By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason
Focal Passage: Matthew 7:13-27
Every day choices have to be made in life. The choices made today affect the outcome of our tomorrows. Jesus warns us to carefully consider the outcome of those choices especially concerning spiritual matters.
Jesus commands us to choose the narrow road or the narrow gate that leads to life (vv. 13-14). However, many will choose the wide road or wide gate that leads to destruction. In spite of the fact that salvation is available to any and everyone, not everyone will be saved. Many believe in universalism which is the belief that all men will be saved. Jesus confronts this error. It is a lie from hell that all will be saved. Jesus said there are two kinds of people: heaven bound or hell bound, sheep or goats, good seed or bad seed, wheat or tares, saved or lost. Jesus is the dividing line in history, therefore He commands us to enter through the narrow gate. Yet Jesus said in verse 14, few choose the narrow road because it is difficult and often involves persecution. In other words, more people choose the wide road because it is less difficult and more widely traveled. It is hard to admit all will not be saved, but it is harder to believe that more will be lost than will be saved. The issue is not how good a person is or how bad a person is. The real issue is in whose goodness you stand, your goodness or Christ’s goodness. What have you done with the sin that you have committed? If you have ever committed one sin in your life, then you are a sinner and there is a gulf between you and God. John 14:6 tells us that Jesus is the only way to God and to life eternal. He alone can bridge that gulf between us and our Heavenly Father.
Jesus warns about false professions of faith. In verse 21, it is seen that many think religious deeds will get them into heaven. There were those who prophesied in His name, cast out demons, etc. However, Jesus said “depart from Me for I never knew you.” The word “know” is the key. Adam knew his wife and she conceived. When Christ comes into a person’s heart, they are joined to Christ. Yet some people can fool us. They know the right “church” talk and can even quote many Scriptures, but they cannot fool God. At times it is hard to tell the believer from the unbeliever, so Jesus said a person can recognize the true believer by looking at their fruit. The false prophet that Jesus warned about has no spiritual fruit in his or her life and can easily lead the unsaved to a false gospel. When you have Christ in your heart there is spiritual fruit. You desire what He desires. There is a hunger in your heart for His Word. There is a desire to be with God’s people (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Jesus commands us to build our life on “The Solid Rock” and not shifting sand. The foolish man built his house on the sand but the wise man built his house on the rock. Both houses, whether built on rock or sand, seemed stable until the storm came. The foundation made all the difference. A wise man accepts Jesus Christ as His Savior and lives his life according to the principles found in God’s Word, which is the solid foundation. The foolish man built his house on the sand. That means he did not acknowledge God and lived his life apart from God. The foolish man lived his life never thinking about the Judgment Day. However, the wise man lived his life knowing only those things invested in the eternal would stand the test of time.
