Of all the choices that we make, the most critical of all is our decision about God and His kingdom. That is the ultimate choice that determines our eternal destiny. All the other important decisions in life hinge on that choice. It is a decision that Jesus calls on us to make. Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13-14). In our lives we quickly come to a fork in the road of life. We will be standing at the crossroads where two signs, one pointing to Jesus and eternal life and the other pointing toward a path of destruction. Each of us will have to make our own choice. As we stand at the fork in the road, what will we choose?

As we stand at the crossroads we are confronted by two gates:

The Wide Gate

This gate is wide and easy to enter. Many people will be making the decision to travel this way in life. It is attractive, indulgent, and self-serving. It is tolerant, non-judgmental, and non-offensive. To step through this gate and walk on the easy road requires few if any restrictions or requirements. You can be your own boss, be your own Lord for that matter. Entering this gate will allow you to carry any baggage you want with you. Sin is tolerated. Doctrine is avoided. There is little emphasis on morality and commitment. Those who enter this gate will ridicule those who are squeezing through the other gate. What scares me about the wide gate is that it leads to hell, the sentence of eternal damnation away from God in a burning lake of fire.

The Narrow Gate

This gate is narrow and hard to enter. It is not a popular choice to make. This gate is so narrow that you have to go through it alone. You cannot take anyone else with you. Your husband, your wife, your children, your relatives and friends cannot enter hanging on to your leg. If they would enter they must do so on the basis of their own choice. This gate is also so narrow that you cannot bring your baggage with you. Your sins cannot enter with you. Your pride cannot enter with you. All of your self-accomplishment, influence of money—all of it must be left behind if you are to enter the narrow gate. The rich young ruler discovered this when he wanted to become a disciple of Jesus. He was very wealthy and Jesus told him that before he could enter he had to give some of his possessions to the poor. The young man went away sorrowful. The gate was too narrow for him and his wealth.  Choosing to leave everything behind and entering through the narrow gate has tremendous blessings but it is hard. It takes commitment, sacrifice, and devotion to stay on the narrow road. However, this road leads to eternal life. Those who squeeze through this narrow gate will enjoy being in the presence of God for eternity.

Life is all about choices and life is about the freedom to make those choices. God loved us enough to allow us to choose which gate we will enter. When you stand at the fork in the road of life, which gate will you enter?

To answer the question, let us consult the words of Jesus. He said, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.  14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13-14). The words of Jesus make it clear that the majority of people will be lost. He himself said that few would be willing to walk the path that leads to glory. This fact spoken by Jesus is a far cry from what we are hearing in the religious world around us. Listen again as Jesus speaks: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus is the one and only way, the one and only truth, and the one and only life. There is no other way to heaven! Muhammad or Buddha will not lead a person to eternal life in heaven. Martin Luther, John Calvin, Joseph Smith or the Pope is not the way to heaven either. We cannot get there unless we are willing to follow Jesus Christ.  “Whoever does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:38-39).

Are you following Jesus? Are you allowing His words to be your roadmap through this life? (Psalm 119:105). Those who would teach you that we are all going to heaven by different ways did not find that teaching in the Scriptures. Get on the only road to heaven and do not look back!

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”

Psalm 23

A famous actor was an after dinner speaker at a big fund raising function; and apparently he was well known for his voice because when he stood up to speak, he invited his audience to choose a poem for him to recite. There was a long silence until an older preacher raised his hand and asked for Psalm 23.

The actor was slightly taken back, but agreed to read the Psalm provided the preacher recite it after him; which the old man reluctantly agreed to do. So the actor recited Psalm 23 and received a standing ovation.

Then the preacher recited the Psalm, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Upon seeing this reaction from the crowd, the actor went over to the older preacher and said to the guests “Do you know the difference between his version and mine? I know the 23rd Psalm; but this man knows the Shepherd.

The difference between the two men in that story is that one knew about the Lord and the other knew the Lord. The reason why the old preacher’s recitation of the psalm moved people more than the actor’s is that it was obvious to them that the old preacher was not simply going through the motions but was actually familiar with the Shepherd of whom he spoke.

Is He your Shepherd?

If He is your Shepherd you will submit to Him. One cannot actually know God without obeying Him. You can know that He is your shepherd by keeping His commandments (1 John 2:3). Sheep follow the Shepherd (Psalm 23:2). They listen to His voice and follow His directions.

If He is your Shepherd you will trust in Him. If you are going to keep His commandments you will have to come to trust in His care. Following the Lord’s directions can be difficult at times. It can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, if you will trust in Him you can say with David, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4).

If He is your Shepherd you will enjoy Him. Having fellowship with God is not meant to be a burden but a joy. Praying to Him, doing His will, and worshipping Him are wonderful blessings that we are to enjoy. Do you enjoy spending time with Him?

