You Have to Go the Way to Life!

You Have to Go the Way to Life!

“Enter by the narrow gate . . . . Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matt. 7:13-14.

In this passage Jesus points to the way that leads to life. In other words, you have to go on a way to life. For the most part, this truth has been overlooked so that the religious understanding is that you don’t need to go a way that leads to life. All you have to do is bow your knees and pray for the forgiveness of your sins, and then you have life.

What is this narrow way that leads to life? “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’” Matt. 16:24.

Jesus has consecrated the way for us, and He went on this narrow way that leads to life so that not even His body saw corruption. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me . . . .” The apostles came after Him, and Jesus said after He had arisen: “Go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’” John 20:17.

Jesus is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 1 Cor. 15:20. He is the first fruit of going the way. He is also called the firstborn among many brethren. Rom. 8:29. This gives us an understanding of how great it is to come after Jesus. He said, “Go to My brethren . . . .” He was not ashamed to call them brethren. Heb. 2:11.

Paul explains the broad and the narrow ways with the following words: “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Rom. 8:13-14.

Just think of the darkness people have come into who believe that it is not possible to gain victory over the flesh with its passions and desires. They do not believe that they can always be led by the Spirit in this world, but only once in a while. Not only that, they also have this false understanding that they can be God’s children without being led by the Spirit. They believe that if they are anxious and seek this world but pray to God to have their sins forgiven, they are God’s children—Jesus’ brethren. Imagine the darkness and the deception!

Jesus was the first fruit of this way of taking up your cross and denying yourself—this way of putting to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit. He was so faithful on this way that He never committed sin with His body, and thus death could not hold His body.

We have committed sin with our bodies, and we were dead in trespasses and sins; but He has made us alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses. Col. 2:13. God has sent His Son’s Spirit into our hearts. Gal. 4:6. No one can be preserved in life unless he walks in the Spirit, and no one walks in the Spirit unless he also puts to death the deeds of the body. Gal. 5:16. If we walk on that way, we, too, will be a fruit like Jesus was. Then the graves will not be able to keep us either. Our elder Brother, who is the firstborn, will descend from heaven with a shout, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them and meet the Lord in the air. 1 Thess. 4:16-17. All of them have walked on the way that leads to life.

“But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.” Rev. 20:5.