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Most people have heard the saying, “The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life.” Found in Matthew 7:13-14, this teaching that Jesus warned of was preached during His Sermon on the Mount. It appears specifically under the heading of the Golden Rule.
As in many other instances, Jesus explicitly warned that destruction is much easier than living a life of righteousness.
A similar message is found in Luke 13:24, when Jesus proclaimed that one must enter through the narrow door: “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:24).
These are just two examples that warn humanity that the ways of destruction are much easier than the ways of the Lord. However, anyone familiar with the Scriptures knows this is a constant theme: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).
The verses in Matthew 7 and Luke 13 are best illustrated in the famous novel Pilgrim’s Progress. In it, Christian is on a journey to the Celestial City (heaven). Along the way, he faces many obstacles and detours—temptations, sin, and setbacks. Yet, the novel ends with Christian entering the gate of heaven—the narrow gate.
John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim’s Progress, knew the world’s temptations were real. His legendary work vividly illustrated how to avoid the wide gate and stay on the narrow path.
Jesus saves us from our sins and promises salvation to all who believe. At the same time, His firm warning in the above passages cautions us not to fall into false belief. Jesus’ death on the cross was never intended to be viewed as a license to sin.
The battle between the flesh and the Spirit is real. Yet through Christ and the indwelling of the Spirit, mankind can persevere and reach the Celestial City. Such perseverance was notable in John Calvin’s teachings, as he ensured Christians knew they could grow in sanctification and remain faithful, even in a fallen world.
Calvin wrote, “Though the doctrine of Christ confines and hems us in, reduces our life to a narrow road, separates us from the crowd, and unites us to a few companions, yet this harshness ought not to prevent us from striving to obtain life.”[i]
Connecting the Scriptures is crucial to understanding the meaning of the narrow gate, door, and path. Despite God’s beautiful creation, darkness still exists. The rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-31 perhaps serves as the best example: when told to sell all he had and follow Jesus, he walked away disappointed and filled with sorrow.
Living for Christ is a hard, faithful commitment that alters one’s life. However, as Christ taught, it is the only way. Let’s remember Joshua’s warning: “Choose this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15).
[i] John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, trans. William Pringle, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, n.d.), 233.
