Two Ways of Living

Jesus:  ¹³ “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway (road) to hell (destruction) is broad (easy), and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. ¹⁴ But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult (hard), and only a few ever find it.

¹⁵ Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but (inwardly) are really vicious wolves. ¹⁶ You can identify (recognize) them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad (rotten) tree produces bad  fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. ¹⁹ So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

²¹ Not everyone who calls out to Me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of My Father in heaven will enter. ²² On judgment day many will say to Me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name.’ ²³ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you who break God’s laws (commands).’

²⁴ Anyone who listens to My teaching and follows (obeys) it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. ²⁵ Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it will not collapse because it is built on bedrock. ²⁶ But anyone who hears My teaching and ignores it is foolish (unwise), like a person who builds a house on sand. ²⁷ When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these things (Sermon on the Mount), the crowds were amazed (astonished) at His teaching, ²⁹ for He taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law. Matthew 7:13-29 (NLT)

Jesus concludes His great Sermon on the Mount with an encouragement to put into practice and obey His teaching (see also John 8:31-32). Everyone who faithfully obeys and follows Jesus and Jesus’ teaching is wise (Matthew 7:24; see also 1 Corinthians 1:30-31). With His encouragement, Jesus gives people two pathways of living. One path leading to life (heaven) and one path leading to death (hell) (see also Deuteronomy 30:11-20; Luke 13:22-30; John 14:6).

First, Jesus says there are two gates: one wide and one narrow (Matthew 7:13-14). The narrow gate is difficult because the narrow way requires faithful obedience to Jesus and His teaching. Jesus’ teaching requires obedience to the Law and the Prophets that Jesus summarizes as “do to others whatever you would like them to do to you” (Matthew 5:17-20; Matthew 7:12; see also Matthew 22:34-40). The narrow gate leads to life (Matthew 7:14)! The wide gate is lawlessness and easy but leads to death and destruction (Matthew 7:13). This destructive path has a form of godliness but not genuine repentance and obedience to Jesus (see Matthew 4:17; James 2:14).

Second, Jesus warns God’s people to beware of false prophets and teachers and their ungodly lifestyles (Matthew 7:15-20; see also Matthew 24:11). Outwardly, these false workers come in sheep’s clothing, so they appear as God’s sheep (see also 2 Thessalonians. 2:7-12). Inwardly, these false prophets and teachers are in alliance with evil and their lawless teaching leads to destruction, depression, and eternal death (see e.g., Jeremiah 23:16). How can one recognize these false workers? Jesus says, “You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit” (Matthew 7:16, TLB). In other words, God’s people can identify and recognize false prophets and teachers by their immoral actions, ungodly lifestyles, and bad character (Matthew 7:16; see also Luke 6:43-45; Matthew 12:33-37; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 4:1). Jesus teaches that healthy trees produce good fruit (righteousness, godly lifestyles, and virtuous charter), while diseased trees produce bad (evil) fruit (Matthew 7:17-18, 20; see also Matthew 3:8; Ephesians 5:9; Philippians 1:11). Jesus expects ALL Christians to produce good fruits of righteousness by their faithful union with Him and through the work of the Holy Spirit (see e.g., Matthew 5:1-48; John 15:3-17; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 2:10). False prophets and teachers are rotten and diseased trees, so the fruit they produce will be bad and rotten fruit (see e.g., Romans 1:29-31; Revelation 22:15).

Moreover, Jesus teaches that at the end of age (judgment day) these false prophets and teachers will say, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?” (Matthew 7:22, NIV). Jesus teaches that not everyone who calls Him “Lord, Lord” will enter into heaven (life) but only those who faithfully loved and obeyed God and His Word will enter into eternal life (Matthew 7:21; see also Romans 2:13; James 2:14-26; Revelation 14:12-13). Mighty works are not proof of God’s alliance since they can come from evil and demonic sources (see e.g., Matthew 24:24; Acts 19:11-20; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). Jesus said He would tell these evil workers at judgment day, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:23, NKJV). “Not all who sound religious are really godly people” (Matthew 7:21, TLB). However, every tree that does not produce good and righteous fruit for God’s glory will be chopped down and thrown into eternal fire (Matthew 7:19; see also John 15:2, 5-6).

Third, Jesus contrasts two sets of builders - the wise and foolish builders (Matthew 7:24-27). The wise builder built his house upon the rock (cornerstone) – listening and faithfully obeying Jesus’ teaching (Matthew 7:24; see also James 1:22-25; James 2:20-22). The foolish builder built his house upon the sand – disobedience to Jesus and His teaching (Matthew 7:26-27). The storms of life (e.g., rain, floods, and winds) assaulted both houses. The house built upon the rock – obedience to Jesus and His teaching – withstood the storm (Matthew 7:25). However, the house built on the sand – disobedience and unfaithfulness to Jesus and His teaching – collapsed during the storm (Matthew 7:27).

The pathway that leads to life is a life of faithfulness and obedience to the teaching of Jesus and the commands of God (see Revelation 14:12; Revelation 22:14). According to respected theologian Dr. Mark Ross, “faith alone saves, but the faith which saves is never alone, but is ever accompanied by good works.” If we wish to enter into heaven (life), we must follow the narrow path of faithfulness and obedience to God and God’s Word that produces good fruit (Matthew 7:21; see also e.g., Mark 3:34-34; John 15:14; Galatians 5:22-23).

References

ESV Study Bible, English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008).

Zondervan NIV Study Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008).

Ross, Mark E. Let’s Study Matthew (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2009).