Abed_nego2
Servant of the Lord
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 the road that leads to life, and only a few find it"
John 14:6, “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me”
Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved”
__________
While driving to Rochester sometime ago I had to take a detour from the main highway because of road construction. While on the detour I missed one of my turns and found myself driving on a back country road. Since my car has a built in compass, I made sure I kept going due north. Looking at the map a couple of times, I actually passed through a few small towns that weren’t even listed on the map I had. Even though I had to make a few more unanticipated turns, in order to get back on the main highway, I wasn’t too concerned because I knew I was still heading right to my ultimate destination.
So far, I’ve been talking about roads on which we drive our automobiles. However, there’s yet another type of highway that’s taking us to never-before traveled destinations. I’ll call it the “information superhighway” and it promises to be an avenue of great discovery and knowledge. Just as dirt, asphalt and concrete roads take us to a physical destination, a city or town, the computer highway can take us to places that can enlighten, educate, and even entertain us. We can check the weather, keep track of our favorite sports team and just about everything else that happens within the world and it’s at our finger tips.
Now, let’s look at the road or gate mentioned in Scripture that leads to heaven. Proverbs 14:12 tell us, "There is a way that seemed right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." When I’ve asked people what assurance they have that they are really on their way to Heaven, I find that most of them are confused. Some are highly resentful and instead of accepting the authoritative information from the Word of God, I’ve found them substituting their own finite reasoning with “I think this, or I think that.” Many believe that we’re all going to be in Heaven someday even though we take different roads to get there and some even think that as long as a person is sincere and worships the same God everything will “come out alright at the end.” Some of these manmade roads are:
(1) There are those individuals who revolt against all forms of sin and evil. They are people who pride themselves in their morals, ethics and culture. These people are opposed to abortions, pre-marital sex, homosexuality and other conditions that are an abomination to God, but they are depending upon their religious heritage, culture, ethics and high moral standards to take them into God’s Heavenly Kingdom.
(2) Many also believe they are bound for Heaven because they have been baptized at birth, dedicated soon after and later confirmed in a solemn ceremony. They partake of the sacraments, rarely miss a church service, sing in the choir and may even teach a Sunday school class. They have been led to believe that these rituals and noble activities will lead them to Heaven. However, they have been misled by so-call “men of the cloth” who are also on the same disastrous road to eternal torment.
(3) Then there are those that absolutely will not accept the Bible as the divinely inspired Word of God. They don’t believe in the Deity or the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. They don’t believe in His sacrificial and atoning death on Calvary’s cross. They don’t believe in an eternal place of torment; but they are ready to listen to every kind of Satan inspired doctrine.
(4) Still another road would be that of the so-called “intelligence”. The people on this road seem to wear their academic “cap and gown” twenty-four hours a day. They are too proud to accept “Thus saith the Lord”; but instead they bow down before the gods of science, philosophy, modern thought and all the various man-made theories that are turning people away from God.
(5) There is a procrastination road. These people have been the most favored of all because they have heard the Gospel of God’s marvelous grace; they know that they can’t do anything to save themselves; they know that they must be “born again” if they ever expect to be in Heaven, but they think they have plenty of time to get saved. They’re young and in good health so they want to enjoy the pleasures of sin while they can, then when they get old they can trust Christ as their Savior and go to Heaven. This road is paved with “good intentions” and you can go to Hell by any means at your disposal, but you can only go to Heaven by God’s Way, and God’s Way is through His Son, Jesus Christ.
__________
Closing thoughts:
There is only one way to heaven and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ! In John 10:9 Jesus says, “I am the door by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.” Jesus told us about the road to heaven in the book of Matthew. It is entered through a narrow gate, its course is difficult, and it is not as crowded as the broad road that leads to destruction. Jesus came into this wicked world to provide forgiveness by dying on the cross. He alone could be the perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sins, because He was God's sinless Lamb. And by Christ rising from the grave, He is now the only way to heaven for all who put their trust and faith in Him. There are many man made roads to take; however, there is only one road that leads to eternal life and that is the road God provided for us. So, my friend and brethren:
(1) Are you on that narrow road that leads to eternal life and heaven spoken of by Jesus Christ?
(2) Or are you on one of those many man made roads that lead to eternal destruction and hell?
