The Christian teaching about the “narrow way” to life is often a top objection for skeptics of Christianity. Is there really only one way to the Father? And if God loves everyone, why is the way narrow?
According to the American Worldview Inventory 2020 from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, around 48% of Americans believe you can get to heaven by being a good person. Surprisingly, around half of people who profess to be Christians believe the same thing, and 68% of Christians believe that having some type of faith is more important than what faith someone aligns with.
By contrast, Jesus said in John 14:6 that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one gets to the father except through him.
So what’s wrong with the “just be a good person” view of eternal life?
First of all, it’s only a good doctrine for people who already think they’re a good person. But what about people who feel like they haven’t lived a good life, people who have hurt others along the way, or people who haven’t accomplished anything significant? In a “just be a good person” theology of heaven, there’s no hope for those people. There’s no aspect of forgiveness or grace in this line of thinking, and there’s no need for our loving savior Jesus Christ. You can do it all by yourself.
The second problem is that we don’t accept that mentality in any other relationship in life. Imagine a husband who takes his wife on dates every week, buys thoughtful gifts, but also screams at his wife and lies to her. Does the good behavior excuse the bad behavior? No, the husband still needs to be held accountable for and repent of his bad behavior.
We cannot assume the narrow gate is simply a metaphor for morality – if we do, we adopt the “you have to be a good person” view of salvation. It’s clear that a Christian will have different perspectives and different values than the world – self-sacrifice over self-indulgence, humility instead of pride, love instead of hatred; essentially, a Christ-directed life rather than a self-directed life.
But when Jesus says the way to life is through a narrow gate, he’s saying that we can’t get through the gate carting our moral or religious good deeds. The narrow gate requires a denial of self, an admission of our own sin, and a need for a savior outside ourselves. That is the viewpoint that flies in the face of the world’s viewpoint.
And Christian – you can’t fully enjoy the abundant life God has planned for you if you’re carting around your guilt either. That guilt doesn’t fit through the gate. When you’re reminded of your sin, turn it into an opportunity to worship. Let go of the cart of sin that you’re carrying, lift your hands in praise, and walk into the abundant life, joy and peace that Jesus purchased for you.
