The Way Ministries

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THE NARROW PATH THAT LEADS TO LIFE
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‭‭📘Mattithyahu (Matthew)‬ ‭7‬:‭12‬-‭16‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
““Therefore, whatever you wish men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Torah and the Prophets. “Enter in through the narrow gate! Because the gate is wide – and the way is broad – that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter in through it. “Because the gate is narrow and the way is hard pressed which leads to life, and there are few who find it. “But beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are savage wolves. “By their fruits you shall know them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?”

Nearly every Christian on the face of the Earth is familiar with this passage, yet the overwhelming majority does not fully comprehend the severity of what Yahusha is actually saying. Yahusha is NOT speaking to unbelievers, and He is NOT speaking to those who reject Him. He is speaking to those who claim to follow Him. Yahusha is telling us that most people who call upon Him as “Lord” and “Master” (v 21-23) are actually the ones who are on the BROAD path to their eternal destruction.

‭‭📗Bemiḏbar (Numbers)‬ ‭14‬:‭20‬-‭23‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
“And יהוה said, “I shall forgive, according to your word, but truly, as I live and all the earth is filled with the esteem of יהוה, for none of these men who have seen My esteem and the signs which I did in Mitsrayim (Egypt) and in the wilderness, and have tried Me now these ten times, and have disobeyed My voice, shall see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor any of those who scorned Me see it.”

Consider the passage above from ‭‭Bemiḏbar (Numbers)‬ ‭chapter 14‬. We need to comprehend that Yahusha said FEW will find the narrow path. If only a FEW find it, that means ALMOST EVERYONE who claims to believe in Him will NOT find it, and will subsequently never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. This means that nearly every professed Christian who goes to “church” each and every week, who gererously tithes beyond their means, and who claims Yahusha as ‘Master’ will NOT be “saved”. That should give us pause for concern!

We should seriously analyze our lives and ask ourselves if we are TRULY on the narrow path? There are many who CLAIM they are walking in “spirit and truth”, yet they willfully deny what that means. They define what it means to walk in “spirit and truth” subjectively. To walk in “spirit and truth” (from a biblical perspective) means to guard and walk in the Torah of Yahuah. Neither term is up for individual or denominational interpretation:

‭‭📕Yehezqĕl (Ezekiel)‬ ‭36‬:‭27‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
“and put My Spirit within you. And I shall cause you to walk in My laws and guard My right-rulings and shall do them.”

‭‭📙Romiyim (Romans)‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
“For we know that the Torah is Spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin.”

‭‭📘Tehillim (Psalms)‬ ‭119‬:‭142‬, ‭151‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
“Your righteousness is righteousness forever, And Your Torah is truth. You are near, O יהוה, And all Your commands are truth.”

In fact, the majority of those who claim to know Yahusha will be cast away and told to, “Depart!” when He returns:

‭‭📗Mattithyahu (Matthew)‬ ‭7‬:‭21‬-‭25‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
““Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ shall enter into the reign of the heavens, but he who is doing the desire of My Father in the heavens. “Many shall say to Me in that day, ‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and done many mighty works in Your Name?’ “And then I shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who work lawlessness!’ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does them, shall be like a wise man who built his house on the rock, “and the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.”

This is probably one of the strongest warnings in all of Scripture. But who, exactly, is this warning addressed to? It’s not addressed to atheists. Or Buddhists. Or Muslims. It’s not even addressed to those who openly reject Him. It’s addressed to those who claim to KNOW Him! They are professed “Christians!” They called Him "Master.” They did miracles and “mighty works” in His name! They even cast out demons in His Name! And yet, Yahusha says to them, “I never KNEW you.”

It is important to understand that to KNOW Him (and for Him to KNOW you) hinges on keeping His commandments, and His commandments are all contained within the Torah. We can see that it is those who reject His Torah that He says, “He does not KNOW” in verse 23:

‭‭📕Mattithyahu (Matthew)‬ ‭7‬:‭23‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
““And then I shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who work lawlessness!’”

