I've been talking about the wide road and the narrow road; here is where we get the explanation of them.
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"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits.
Matthew 7.13-20 (NRSV)
Notes from my HarperCollins Study Bible
- "Two Ways" common at the time.
- Wandering prophets were a thing.
A Christian's relationships: to false prophets.
- It is all about choices.
- Broad/narrow way.
- False/true teachers.
- Words/deeds.
- Sand/rock foundation.
The inescapable choice.
- The easy way is 'broad, spacious, roomy'.
- Diversity of opinions, laxity of morals.
- Tolerance, permissiveness.
- No curbs, no boundaries of thought/conduct.
- Follow your heart!
- Superficial, self-obsessed, hypocritical, mechanical religion, worldly ambition, harsh judgment.
- Hard way is narrow, with clear boundaries.
- Divine revelation of Scripture defines it.
- Limits on what we may believe and how we behave.
- We all need limits; look at what happens when children are raised with none vs sensible clear limits.
- Wide gate allows all our baggage, limitless.
- Narrow gate doesn't allow for baggage.
- Hard to find, easy to miss.
- Jesus is the gate.
- The easy way, the wide gate, leads to destruction.
- The hard way, the narrow gate, leads to life (eternal).
- Many take the easy way.
- Few take the hard way.
The peril of false teachers.
- Assumptions.
- There are many.
- Truth is a thing.
- Warnings.
- Dangerous and deceptive.
- Good pastor = good shepherd.
False teacher = wolf.
Professional = paid labourer. - False teachings.
- God is love and mercy, no judgment.
- Muddle the gospel.
- No restrictions on belief or behaviour.
- All roads lead to God.
- Sneak in, looking like good shepherds.
- Use the right words but with different meanings.
- Education is everything.
- Tests.
- Protestants were trying to do this.
- The fruit of the false prophets.
- Character and conduct.
Enmity, impurity, jealousy, self-indulgence. - Actual teaching.
Is it in line with scripture?
Does it confess Jesus as Christ?
Sound doctrine and holy living are the marks of true prophets. (Ryle)
- Influence.
The effect of the teaching on followers.
Sound teaching = faith, love, godliness. - Fruit takes time to grow and ripen.
- Someone's standing in the church tells you nothing; look at Ingham and Spong.
TRUTH matters.
Conclusion
- Christians
- Hate hypocrisy.
- Criticize themselves.
- Offer constructive moral support to others.
- Prize the gospel and shield it from those who have refused it and disdain it.
- Treat all people as they wish to be treated.
- Are humble and trust God for good gifts.
- Fellowship with one another.
- Keep the goal of life in mind.
- Watch for false teachers.
Synthesis is going to take time, but I think I can do it.
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The Church right now is courting disaster. There are so many churches whose pastors are not good shepherds at all, preaching heresy and living in excess and sin. We are circling the drain and nearly indistinguishable from secular society.
As individuals, we must be watchful and listen to what God says. We need to work out our faith, live it in Truth and love, and hold ourselves and our fellow believers to the standards set forth in God's Word.
We need to stand up to the false teachers and encourage the faithful to find good teachers instead. This isn't going to be easy, but the narrow way is the hard way. It's the Becoming.
Peace & Blessings.
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