__________
People will go to hell their own way, but must enter heaven God’s way.
John 14:6, “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me”
Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved”
__________
While driving to Rochester sometime ago I had to take a detour from the main highway because of road construction. While on the detour I missed one of my turns and found myself driving on a back country road. Since my car has a built in compass, I made sure I kept going due north. Looking at the map a couple of times, I actually passed through a few small towns that weren’t even listed on the map I had. Even though I had to make a few more unanticipated turns, in order to get back on the main highway, I wasn’t too concerned because I knew I was still heading right to my ultimate destination.
So far, I’ve been talking about roads on which we drive our automobiles. However, there’s yet another type of highway that’s taking us to never-before traveled destinations. I’ll call it the “information superhighway” and it promises to be an avenue of great discovery and knowledge. Just as dirt, asphalt and concrete roads take us to a physical destination, a city or town, the computer highway can take us to places that can enlighten, educate, and even entertain us. We can check the weather, keep track of our favorite sports team and just about everything else that happens within the world and it’s at our finger tips.
Now, let’s look at the road or gate mentioned in Scripture that leads to heaven. Proverbs 14:12 tell us, "There is a way that seemed right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." When I’ve asked people what assurance they have that they are really on their way to Heaven, I find that most of them are confused. Some are highly resentful and instead of accepting the authoritative information from the Word of God, I’ve found them substituting their own finite reasoning with “I think this, or I think that.” Many believe that we’re all going to be in Heaven someday even though we take different roads to get there and some even think that as long as a person is sincere and worships the same God everything will “come out alright at the end.” Some of these manmade roads are:
(1) There are those individuals who revolt against all forms of sin and evil. They are people who pride themselves in their morals, ethics and culture. These people are opposed to abortions, pre-marital sex, homosexuality and other conditions that are an abomination to God, but they are depending upon their religious heritage, culture, ethics and high moral standards to take them into God’s Heavenly Kingdom.
(2) Many also believe they are bound for Heaven because they have been baptized at birth, dedicated soon after and later confirmed in a solemn ceremony. They partake of the sacraments, rarely miss a church service, sing in the choir and may even teach a Sunday school class. They have been led to believe that these rituals and noble activities will lead them to Heaven. However, they have been misled by so-call “men of the cloth” who are also on the same disastrous road to eternal torment.
(3) Then there are those that absolutely will not accept the Bible as the divinely inspired Word of God. They don’t believe in the Deity or the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. They don’t believe in His sacrificial and atoning death on Calvary’s cross. They don’t believe in an eternal place of torment; but they are ready to listen to every kind of Satan inspired doctrine.
(4) Still another road would be that of the so-called “intelligence”. The people on this road seem to wear their academic “cap and gown” twenty-four hours a day. They are too proud to accept “Thus saith the Lord”; but instead they bow down before the gods of science, philosophy, modern thought and all the various man-made theories that are turning people away from God.
(5) There is a procrastination road. These people have been the most favored of all because they have heard the Gospel of God’s marvelous grace; they know that they can’t do anything to save themselves; they know that they must be “born again” if they ever expect to be in Heaven, but they think they have plenty of time to get saved. They’re young and in good health so they want to enjoy the pleasures of sin while they can, then when they get old they can trust Christ as their Savior and go to Heaven. This road is paved with “good intentions” and you can go to Hell by any means at your disposal, but you can only go to Heaven by God’s Way, and God’s Way is through His Son, Jesus Christ.
__________
Closing thoughts:
There is only one way to heaven and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ! In John 10:9 Jesus says, “I am the door by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.” Jesus told us about the road to heaven in the book of Matthew. It is entered through a narrow gate, its course is difficult, and it is not as crowded as the broad road that leads to destruction. Jesus came into this wicked world to provide forgiveness by dying on the cross. He alone could be the perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sins, because He was God's sinless Lamb. And by Christ rising from the grave, He is now the only way to heaven for all who put their trust and faith in Him. There are many man made roads to take; however, there is only one road that leads to eternal life and that is the road God provided for us. So, my friend and brethren:
(1) Are you on that narrow road that leads to eternal life and heaven spoken of by Jesus Christ?
(2) Or are you on one of those many man made roads that lead to eternal destruction and hell?
__________
People will go to hell their own way, but must enter heaven God’s way.