Road to Life
First we have left who we were behind us, we are now walking on the road toward our destination, life eternal with Jesus in glory. We have left the things of the past behind us. We are now moving forward toward the destination of our Journey. We forget who we were in sin and dead to God. Now we are alive in Christ. We have changed our direction. We are no longer traveling on the broad road leading to eternal death, but now we are on the narrow road leading to eternal life.
Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Matthew Henry Commentary:
“That the gate is strait. Conversion and regeneration are the gate, by which we enter into this way, in which we begin a life of faith and serious godliness; out of a state of sin into a state of grace we must pass by the new birth. This is a strait gate, hard to find, and hard to get through; like a passage between two rocks…. There must be a new heart, and a new spirit, and old things must pass away. The bent of the soul must be changed, corrupt habits and customs broken off; what we have been doing all our days must be undone again. We must swim against the stream…”
“The account that is given of the bad way of sin, and the good way of holiness. There are but two ways, right and wrong, good and evil; the way to heaven, and the way to hell; in the one of which we are all of us walking: no middle place hereafter, no middle way now: the distinction of the children of men into saints and sinners, godly and ungodly, will swallow up all to eternity.”
Why do you think Jesus gave us this illustration of the Journey from earth to Heaven?
What does this say to you about the path you are traveling?
Why would Matthew Henry say it is “hard to find and hard to get through”?
We repented and turned away from the sins and lifestyle of the past. Now we are on the Narrow road. This road may be narrow, it may be steep, but at the end of this road is a life of wonder and peace and joy forever.
Philp 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Philp 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Paul understood the journey. He realized he had not reached his goal, but was in the process and would have to continue to press forward reaching for that goal. We too must understand we have not yet achieved our goal. It is a process, it is a journey, there are no short cuts. But the goal, the prize is what keeps us focused on going forward. Living a life in Christ is far better than the one left behind. This is a daily journey. We choose daily to continue on this road. We choose not to go back.
Matt 28:20 B……. lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Heb 13:6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
On this journey we are not alone. Jesus is with us each step of the way.
How does knowing we have not yet reached our destination effect our journey?
Does knowing that we are not alone but that Jesus is with us always make a difference in our viewpoint about the journey?
Why do we not fear what man (humanity) might do to us for our faith?
What makes us content with such things as we have and keeps us from envying the world?
2Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Psa 100:3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Psa 95:7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand…..
We have left behind us the old lifestyle and old ungodly nature. We have accepted by faith the gift of salvation through Jesus sacrifice. We have been born again. We have become a complete new creation in Christ.
We are now the sons (children) of God, because we have received Him and the work He has done for us. His sacrifice at Calvary. We believed on His Name. We are now born of God. Old things have passed away; all things are now new.
What does knowing that we are a new creation have to do with our Biblical GPS?
How does knowing we are a child of God help to keep us on the right path?
Why would David call us the sheep of God’s pasture?
How would you say that in looking at the “Where we were” lesson and seeing who we are to God now shows us that we are progressing in the right direction and moving forward on our Journey?