After expounding the characteristics of righteous judgment in Matthew 7:1-12, Jesus challenges all who have ears to hear to properly exercise righteous judgment when deciding the most basic decisions of life—Which gate shall I enter? Which path will I travel? Which direction shall I go? What destination will I live in eternally?
His clear counsel is: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).
His words contain three sobering facts about life.
Fact # 1: Your brief life on this earth is fundamentally a choice of your eternal residence. Your life is like a field. Each decision you make either sows good seed or evil. Be not deceived; God is not mocked—you will reap in eternity what you have sown in time.
Fact # 2: A personal choice of path and destination is required. The imperative “Enter” identifies your path and destination to be a personal, unique decision. There is no default choice made for you. Deciding not to decide is a decision. There will be no “accidental” inhabitants in heaven.
Fact # 3: You have two and only two mutually exclusive options. The gate you enter is either wide or narrow. The path you travel is either broad or difficult. The number of fellow travelers is either many or few. The destination you reach is either destruction or life. The focus you have in life is either righteousness, or it is not.
How incredibly sobering facts these are!
