one of the most sobering passages found in the Bible. In essence, Jesus declares here that those who choose to walk through “the wide gate” pursue a life that is devoid of obedience. And those who do choose to “enter by the narrow gate” live lives which are distinguished by obedience. Why is this so significant to us even today? Because obedience to the Word and will of God is the ultimate test of a genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Cf. James 1:22 – 25 & 2:14 – 26.
Verses 24 – 26 teach us that the storms of life will reveal if the foundation of our lives is truly built upon an obedient faith in Christ. “The rock” of v.25 speaks of the kind of faith which not only hears the words of Jesus, but “does them” in devoted obedience. Such obedience testifies to our readiness to face the end of this life of faith. And we must remember this truth: there is more to this life than this life.
The final test of this life is not what we may say about ourselves, nor does it rest in the opinions which others may have of us. The final test of judgment is this: “What will God say about me?” Listen, a false profession of faith in Jesus Christ— a life of self-deception— will last only as long as this life lasts for you. And such a false profession will stand only until you stand before the White Throne Judgment of Almighty God (cf. Revelation 20:11 – 15). So, we must also ask ourselves this two-fold question in light of the professed faith to which we hold, and the life we actually live out day by day: “Do I know Jesus? And does He know me?”
In his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (1 – 7), John MacArthur makes a strikingly clear statement regarding this issue of every human being facing up to the personal responsibility of this inescapable choice of deciding how to respond to God’s salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. MacArthur writes…
In perfect harmony with his sovereignty, God has always allowed men to choose Him or not, and He has always pleaded with them to decide for Him or face the consequences of a choice against Him. Since mankind turned their backs on Him in the Fall, God has bent every effort and spared no cost in wooing His creatures back to Himself. He has both provided and shown the way, leaving nothing to man but the choice. God made His choice by providing the way of redemption. The choice is now man’s (p.450).
You now face the greatest choice of choices regarding what you will do with Jesus, the Son of God. You must choose His grace and mercy, or His judgment. You must choose life or death. You must choose between heaven and hell. You must choose the kingdom of God, or the kingdom of Satan. Jesus will not permit any of us to escape this personal responsibility. The choice of outright rejecting the Lord Jesus in a spirit of defiance and unbelief— and the attitude of, “I just don’t want to think about this kind of stuff”— yield the same result. By default— either by rejecting Jesus and His salvation, or by neglecting Him and His offer of forgiveness from you sin— you choose a life and an eternity of condemnation, forever separated from the grace and mercies, and the abiding love, peace, and joy of Almighty God.
How you choose to respond to the Lord Jesus Christ and His offer of salvation from sin and its consequences is a choice which is…
v indispensable, because there is, indeed, more to this life than this life.
v intentional, because a relationship with Jesus is personal.
v inescapable, because we are held accountable for how we respond to Jesus; we must choose between “the narrow gate” of repentant faith and “the wide gate” of unbelief.
I choose Jesus. What is your choice today? “The Inescapable Choice.”
Anchored to His Faithfulness,
Dr. Allen Roberts