Wide And Narrow Paths, Follow Up

Q

Love your web site and look forward to your articles, I agree with your answers most of the time. However, on your answer to the wide and narrow paths, you mention the wide path being dependent on our religious works where as I was thinking that the wide path is all unbelievers and the narrow path being the believers. What do you say?

A

No one in the example is wandering aimlessly without direction. Everyone is on a road going to a destination they’ve chosen. Since no one makes an informed conscious decision to go down a road they know leads to destruction, they are all heading for something they want. The context of the passage indicates the destination they all want is eternal life. People who don’t believe in a life after this one would not be on either road.

The few who travel the narrow road are those who are walking solely by faith in the Lord’s completed work on their behalf. The many on the broad road are everyone else seeking eternal life, whether they profess to be Christian but follow some form of salvation by works, or are looking to the false religions for their salvation. By telling us to look for the narrow road with the small gate, Jesus was warning us to make sure we’re on the right road.