“THE TWO WAYS”

 Everyone's life is a journey that begins when we are born and ends when we die.  No one can avoid being on this journey.  We do not live on this earth forever, we are only passing through this life.  Every day we progress a little further along our life's pathway.  It is very important to know what kind of a path we are traveling on and where it leads to.  The Lord Jesus spoke about this journey in Matthew 7:13-14.  He told us that there are only two paths; that there are only two gates leading to these paths; that there are only two classes of travelers and these paths lead to two very different destinations.  Let us consider this most important subject:

 1.    The Two Paths.

People appear to be travelling a multitude of different paths in their lives.  In many ways this is true; each one has their position, hopes, interests and desires, so each one appears to be travelling his own path in life.  

The Lord however, was speaking about our path of life in relation to God, and in that way there are only two paths.

a) There is the broad way.  This path is wide, spacious and has many travellers.  To travel the broad way is to live to please ourselves, to go our own way and to neglect or forget God and his ways.  This broad way is the way of sin and pleasures of this evil world.

b) There is the narrow way.  Often Christians have been criticised for being narrow and too strict.  It is true that some have sought to be more exact and strict than ever God required in the Bible; however the Lord was speaking about the narrow path of righteousness that God commands us to walk in. This is the way of believing in Christ, loving God and living according to the Bible.  

Although there are two paths, a person can only walk on one. We are either on the broad way or the narrow way.  There are no other paths, but two ways and two only.  Every person from the highest king to the lowest beggar is on one of these two paths.  

2.    The Two Gates

A gate is a place of entrance into a path.  The Lord said that there are only two gates that lead to the two ways or paths we may walk in our life.

 a) There is a wide gate that leads on to the broad way. This gate is exceedingly wide, it is very easy to find and very easy to pass through.  In fact we enter this gate as soon as we are horn.  It is the way we go naturally without any effort.  Every person finds it easy to be self-pleasing, to go their own way and to wander from the ways of God.

b) There is also the narrow gate - one through which we must squeeze and it is not easy to find. This gate leads to the narrow pathway.  What is this gate?  It is the gate of turning from all our sins; of confessing them to God and asking for mercy and salvation.  We cannot enter this narrow gate while we love and follow evil and walk in the ways of evil.  Everyone who enters this gate must repent and turn from sin and place their trust in Jesus Christ.  Without trusting in Christ we can never pass through the narrow gate and walk on the narrow way.

 3.    The Two Classes of Travellers.

These two paths are very different and so are the two classes of persons traveling on them.

a) There are many people on the broad road, in fact vast multitudes.  People who have little or no thoughts of God; who live for this present evil world; who love pleasure more than loving God, are always the great majority.  There is never any lack of company on this path.  People of every class and nation are on this path.

b) There are few on the narrow path.  The people who go on the narrow way often have to walk alone or have few who accompany them.  Very often the people on the narrow way are laughed at and even mocked and persecuted. 

They are often considered queer and odd, and unsociable in their lives.

 4.    The Two Destinations

Each of these paths lead to a destination, but these destinations could not he more different.

a) The broad way leads to destruction.  The Bible speaks of that condemnation and judgment which will come upon those who know not the Lord and do not walk in His ways.  Some people hope that even though they walk on the broad way all their lives, in the end they will go to be with God in heaven.  However the Bible makes it very plain that "the wicked shall be turned into hell and all nations which forget God." Psalm 9:17.

 b) The narrow way leads to life.  Life means eternal life with Christ in heaven.  Often people think that those who walk in God's ways, miss out on the good things in life.  But they do not, they are saved and forgiven now, they have God's love and care in this life, they have eternal life awaiting them in the life to come, and this life will continue forever.

 There are only two possible destinies, either life or destruction.  Each of these two paths leads to one of these two destinies.  Often people have imagined other places to which they might go, but the Bible tells us that there are only two.

 5.    Which path are we on?

The Lord Jesus urged everyone to “enter in at the narrow gate”, and to walk on the narrow path.  By the Lord’s grace we may leave the broad road, even though we may have been traveling on that path for many years.

 Everyone should seriously ask themselves, “Which path am I on in my life?  Where will the way that I am living and going, lead to in the end”? 

God in great love and mercy has provided a way, a narrow way of righteousness, truth and salvation that we should seek to walk on in this life.  This way is only made known to us in the Bible, especially in the four Gospels.  We should ask God sincerely as King David did in Psalm 25:4-5:

 "Show me Thy ways, 0 Lord; teach me Thy paths. Lead me in Thy truth and teach me."  David goes on to say encouragingly, "Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will He teach sinners in the way." Verse 8.

 God will bear up and answer all those who sincerely pray this prayer as David did.

 Rev R. Cameron-Smith.