Just as we can see that for HIM to KNOW US requires LAWFULNESS, we also find that for US to KNOW HIM is defined by that same standard of measure:

‭‭📙Yahuchanan Aleph (1 John)‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
“And by this we know that we know Him, if we guard His commands. The one who says, “I know Him,” and does not guard His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

It becomes abundantly clear from these passages that you can be a “Christian” and STILL be lost. You can know ABOUT Yahusha and not actually KNOW Him. You can study Scripture, and be a “good person” your entire life, yet STILL be cast away for rejecting the Torah and practicing LAWLESSNESS. The Pharisees knew and studied Scripture FAR beyond that of today’s average Christian, yet Yahusha still rebuked them for their LAWLESSNESS:

‭‭📘Mattithyahu (Matthew)‬ ‭23‬:‭28‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
““So you too outwardly indeed appear righteous to men, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

This is why we are told our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees:

‭‭📗Mattithyahu (Matthew)‬ ‭5‬:‭20‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall by no means enter into the reign of the heavens.”

What most Christians fail to realize is that the Pharisees were rebuked for continually TRANSGRESSING the Torah. Not for KEEPING it:

‭‭📕Marqos (Mark)‬ ‭7‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
“And He answering, said to them, “Well did Yeshayahu (Elijah) prophesy concerning you hypocrites, as it has been written, ‘This people respect Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain do they worship Me, teaching as teachings the commands of men.’ Forsaking the command of Yahuah, you hold fast the tradition of men. And He said to them, “Well do you set aside the command of Yahuah, in order to guard your tradition.”

This simple (but eternally detrimental) misunderstanding of the Gospel, shows just exactly how many Christians today are deceived. (All of them.) How many think they are “saved” simply because they attend “church” every week? Because they attend a weekly Bible study? Because they “asked JC into their heart”? Yet, they have never TRULY been “born again”— despite claiming and thinking that they are.

‭‭📙Eph`siyim (Ephesians)‬ ‭5‬:‭26‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
“in order to set it apart and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word,”

Being “baptized in the water of the Word” indicates we have immersed ourselves in the Torah of Yahuah. It means our lives have been transformed by keeping the commandments of the Most High and we have applied them to our daily lives. The Torah is life-giving water, and is as vital as water is for life. The Torah cleanses us from sin (sin is a transgression of the Torah) and it simply CANNOT be dismissed or ignored if we intend to enter into His Kingdom:

‭‭📘Ḥazon (Revelation)‬ ‭22‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
““Blessed are those doing His commands, so that the authority shall be theirs unto the tree of life, and to enter through the gates into the city. “But outside are the dogs and those who enchant with drugs, and those who w***e, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and all who love and do falsehood.”

The narrow path is NOT a casual “stroll through the park.” It is NOT an amusement ride. It is a path of insurmountable sacrifice. It is a path of hardship and loneliness. It is a path that will lead to being despised and hated by almost everyone you know and love. THAT is the cost of walking the path of obedience. THAT is what walking the narrow path actually looks like:

‭‭📗Luqas (Luke)‬ ‭9‬:‭23‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
“And He said to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his stake daily, and follow Me.”

Walking the narrow path means you do not live for yourself any longer. You crucify your flesh, and walk in spirit and truth. Your aspirations, your personal desires, and everything you once knew — gone. Instead, you live your life for Him. Yet today, Christianity has made salvation a “one time prayer”. They have turned salvation into an “alter call” at the end of a sermon. They prioritize being faithful to your “church”, denomination, or pastor as “evidence” of your salvation, instead of recognizing obedience as that evidence.

But the simple fact of the matter is this: if your life has NOT been transformed, and if you do NOT walk in obedience to the commandments of the Almighty, and if you do NOT seek to be set-apart, then you are NOT on the narrow path, but the broad one. Do NOT be decieved: being set-apart and seeking HIS righteousness requires you to incline your ear to His Law:

‭‭📕Deḇarim (Deuteronomy)‬ ‭6‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
“And יהוה commanded us to do all these laws, to fear יהוה Yahuah, for our good always, to keep us alive, as it is today. And it is righteousness for us when we guard to do all this command before יהוה Yahuah, as He has commanded us.’”

‭‭📙Romiyim (Romans)‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
“For as many as sinned without Torah shall also perish without Torah, and as many as sinned in the Torah shall be judged by the Torah. For not the hearers of the Torah are righteous in the sight of Yahuah, but the doers of the Torah shall be declared right.”