If He is your Shepherd you will want for nothing. “I shall not want” are words that imply contentment. The satisfaction that is received from God is deeply spiritual and lasting. Searching for satisfaction from material things may satisfy you for a moment but it will always lead you to want more. Sheep are completely satisfied when they submit, trust, and enjoy their Shepherd.

Can you recite Psalm 23 as someone who knows the Shepherd?

Not long ago, one of the highest compliments an individual could receive was to be called a God-fearing person. Today, to say that an individual is a God-fearing person would bring ridicule and scorn. As Christians, we must not lose touch with how important fearing God is to our spiritual success.

Defining the Fear of God

• “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him” (Psalm 33:8). In this passage the Psalmist defines the fear of the Lord as “standing in awe of Him.” Having the fear of God is to have an awesome reverence of Him due to His being the glorious Person that He is. We are overwhelmed when we think of His greatness—His infinite knowledge and power, His complete sovereignty, His holiness, justice and goodness. We are nothing compared to Him. He is awesome and being aware of that fact produces awe and reverence for Him.

• A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? (Malachi 1:6). The Lord teaches us what it is to fear Him by using two earthly examples. A child is to honor their father. A servant is to fear their master. Honor and fear come from recognizing authority. The child is not equal to their father neither is the slave equal to their master. God is both our Father and Master. We are to honor and respect Him due to His rightful authority over us. This is another part of fearing God.

• I tell you my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear Him who, after He has killed , has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him! (Luke 12:4-5). If someone put a shotgun to our head it would be normal for us to fear that person because our life is in their hands. Just as we would tremble in the presence of one who could take our life, Jesus taught us to fear the Lord and more so. Jesus says that another human might be able to kill your physical body but they cannot kill your soul. God, on the other hand, can not only kill us physically but He has the power and authority to destroy our soul in hell. He can make us suffer for eternity and that should cause us to have a fear of God!

There is a difference in fearing God and fearing man. It is natural to run away from another human being that we are afraid of. However, our fear of God should not cause us to run away from Him but to run to Him. Our fear of God should cause us to desire to draw closer to Him. Yes, He can punish us in hell, but He is the only One who can save us from hell. He is the One who offers us salvation. In Psalm 103:10-12 we read, “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.”

How to Show Our Fear of God

Let’s consider how we can show that we are a God-fearing person:

• Seek Divine Instruction: “Surely you will fear Me; you will accept correction” (Zephaniah 3:7). The first thing we can do to show our fear of God is to seek and accept instruction from Him. Our awe of God’s infinite knowledge and wisdom should make us want look to Him to see how we should live our lives. Furthermore, our honor and respect for Him should motivate us to want to learn how to live so that we can be pleasing to Him. God will teach us how to live so that we can live a happy and successful life. “Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will He instruct in the way that He should choose” (Psalm 25:12).

• Obey God’s Will: It is not enough just to learn what the commandments of God are. We must put the things that we learn into practice. “Oh that they had such a mind as this always, to fear Me and to keep all My commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!” (Deuteronomy 5:29). “Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments!” (Psalm 112:1). “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

• Hate and Depart Evil: It is not only important to obey God and follow His commandments but we need to show the fear of God by avoiding evil. We will not avoid evil unless we first hate it. “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil” (Proverbs 8:13). Here is a reason why some Christians still have sin dominating their lives: They are in love with it! Have you reached a point where you hate evil? Or do you flirt with sin and continue to be corrupted by it? Instead of hating evil do you spend your time and money filling your mind with evil? If we truly fear God we will hate evil in all its forms. “Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil” (Proverbs 3:7).

Based on these points, are you a God-fearing person? If you are, that fear is not in vain. Living your life in the fear of God will lead to an eternal reward. “The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life” (Proverbs 22:6).

As long as your religious you are acceptable to God

We live in a country where we have the freedom of religion and the right to worship as we choose. “Attend the church of your choice” has become a popular slogan. “Be sure to worship in your local church, synagogue, mosque or temple” says the public service announcement. The main idea behind these types of slogans is that it does not really matter who or what you worship as long as you are religious. The trouble is the Bible does not teach this.

On this very issue Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me ‘Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me you workers of lawlessness’ (Matthew 7:21-23). Did you notice that these are religious people whom Christ rejects? They even call Him “Lord.” Yet, according to Jesus, they will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. What is the standard then? Jesus said, “he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” I fear for those who are unconcerned about their religious views and beliefs because they will be in for a sudden and terrible awakening on the Day of Judgment.

