Matthew 7:13-14

                              The Narrow and Wide Gates

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

I truly believe this:

John 14:6

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus is the only way to everlasting life the scriptures declare and it is true. But the narrow path of living the Christian life of grace is also a narrow road we must walk daily.

The apostle Paul writes:

Ephesians 2:7-9

7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

8 For it is by grace you have been saved,

through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Walking this fine line and staying in God's grace is not as simple as it appears. Veer too far to the left and you are on the road that leads to the deception that we have a license to sin. Veer too far to the right and you can fall into the trap of legalism. The word of God has much to say about both and both will cause us to stray off the path of walking in His grace.

First, because of God's amazing and awesome grace we can fall into the deception that grace is a license to sin. But the apostle Paul explains this just is not so:

Romans 6:1-2

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

6 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means!

We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

Walking and living in God's grace is not a license to sin, but it is not a list of do(s) and don't(s) either. The Jewish people lived under the law for 1,500 years before the cross. They had over 600 laws they had to obey in order for them to remain righteous. It cannot be done. We cannot be good enough to follow the laws and be made righteous.

The Apostle James declares:

James 2:10

10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

Therefore, as Paul declared long ago, "it is by grace you have been saved." We are not saved by any other way. It is a narrow path to live the graceful life. But it can be done because those who walk in God's grace have His laws written on their hearts.

The Prophet Jeremiah foretold this long ago.... even before the cross the New Covenant God makes with Israel was given to Jeremiah to share with all mankind.

This is the Covenant of Grace God makes with all who trust in Him:

Jeremiah 31:33-34

33  “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord.

“I will put my law in their minds

and write it on their hearts.

I will be their God, and they will be my people.

34 No longer will they teach their neighbor,

or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’

because they will all know me,

from the least of them to the greatest,”

declares the Lord.

“For I will forgive their wickedness

and will remember their sins no more.”

We as believers know God. He is Jesus incarnate. We do not take the path of grace as a license to sin. Praise God! He does not gives us a yoke that is heavy or burdensome. His grace is easy for all who trust in Him.

Matthew 11:30

30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

It is my desire to live and walk in His grace.....staying on and living on the narrow road that leads to everlasting life. Trusting and relying on Jesus Christ alone and nothing else to save me.

Aaah! God's grace. To Him be the glory forever and ever.

God loves you and so do I!

I See Him! I See Him! God's WORD to Witness By!

Ken Kreh, Author