Matthew 7:13,14 (ISV), “Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the road is spacious that leads to destruction, and many people are entering by it. How narrow is the gate and how constricted is the road that leads to life, and there aren't many people who find it!”
Though many people have taken on the name of Christ and call themselves Christians, it seems many of them fail to obey the Master’s teaching. We often find that these have promoted their own form of righteousness (2 Timothy 3:5) and put aside the words of our Lord. Contrary to the teachings of Jesus, we find these “Christians” rendering an eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, and speaking evil of fellowman. Titus 3: 2 (ESV), “speak evil of no one…” They may not do harm but they wish harm on those thought to be their enemies.
This type of behavior is not the standard of a true Christian. As the Apostle Paul stated, we cannot follow the world’s standard, but we must be transformed through the renewing of our minds. (Romans 12:2) This renewing of our minds takes us on a narrow, challenging road. It requires us to love our enemies and do good to those who would do evil to us.
Romans 12:21 (ESV), “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” We are to follow Jesus’s example. 1 Peter 2:21, 23 (NASB20), 21 “For you have been called for this purpose, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you would follow in His steps, … 23 and while being abusively insulted, He did not insult in return; while suffering, He did not threaten, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously.”
The true consecrated Christian will seek to know (through study of his word) and do (by obeying his word) the will of God. Those who choose to walk contrary to the teachings of Jesus and to not be conformed to Jesus’s character likeness will not be accepted as His children.