God is just a prayer away

This is a prominent idea in the world today. This is the idea that God is standing by, anxiously waiting to hear the prayers of anyone who come to Him, regardless of their standing with him. It does not matter what they believe, whether they have obeyed the gospel or not, or if they believe at all for that matter. According to this phrase, it does not matter how you live, or how you approach Him. God not only hears but answers all those who pray to Him—as far as this idea goes.  Yet, when we look into God’s word we see that prayer is a privilege of those who are right with Him. Sin separates us from God. Proverbs 15:29 says, “The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.” From that verse it does not appear that “God is just a prayer away” from the wicked. Please do not misunderstand me. I am thankful for anyone who decides that they want to turn to God and it is true that anyone can come to God. Peter said, “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to Him” (Acts 10:34-35). But did you notice that there are conditions to this? It’s found in the phrase, “anyone who fears Him and does what is right.” I have known people who have absolutely no fear of God and no desire to do what is right. They live lives that dishonor God, yet have heard the phrase, “God is just a prayer away” and have come to believe it.

All you have to do is believe

This is the one that is widely believed and taught in many religious circles today. This is the idea that all you have to do is simply believe in God and that Jesus Christ died for your sins you are saved. Nothing else matters. According to this belief it does not matter how you live as long as you believe. Those who teach this will turn to John 3:16 where it says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” After reading this, they will say, “See, all you have to do is believe!” But what about the other things said in John 3? Before verse 16, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). The phrase “born of water” is a reference to water baptism. Also many are not away that after verse 16 Jesus says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36). Or what about when Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). Before His ascension, Jesus said, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned”    (Mark 16:16).  James is very clear belief alone is dead (cf. James 2:14-26). The idea that “all you need to do is believe” is very popular today, but it is false and needs to be exposed.

God is a God of love. He would never punish someone in hell forever.

The Bible does indeed say, “God is love”       (1 John 4:16).  But it also says that he is a God of wrath. Paul wrote, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” (Romans 1:18). Paul also went on to write, “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.” So we have a God of love and wrath. How do these two harmonize? That is the message of the gospel. The same God whom Jesus revealed in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” is also a God of justice. He must punish those who do not believe and practice evil. He does not want to punish them. Peter wrote that God does not “wish that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). But do not be misled. The wrath of God exists and will be aimed at those who do not obey Him. Ultimately, if they reject God, they will spend eternity apart from Him in eternal destruction.  Paul wrote when “Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels  in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might”

Even more important, how can we test our own repentance in private when it becomes necessary? All of us sin (Romans 3:23). No one can say they have no need of repentance. Much of our sin is done in private, so repentance is a matter between God and us. How can we know we are genuine and not fooling ourselves?

In Psalm 51 we have the words of a truly repentant man. The psalm was written after the prophet Nathan confronted David with his sin regarding Bathsheba. God, through

Nathan, finally forced David out of his cover-up.

Repentance is a complete change of mind. The change of mind will lead to changed actions and a changed way of thinking. Repentance signals the end of some things. Consider a few.

The End of Fooling Ourselves.

A common way of dealing with the guilty conscience we all experience when we commit sin is to substitute softened terms of description. “I committed adultery” becomes “I had an affair.” “I lied” becomes “I exaggerated.” Both of those expressions cover up the ugliness of sin. David admitted that he had sinned. “Against You, You only I have sinned, and done what is evil in your sight,” (Psalm 51:4). He made no excuses. He called it what it is, sin. Sincere repentance is the end of fooling ourselves and admitting that we have sinned.

The End of Blaming Others

It’s always someone else’s fault. That’s the way many people live. Nothing has changed. From the beginning of time man has blamed others for their sin. David could have blamed Bathsheba for taking a bath on her roof. He could have blamed Uriah for stubbornly refusing to be with his wife.

“Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:2). David only admitted his own guilt. That is because he was sincerely repentant.

The End of Covering Up

David writes, “Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part you will make me know wisdom” (Psalm 51:6). For a truly repentant person the cover-up is over. The word games are over, too. Someone who is truly repentant will have no problem with full disclosure. If that means that there will be suffering on the sinner’s part, so be it. It is the only thing that can end the turmoil.

God sees all and knows all. “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13). There is no sin that we can hide from God. True repentance signals the end of covering up.

God will be the judge as to whether or not a person is truly repentant. We must examine our lives and make sure our repentance is not just because we are sorry we have been caught. We should be led to true repentance because we are sorry we sinned against God

Did you know that there is another kind of atheist? An intellectual atheist will openly say, “I do not believe that there is a God.” While I completely disagree with them, I do appreciate their honesty; I can respect someone who is honest. The other kind of atheist is known as a “practical atheist.” A practical atheist says “I believe that God exists,” all the while living a life that is opposite of how God would have them to live. It is one thing to quote, “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you”, but another to actually seek His kingdom first. Are you living your life with God in first place or are you living as though He does not exist? If God is not first in your life, He is not in your life at all. God does not accept second place; by not making Him first, you deny His existence altogether. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24).

If you are living your life how you please and are following after every desire of your heart without consulting God’s will for your life, you are a “practical atheist”; this is a dangerous and spiritually deadly way to live.

So, let me ask the question again: are you an atheist?