The narrow path is a life of surrender. It is walking as your Messiah walked. It is loving righteousness and hating sin — and not just with simple lip service — but in how you THINK and with what you DO, each and every moment of every day. Not just for one hour per week on Sunday while you’re dressed in fancy clothes. Not just when you think people are watching. It’s a complete overhaul and renewal of your mind. And it’s a lifelong process.

‭‭📘Mattithyahu (Matthew)‬ ‭10‬:‭18‬-‭22‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
““And you shall be brought before governors and sovereigns for My sake, as a witness to them and to the nations. “But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it shall be given to you in that hour what you shall speak, for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking in you. “And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and a father his child. And children shall rise up against parents and shall put them to death. “And you shall be hated by all for My Name’s sake. But he who shall have endured to the end shall be saved.”

Are you willing to “tarnish” your reputation? Are you willing to lose your family? Your friends? Your home? Your job? Even your head? Are you willing to suffer for the sake of righteousness? Many people are quick to claim the blessings and promises of the Covenant, but they do not want the cost that comes with it. They want their “free gift” of eternal life, but they do not want to hold up their end of the contract. They want to be forgiven, but they also want to continue in sin. They want the rewards that they think await them, but without “bearing their stake” or even a modicum of discomfort:

‭‭📗Mattithyahu (Matthew)‬ ‭140:‭37-38 ‭TS2009‬‬
"“Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of Me;“and whoever does not bear his stake and follow Me is not worthy of Me.”

Sha’ul admonishs us to examine ourselves, as to whether or not we are actually of the faith:

‭‭📕Qorintiyim Bĕt (2 Corinthians)‬ ‭13‬:‭5‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
“Examine yourselves whether you are in the belief – prove yourselves. Or do you not know yourselves, that יהושע Yahusha (Messiah) is in you, unless you are disapproved.”

Do you truly KNOW Him? Or have you created a false version of faith that is devoid of obedience, sacrifice, and transformation? “Come as you are” is a lie from Satan. Yes, we are to come to Him exactly as we are… but we are NOT supposed to stay that way! Are you on the narrow path, or instead are you still walking in the ways of the world? Do you hate your sin? Do you have a righteous fear of Yahuah? Do you hunger for righteousness? Or instead do you make excuses, twist scriptures, and play mental gymnastics to justify your disobedience? Do you love the things of the world, more than the Torah of Yahuah?

Do not be deceived. Almost every single Christian who thinks they are “saved” are actually on the broad path to eternal destruction. If you are reading this today and you feel convicted, do not harden your heart. Repent. Turn away from your sin. Stop living a life of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

‭‭📙Iḇ`rim (Hebrews)‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬-‭13‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
“Therefore, as the Set-apart Spirit says, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tried Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years. “Therefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways.’ “As I swore in My wrath, ‘If they shall enter into My rest...’ ” Look out, brothers, lest there be in any of you a wicked heart of unbelief in falling away from the living Yahuah, but encourage one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened by the deceivableness of sin.”

When you pray, ask Him to open your eyes to the Truth of Scripture. Ask יהוה Yahuah to change you, to remove the scales from your eyes, and to remove from you your heart of stone, and give you a heart of flesh. And when He comes knocking, answer! Listen to His voice and follow Him. Walk in obedience to His Torah. Be set-apart. Walk in righteousness. Fear יהוה and seek to do His will in your life:

‭‭📘Tehillim (Psalms)‬ ‭40‬:‭8‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
“I have delighted to do Your will, O Yahuah, And Your Torah is within my heart.””

‭‭📗Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes)‬ ‭12‬:‭13‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
“Let us hear the conclusion of the entire matter: Fear Yahuah and guard His commands, for this applies to all mankind!”

The narrow path is not for the faint of heart. It is not for those who love the world. It is for those who are willing to lose EVERYTHING and be HATED for the sake of the Kingdom. Will you be among the FEW? Or will you be like the MANY? Two paths are set before you. Which one will you take?

‭‭📕Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah)‬ ‭6‬:‭16‬ ‭TS2009‬‬
“Thus said יהוה, “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and find rest for yourselves. But they said, ‘We do not walk in it.’”

Shalom 🙏

HalaluYah!

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