Jesus said, in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” The road of life, the path of righteous living that is grounded in Scripture is the most blessed way, and yet it is found only by a few. This blessed gift is freely given and is essentially an unmerited, undeserved, favor of God.
Believers have received the precious gift of being able to call God “Abba Father” by accepting and believing in His Son, Jesus Christ. Before creation, God had chosen those that will be called His own, and revealed Himself to the elect. Furthermore, “those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified” (Rom. 8:30). In other words, God had chosen, before creation, those that will be called to walk on the narrow path. The narrow path is the Word of God. The life that God requires is the road that leads believers to eternal life, eternal blessings, and to eternal glory.
The apostle Paul said: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:7-8 NASB). From the outside, life according to the Word seems genuinely narrow. However, the Christian living is that which is wider than all, for the glory that awaits the steadfast is eternal. The righteous judge awaits everyone alike, and He will judge us according to what we have done in this life.
With worldly eyes, one cannot gain an understanding of those that are beyond the natural limits of the human mind. In other words, the human mind is incapable of grasping the knowledge of the spiritual realm on its own. The knowledge of God, His creations, our battles against the powers of darkness, demons and sin, are only made known to us through Scripture. This is why the Christian walk, this narrow path, is the most blessed, the widest path of all.
Although the Christian walk may be difficult, believers must recognize the fact that “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18). No matter how difficult things may get, hope in the Lord, for “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17-18).
Jesus said, in Matthew 16:27, “For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.” This heavenly reward is eternal, for the apostle Peter said: “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away” (1 Peter 5:4).
Believers are all called to a purpose. In other words, there is a divine plan that God wants to fulfill through us and through our lives. The apostle Paul said: “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14). Apostle Paul clearly understood his divine calling: to be God’s apostle, God’s witness to the Gentiles. Likewise, believers must come to an understanding of their divine calling and strive to fulfill.
Realizing one’s divine calling is of the utmost importance for believers. However, this realization alone is not enough; believers must be able to fulfill their divine calling. In other words, we must be able to accomplish our God-given purpose, the purpose that God intends on fulfilling through us. Not a single person is without a divine purpose; it is rather a matter of recognizing and fulfilling the Maker’s purpose.
In the Bible, those of great faith all fulfilled what they were called to do. Apostle Paul said, in Acts 20:24, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” Jesus Christ, despite the opposition and persecution, fulfilled His divine calling and ultimately took on the cross, and was therefore “crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death” (Heb. 2:9).
Whatever the calling may be, believers must fulfill their given purpose. Whatever the appearance, the industry, office, or field, there is a divine purpose in each. Believers will shine and bear much fruit when they are succeeding in the fulfillment of their given purpose. Being elected to the presidential office alone is not enough; one must be able to competently fulfill the presidential duty. Winning the lottery and having a large sum of money is not enough; one must be capable of handling the money. Judas Iscariot was unable to fulfill his purpose as the treasury and came to ruins when he betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matt. 26). Lucifer, though created to praise, sought to exalt his throne above God’s and was therefore thrown out of heaven (Isa.14 NKJV). Therefore, merely knowing our calling is not enough; we must fulfill our given purpose in order to be made whole. Furthermore, not being able to fulfill our purpose can actually be a curse, for we have made ourselves useless in the eyes of our Maker.
God is the first and the last of all things. He is the final say, the final judge. People or anything else in God’s creation has not the power. God alone is the answer and God alone is the reason. God’s calling is all that matters, for that is what believers will be judged on. Examine your lives and see if you are moving toward fulfilling your God-given destiny. Where is Jesus in your life, and are you living according to the Word? Everyone must stand before judgment on the last day. And that day will certainly come.
Though there may be hardships, though there may be temptations and obstacles set before you by Satan and his evil demons, may you all, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, accomplish all that He has intended you to fulfill, and be crowned with the eternal heavenly glory on that day. Amen.
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