Christian Walk and the Narrow Road

The Christian walk isn't just a walk. It is a race, a race to eternal life. Sadly, very few people will find it. Why did Paul write of our walk with God as a race? Well in a race, the runners compete to cross the finish line first in as fast a time as possible. Runners have to train their bodies for the grueling race. In a race when the gun starts, they cannot have a false start. They have to begin to compete at the right time and endure through heat, pain, and tired, sore muscles in order to race to the finish. That is what the Christian goes through in our daily lives. Those who endure have to endure much. But we have to endure more than just heat, and aches and pains. Many Christians have endured persecution, trials, temptations, and illnesses. Throughout the centuries, Christians have endured slander, gossip, sickness and disease, even death. The Christian walk isn't a walk in the park. It in short is a grueling race to the end. But the end is worth it. (Acts 12, Acts 16:16-40, Hebrews 11:35-40, Hebrews 12:1-13, 2 Corinthians 4)

Sadly there won't be many racers who will endure to the end. Those who endure into the end shall be saved. There will be more racers who start but won't finish. Many will fall away. Some will be deceived. Others think that they have run the race, but have not been properly trained to even qualify, and that is incredibly sad. That is what Jesus was talking about when referring to the narrow road. The narrow road is the road that leads to life. On the other hand, the broad road is the road that will lead to destruction. Think about destruction for a minute. Destruction means the condition of being destroyed or annhilated. Something that is destroyed will be no more. Something that is annhilated cannot be fixed. There are no second chances. If something is destroyed, it can be replaced, in the world. But things of the world are enmity with God. We as Christians must not be conformed to this world. Being conformed to the world means thinking like the world, acting like the world, and having the desires of the world. (Matthew 7:13-14, Matthew 13:1-30, Matthew 24:9-13, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Corinthians 3:18-19, 1 John 2:15-17)

As Christians, we must be conform to God, our Creator. He created us in our image and in His likeness. He did not originally intend for us to choose one of two paths: the road to life or the road to death and destruction. But we are all sinners. We have all come short of God's glory. A true Christian is a repentant sinner who knows all of this and walks as a new creation. He or she knows that the Christian walk is not a walk or a sprint. He or she knows that they will have to endure insults, taunting, amongst other things. In America, Christians have been insulted and ridiculed about our faith. In other nations Christians have been beaten, raped, and murdered because of their faith. We as Christians need to comfort, pray for, and love one another, for we are the Church, representing the Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Christians are few and far between in this world; they are holy, righteous, temperate, and live lives of integrity, honor, and show class and character. Many people in the world also walk that way, but they have never truly accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, have never admitted they were sinners, or have fallen away and have not returned to Him. Sadly they will be like the Foolish virgins who realized too late that they were not ready because they have not done all that God requires of them. Many have been deceived by false teaching, been religious and judgemental, have committed a variety of sins that they have not repented of. Sadly they have chosen to walk the broad road that leads to destruction instead of the road that leads to life. Many people have not treated or shown respect to others, witnessed their faith to others, have led lives of immorality and some are even quite blatant about it. Others are hateful, mean spirited, and unforgiving. They have their own views of morality, forgiveness, and about religion and spirituality. (Genesis 1:26-27, Romans 3:23, Luke 21:12-19, Matthew 24:4-6, Matthew 25:1-13, 2 Timothy 1-9)

My prayer is that who are walking the broad road that leads to destruction will realize that they too are sinners in need of a Savior. That they need to repent of their sins just as we all need to repent of our sins, for God loved us so much that He gave His Son to be executed on the cross so that we may all begin to walk the narrow road. Those who endured the race will be saved. Romans 10:9 says that if one confesses that Jesus Christ is the Lord and believe with your heart that God raised Him from the dead, they will be saved. For with our heart that we believe and are justified and it is with our mouths that we confess and are saved. Those who are believers have already confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord and believed with their hearts that God raised Him from the dead. Our names are written in Heaven. We have truly repented of our sins and are running the race set before us. We know that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and that any other way to God is as a thief breaking into a house and the way to the broad road to destruction. Choose life. Who wants to be told, "too little, too late"? Because it will be for those who choose death and destruction over life and endurance. Don't let this be you. (2 Thessalonians 2:13-16, 1 John 1:9-10, 2 John 5:1-12, Revelation 20:11-15, Revelation 21:8, 27, Revelation 22:15)