“Detours” or “Alternate Routes”

 “Detours” or “Alternate Routes”

 

 

Introduction

A detour according to Webster’s dictionary is “an indirect or roundabout path”. 

Jesus said in John 14:6 that he was the way, the truth, and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through him. You see the only way to an eternal relationship with God the Father in heaven is through Jesus Christ the Son. 

Straight and Narrow 

Matthew 7:13-14 tells us to enter in at the Straight Gate for straight is the gate and narrow is the way. 

Since there are false prophets in the world, we must always be careful of deception. The greatest danger of deception we will face is that of self-deception. The Scribes and Pharisees had fooled themselves into believing that they were righteous and that others were sinful. Like the Pharisees and Scribes, it is possible for people to know the right language (bible talk / churcheze), believe intellectually the right doctrines, obey the right rules, and still not be saved. There is a head knowledge and there is a heart knowledge. We will be discussing both. 

Two Ways

There are two ways mentioned in these passages here, one way will lead you to heaven and the other will lead you straight to hell. Jesus uses these two pictures here to help us judge ourselves and others as well. 

The first way discussed is the Broad way. It is that easy way or the popular way. It is the way that doesn’t cost you anything. It’s the way where you can continue to live your life without making any sacrifices. It’s a way where you don’t have to change your routine, your friends, your family, your job, or your social status. The broad way is the way that allows you to party on Saturday night and you still assured your right with God. This broad way gives way to not coming to church, not witnessing to others, not confessing your sins, not studying your bible, not living the true Christian life. Those who choose the broad way, the way that is easy (seeking the approval and acceptance of man rather than the approval of God) will find that the easy or broad way only leads to destruction which is eternal punishment and separation from God. 

When looking at the broad way we must not judge spiritual professions by statistics; the majority is not always right. The fact that “everyone is doing it” is no proof that they are doing it right. Quite the contrary is true. God’s people have always been a remnant, a small minority in this world. The reason for this is not difficult to discover. The way of life is narrow, lonely, and costly. 

The second way we will discuss is that of the Narrow Way. You can walk on the broad way and keep all your “baggage” of sin and worldliness but if  you enter by the Narrow Way you must give up those things. 

Did your profession of faith in Christ cost you anything? 

If your profession didn’t cost you anything, then it wasn’t a true profession! Many people who “trust” Jesus never leave the broad way with its appetites and associations. Jesus tells us in Luke 9:23 that, if we are to come after him, we must DENY ourselves (that is deny our desires, wills, wants, cares, worries, etc…) and take up our cross daily.  

Jesus said that the Narrow Way was hard. The reason it is so hard is because of how narrow it is. The way is so narrow that Acts 4:12 says that there is no other name under which man can be saved. John 3:18 tells us that not believing in the name of the Son of God will condemn a man. 

In 1 John 5:12 we find that “whoever has the Son has life but whoever does not have the son does not have life”. This verse suggests that salvation comes only through a conscious faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, the way to eternal life (salvation) is “narrow” in that it is only through Jesus Christ alone. 

You may be asking yourself “how can I get on the narrow way”? The first thing you must do is realize that you need a savior. You must become aware of your sins and what the penalty of that sin is. In Romans 3:23 we read that “ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. Then we read over in Romans 6:23 that “the wages of sin is death”. Because we are sinners and the wages or payment for our sin is death, someone had to die. God loved us so much and knew that we couldn’t pay the penalty for sin that he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to pay that debt for us. You see the rest of verse 6:23 say “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. While we were actively pursuing our sin, God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross at Calvary to shed blood to cover our sin. 

The second thing you must do is believe. Believe that Jesus is who he says he is, the Son of the Living God. Believe that you are a sinner in need of a savior. And trust that Jesus paid the debt for your sin. Romans 10:9-10 tells us “that if we shall confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in our heart that God has raised him from the dead, that you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteous: and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”. Verse 13 of Romans 10 declares that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall or will be saved”. 

Will you call out to Him today and walk the narrow path?