"Enter in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat; Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)
The way to enter into life, according to our Saviour's own words on another occasion, is to: "Keep the commandments," (Matthew 19:17)--in other words, to do right,--to: "Cease to do evil," (Isaiah 1:16) "[and] learn to do well." (Isaiah 1:17)
Now the reason why the road to destruction is so broad, is because a person may get there by doing anything not in harmony with the ten commandments. There are thousands of ways in which a person may do wrong; there is only one way of doing right.
The way to life is both a strait and straight. Right means straight, direct; as Bunyan expresses it, is a way cast up as straight as a line can make it. The broad way is all the world beside this straight and narrow way, which is not of this world.
But before the way to life is entered upon, one must pass through the gate leading to it. What is this gate? Said Christ: "I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." (John 10:9)
The way to life is to keep the commandments; but before a start can be made in this way, the sinner must be delivered from the body of death, which can be done only by Jesus Christ. "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." (Romans 7:14-25)
All a man's efforts to walk in the narrow way without Christ are vain and useless. But the first thing that God does for the sinner when he accepts Christ, is to forgive his sins; therefore pardon for past sins, through our Lord Jesus Christ, is the way into the Christian life.
When we have entered the door, however, our connection with Christ does not cease, if we walk the narrow way. Says Christ again: "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)
How can it be that the keeping of the commandment is the way to life, and that at the same time Christ is the way also? Simply thus: Christ himself is "the truth," and the law of God is declared to be the truth: "Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and your law is the truth." (Psalm 119:142)
Christ is the law personified, and he who lives in Christ, and abides in Him, keeps the commandments. And he who does not abide in Christ does not keep the commandments, for Christ says: "Abide in me, and I in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in a divine; no more can you, except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without me you can do nothing." (John 15:4-5)
The same thought is expressed by Paul in: "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes." (Romans 10:1-4)
The righteousness of God is the law of God; the Jews had not accepted Christ, and therefore they failed of attaining righteousness, for Christ is the only way by which the righteousness of the law may be obtained. That Christ is the end or object of the law, in the sense that in Him we are enabled to keep the commandments, is evident from the next verse, which says: "For Moses describes the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which does those things shall live by them." (Romans 10:5)
So Christ is both the door and the way of life. Whosoever at the last day stands without fault before the throne of God, will be only "complete in Him." (Colossians 2:10)
The way is described as a narrow way, and yet it is the only way in which there is any real liberty and freedom of action. Said David: "I will walk at liberty; for I seek your precepts." (Psalm 119:45)
Said Christ to the Jews who were walking in the broad way, and boasting of their freedom: "If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed; And you shall know the truth [the law of God as revealed in Christ], and the truth shall make you free. ... Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever commits sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abides not in the house for ever; but the Son abides ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:31-32,34-36)
There is no liberty except in the narrow way. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (2 Corinthians 3:17) "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit." (Matthew 7:15-17)
This warning is especially applicable at this time, for Christ said that one of the characteristics of the last days would be that: "Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." (Matthew 24:11)
Peter, also, whose second epistle treats especially of the last days, says: "But there were false prophets also among the people [in old time], even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of." (2 Peter 2:1-2)
A prophet is a teacher. Peter's statement that there shall be false teachers in the last days, is the same as Christ's statement that there shall be false prophets. These false teachers will have a wonderful power to counterfeit the truth. Said Christ again: "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." (Matthew 24:24)
This has undoubted reference to the phenomena of Spiritualism, whose mediums are enabled, by their connection with the devil and his angels, to counterfeit the miracles of Christ and His apostles so successfully that no man by his unaided senses can detect the difference. Some will thoughtlessly ask, "Why does the Lord allow His children to be thus deceived?"
He does not. The people of God will not be deceived, and there will be no excuse for anybody's being deceived; for ample warning has been given. Says John: "Every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof you have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world." (1 John 4:3)
This is of itself a sufficient warning against being deceived by the miracles of Spiritualism. All the miracles and the pretended good of Spiritualism are done for the express purpose of detracting from the glory of Christ as the son of God. If any are deceived by them, it is only because: "They received not the love of the truth." (2 Thessalonians 2:10)
In the book of Deuteronomy there is a test by which we may detect the false prophet. Says Lord: "But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if you say in your heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken? When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken, but the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him." (Deuteronomy 18:20-22)
That certainly is evidence enough, for the word of the Lord never fails.
But it will be urged that sometimes the signs and wonders do come to pass, and that in such a case nobody can be blamed for not distinguishing between the truth and the false. The Lord has anticipated this objection, for we read: "If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spoke unto you, saying, Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them; Or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God proves you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him, and cleave unto Him." (Deuteronomy 13:1-4)
In this we are directed to the word of the Lord as the great counterfeit detector. The whole thing is summed up by the prophet as follows: "And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isaiah 8:19-20)
And this test is not only good in the case of the teacher of Spiritualism, but in the detection of false teachers of the less pronounced type. Whenever a teacher utters a thing that deviates from the plain word of God, he is not to be received. It may be that his error is comparatively slight; but an error is an error, and he who accepts the slightest degree of error, has no warrant against accepting the diabolical teachings of Spiritualism, which is the sum of all errors.
Our only safety, then, is sticking to the word of God. He in whose heart the law of God is, will not slide. "Not everyone that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:21-23)
Men may deceive their fellow-men with a great profession, they may deceive themselves; but they cannot deceive the Lord, who looks upon the heart. The Lord does not condemn the making of a profession of religion, nor prophesying in His name; what He condemns is the lawless lives of many who do these things.
A man cannot serve God, without having a form of godliness; but no perfection of form will save a man who does not do the will of God. The will of God is law of God: "I delight to do your will, O my God: yea, your law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, you know." (Psalm 40:8-9) "Behold, you are called a Jew, and rest in the law, and make your boast of God, And know His will, and approve the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law." (Romans 2:17-18)
And when Christ says, "Depart from me, you that work iniquity," (Matthew 7:23)--He really says: "Depart from me, you that work unlawful deeds."
Here again we are brought to the fact that Christ is the truth,--the embodiment of the ten commandments,--and that no one can be really in Christ,--a Christian,--who does not keep the commandments. To profess Christianity while living in open violation of the law of God, is the sheerest hypocrisy.
False prophets are declared to be a wolves in sheep's clothing; this hypocritical garb is necessary at first in order that men may be deceived; but sin has so terribly blinding an effect that after error has once been accepted and cherished, the wolves may throw off their mask, and appear in their true character, and still the poor, deluded victims will regard them as friends of the flock.
The sum of the whole matter is to build on a rock. The rock is the truth of God as it is in Christ Jesus, as far distinguished from the slime and mud of worldly things, in which all men grovel by nature.
He who builds on anything outside of the word of God, is like the man who builds his house on the sand of the seashore at low tide, or who builds in the dry bed of a stream which in winter is a torrent. No matter how beautiful a structure he may build for himself, nor how smoothly the foundation may be laid, "There shall be an overflowing shower; and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it. Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith you have daubed it? Therefore thus says the Lord God; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in my anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume it. So will I break down the wall that you have daubed with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and you shall know that I am the Lord. Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered mortar, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it." (Ezekiel 13:11-13)
Then, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
Thus shall we be: "Fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone." (Ephesians 2:19-20)--Signs of the Times, September 1, 1887--Timeline: IV-15 (Sermon on the Mount)--Matthew 7:13-25.