My husband , Ron, and I have lived in the Pittsburgh-area for about a year now. We are grateful for the opportunity to be back in the Midwest closer to family. One of the uniquenesses I have needed to adjust to here is how narrow the roads are. Not only that, but on many of the highways there are 4 foot high concrete dividers between the lanes – no margin for error there! I especially notice how narrow the roads are when there is a big semi truck hugging up beside me – yikes! I have learned to be ever more focused when driving here to keep my eyes ahead, both hands on the wheel. And I have to trust that as I journey on my way, that the lanes are wide enough and that the experts who engineered them know what is needed – not an inch too little, not an inch too much.
God also expertly engineered a road for us to navigate as we journey through our life here on earth. Jesus taught of this road in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
The narrow road Jesus referred to is faith in Him as our Savior. It is described as a narrow road because it is the one and only road to get to God now, and to spend eternity in Heaven one day. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” That is the narrow road. That is the one and only road. God engineered this narrow road to be exactly the right size – it is wide enough that all who believe in Jesus as their Savior can journey on this road. It is narrow enough that it is the one and only road to God.
We frequently hear non-believers say that a loving God, a good God would not provide just one road to Heaven. They like to claim there are many roads, many paths, many ways to Heaven. They like to claim the narrow road is exclusive and narrow-minded, that a loving God would not be exclusive. Well, our loving God is not excluding anyone. The road to God through faith in Jesus Christ is open to all who accept Jesus as their Savior! But it is not for those who claim Jesus and Buddah and Dali Lama and Confuscious and the magic within them and every other god they create. That would require a wide road, and Jesus said the wide road does not lead to Heaven, but to destruction. God’s Word is clear and unequivocal – Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one comes to the Father except through Him.
We are used to non-believers who want to make up their own rules on this. They want to create their own rules because they have been living their lives outside of God’s plan, and facing that fact is uncomfortable, inconvenient. So it’s easier, more convenient, to just change the rules, hop onto the wide road – the road most people are on, sadly. We pray for these unbelievers – after all we believers were one of them at one point in our lives before we met Jesus. We pray that their eyes would be opened, their hearts would be opened to the better way, the sure way, the way of eternity with God through faith in Jesus Christ.
It is however, another issue altogether when believers begin to promote an “all roads lead to God” mentality. That is much more dangerous because a believer should know better. And a believer can seriously confuse their non-believer friends with an “all roads” mentality. I seriously have to wonder about the true faith of a believer who promotes an “all roads” mentality. How can they be a believer – the two “roads” cannot exist together? But it is happening. I have heard it in conversations and I have seen it too often on Facebook. A recent picture of the Dali Lama declaring an “all roads” teaching was posted by those I thought were believers, and then copied and shared dozens of times. My heart broke when I saw it. This is sad, but moreover, it is downright dangerous when believers lead people astray in this way. The narrow road of God is not the popular road. People often want to make up their own rules and be their own god – but that leads to destruction.
So, if you are a believer, first of all, be rock-solid sure that you are on the narrow road of faith in Jesus Christ as your One and Only way. Second, reject all attempts at compromising God’s standards and truth. God is love – that’s why He sent His One and Only Son to die for you! No one else could ever do that. There is no other way. Third, pray for those who are promoting an “all roads” mentality that their mouths would be shut, that their words would be confused and that none would follow them. Last, pray for those who are chasing after every other path that their eyes would be opened to Jesus Christ as their One and Only!
So, what road are you on?
