Minister column for June 26, 2008

By Rev. Bobby Hines
Published: June 26, 2008

Make sure to choose the best decision
We make various choices every day.
We choose where to go on vacation, what roads to travel, where to eat, and where to stay overnight.
We make a choice of what occupation we want and even make choices on the job daily. Have you ever considered how many choices we make each day?
Some of our choices are more important than others. One of those is found in Matthew 7:13-14, where Jesus says we must choose to travel one of two roads in life.
Of all the roads we travel, Jesus only speaks of two. One is wide with a wide gate and easy to travel. The other is narrow with a narrow gate and hard to follow. These two roads represent the two roads of life, and everyone travels on one of the two.
Take a look with me first at the wide road, which Jesus says leads to destruction. Many will choose to go through the wide gate and travel the wide road. This road represents those who wish to please themselves with whatever desires they have in life. Jesus tells us many will be on this road because they are pleasure seekers, and everyone seems to be having fun on this road.
Now, look with me at the narrow road. Jesus warns us that the narrow gate to Christian discipleship is very difficult to travel, yet those who faithfully follow the Lord’s teachings will find abundant life. The choice of the wide road leads to a life of self-indulgence and in the end, destruction.
The narrow gate and the difficult way leads to life, because Jesus is both the gate (John 10:9) and the way (John 14:6). He is saying that to follow him requires discipline and endurance, but the difficult life is the only one worth living.
Jesus makes it clear in John 14:6 where he says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh to the Father, but by Me.” We also see in Matthew 7:14, where it says, “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
Jesus travels with those on the narrow road. In Matthew 28:20, he has promised to be with the believer always, because he knows living the Christian life is not easy, yet rewarding. Matthew 10:22 says, “And ye shall be hated of all men for My name’s sake, but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”
Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 11:24-27 some of his treatment following Christ on the narrow road. In verses 24 and 25, he says, “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep.”
Paul continues sharing his hardship experiences in the remaining two verses, yet, when we study his life, we see it was all worthwhile.
That is why Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:14, in order to receive real life, we need to make a genuine commitment to trust and follow him. We must receive Christ in faith as a little child, trusting him completely with our lives. It says in John 3:3, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
We have looked at two roads to travel, two gates to enter, and two ends to meet. Everyone had to choose one to travel, for there is no middle road. The wide road is fun and easy most of the time, but it will end in destruction, separated from God or eternity. The narrow road is difficult, but the presence of God will be there to guide you, strengthen you and give you peace that passes all understanding. This road leads to eternity with God in heaven.
The greatest choice we can make in life is giving our life to Jesus Christ and following him on the narrow road. You may be on that wide road today that leads to destruction. You can choose right now to change to the narrow road. Just ask Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins and come into your life.
as you repent of your sins, your way of life, and turn to follow him daily.
Colossians 2:6 says, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus, the Lord, so walk ye in Him.” Walk ye in Jesus down the narrow road, and when this life on earth is over, he will receive you in heaven to be with him for eternity. In 2 Corinthians 5:8, it says, “…to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” The disciplined life, with Christ, on the narrow road here on earth will be worth eternity with him in heaven.