Strait and Narrow (Matthew #36)

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Text: Matthew 7:13-14

The strait and narrow of these verses goes right along with the verses that preceded them. The Lord Jesus Christ talked about:

• Ask and God’s good gifts will be given to you
• Seek, you’ll get what you’re looking for. You want mercy? God freely offers mercy in Jesus Christ. Do you want to be justified before God? God freely offers justification in Jesus Christ. Do you want eternal life? God freely offers eternal life in Jesus Christ.
• Knock and it will be opened. Who is the door? The Lord Jesus Christ.
• In verses 9-11 explains that God the Father is a gift giver who gives good things.
• And in verse 12 the Lord Jesus Christ doesn’t go off the rails to describe salvation by works after telling these men gathered around him God gives good things like forgiveness, righteousness, acceptance, hope, joy, and others, freely.
• Verse 12 describes the character of God, the character of God’s law, the character of God’s preaching, and that these men would do well in this life to operate the way God operates.

The strait gate is righteousness

• Strait as in Strait of Gibralter or strait jacket; tight or narrow, no wiggle room. Not the straight that is the opposite of crooked.
• Matthew 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
• The lanyard in Houston to enter the offices.
• Psalm 118:19-24 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: 20 This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. 21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. 22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. 23 This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. 24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
• Luke 13:23-30.  Access is the master of the house, also known as the Lord.
  • God’s righteousness and the Lord Jesus Christ are the same.
  • Psalm 4:1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness…
  • Isaiah 51:1-5 and then Isaiah 56:1 Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
  • Jeremiah 23:6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
  • Jeremiah 33:16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.
• The reason God imputed righteousness to Abraham in Genesis 15:6 is because righteousness is the foundation on which God can put his blessings.
  • Romans 5:17, 21 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)…That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
  • Romans 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
  • Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
  • 1 Corinthians 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
  • Galatians 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
• The Lord Jesus Christ would explain over and over that he is the way to the Father. The Lord Jesus Christ is not telling Israel he is a better way than they already have in the law because there is no way to the Father in the law. Jesus Christ is not telling Israel that they have two options for salvation: they can either keep the law or just wait until Jesus dies on the cross for their sins.  Can you imagine Jesus saying such a thing? “You have two options. Go ahead and keep the law, or just wait until I die on the cross.” That begs the question you would ask a lost person. If you could earn it, why did he die? If Jesus is preaching works salvation, why is he going to the cross?
• Remember, every false doctrine makes Jesus Christ smaller and man bigger than he is.  Every heretical teaching brings Jesus Christ down and raises mankind up. 2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
• Matthew doesn’t spend the first chapter describing the miraculous birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Furthermore describing the Lord Jesus Christ as being the promised seed giving his lineage back to David and Abraham. Then in chapter two describing the fulfilment of prophecy in the early life of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then in chapter three showing John the Baptist’s ministry that pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father speaking from heaven saying This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  And in chapter four showing the sinless perfection of Jesus Christ in the face of temptation. Then explaining that Jesus Christ is the light that has shined in the darkness. Then calling men to follow him because he is the way. Then Jesus Christ going about teaching and healing and putting on display the power of God to remove the curse. The Holy Spirit of God doesn’t give you all that information about Jesus Christ in the first four chapters of Matthew only to turn around and say, By the way, there is another way by keeping the law if you’re interested in that. Or you can wait until Jesus dies on the cross then believe in him. You don’t have the first four chapters of Matthew building up the Lord Jesus Christ only to have Jesus Christ start teaching that there are other things you could do besides trust in him.

The broad way is anything else

• Broad.  Natural attractiveness to it.  It doesn’t require that you aim at anything.  You don’t have to look for anything. You can do whatever you want to do and you’ll always be on the broad road.
  • Proverbs 21:2 Every way of a man is right (as in righteous) in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.
  • There are no false gods in your life, just other people’s lives.
  • There is no covetousness in your life, just other people’s lives.
  • There is no fornication in your life, just other people’s lives.
  • There is preaching and teaching the scriptures for other people, but God understands my life and he feeds me in a different way.
  • And when it comes to law and righteousness, sure, I’ve lied, but it’s not that bad. I’m still a good person.
  • Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
• Popular
  • Another characteristic of the broad way is its popularity. It has a crowd so you won’t be lonely on your way to destruction. You’ll have a lot of company choosing one selfish pleasure after another and ignoring the Judge you are headed toward. There is plenty of company on the way to destruction.
  • You met hundreds, maybe thousands of people before you met one faithful ambassador among the sea of people who will tell you about the way – the Lord Jesus Christ.
  • More concerned with the broadness of the way than the destination. Logical thing before you get on any road is where this road is going. I don’t check to see how big the road is that I’m on when travelling, I just need to know if this gets me to where I’m going.

The few that find the gate had to be looking for it

• Romans 9:30-33 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; 33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
• Do you know where the verse about the stone shows up? In the same Psalm where righteousness is the entrance into the kingdom of God.
• Psalm 118:19-24 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: 20 This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. 21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. 22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. 23 This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. 24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.