I know the Bible says that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But why does Jesus say in Matt 7:14 “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Is it pertaining to faith?
While it is true that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13), it’s clear that no where near everyone has done so. In fact the Lord’s statement in Matt. 7:14 indicates that the number of people saved is a relatively small percentage of Earth’s total population.
In addition to those who reject the Gospel outright, many others have been distracted and misled onto the wrong road by false religions, false teachers and false doctrine that change the straight and narrow intent of Scripture.
For example, just within “Christianity” some of these doctrines teach that Jesus is not really the only way to salvation, or that Jesus wasn’t really God in the flesh, or that you don’t really need to be born again, or that his death didn’t really cover all of your sins so you have to work to finish the job yourself. The list of things man has done to distort the Gospel message is nearly endless.
The straight and narrow way is clearly laid out in John 6:28-29. When the people asked Him what work God requires of us, Jesus said, “The work of God is this; to believe in the one He has sent.”
This means we must accept the fact that we’re sinners in need of a savior, and believe that Jesus came to die for our sins and rose again, proving that His death was sufficient to purchase our pardon. Anything that adds to or subtracts from that simple statement can cause people to miss the straight and narrow way.
“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame’ “ (Romans 10:9-11).