The Narrow Gate by J. C. Ryle Strive to enter in at
the narrow gate, for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter
in, and shall not be able. Luke 13.24 This is the only gate
which leads to pardon of sin, peace with God, and heaven. Whoever
goes in by this gate shall be saved. Never, surely, was a gate
more needed. Sin is a vast mountain between
man and God. How shall a man climb over it?
Sin is a high wall between man and God. How shall man get through
it? Sin is a deep gulf between man
and God. How shall man cross over it?
God is absolutely holy and pure. He cannot bear that which is
evil, or look upon iniquity with approval. Man is a poor fallen
worm crawling on earth for a few years. He is sinful, corrupt,
erring, defective. His imagination is only evil,
and his heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.
How shall sinful man and the holy God be brought together?
How shall man ever draw near to his Maker without fear and
shame? Blessed be God, there is a way.
There is a road. There is a path. there is a door. It is the gate spoken of in these
words of Christ, the narrow gate. This gate was made for sinners
by the Lord Jesus Christ. In the fullness of time He came
into the world and made this gate by His sin-atoning death
on the cross. By that death He made atonement
for man's sin, paid man's debt to God, and bore man's punishment. He built this great gate at the
cost of His own blood. He made a door by which the chief
of sinners may enter into the holy presence of God. He opened
a road by which the vilest of men, believing in Him, may draw
near to God and have peace with Him. This gate is called the
narrow gate, and it is not called so without cause. It is always
narrow and difficult to pass through to some people. and it
will be so as long as the world stands. It is narrow to all who
love sin and are determined not to part with it. It is narrow
to all who set their affections on this world and seek first
its pleasures and rewards. It is narrow to all who dislike
effort and are unwilling to take pains and make sacrifices for
their souls. It is narrow to all who like
worldly company and want to keep in with the crowd. It is narrow
to all who are self-righteous and think they are good people
and deserve to be saved. To all such, the great gate which
Christ made is narrow and straight. In vain they seek to pass through. The gate will not admit them. God is not unwilling to receive
them. Their sins are not too many to be forgiven, but they
are not willing to be saved in God's way. Thousands have tried
to make the gate wider. Thousands have worked and toiled
to get to heaven on lower terms. But the gate never alters. It
is not elastic. It will not stretch to accommodate
one man more than another. It is still the narrow gate.
As narrow as this gate is, it is the only one by which men
can get to heaven. There is no side door, there
is no by-path, there is no gap or low place in the wall. All
who are ever saved will be saved by faith alone, in Christ alone. The best works that any man can
do are little better than splendid sins. When we have done all that
we can, we are still poor, unprofitable servants. It is a mere waste
of time to seek any other gate to eternal life. Proud men may
dislike the gate if they will. Debauched men may scoff at it
and make a jest of those who use it. Lazy men may complain
that the way is hard. But men will discover no other
salvation than that of faith in the crucified Redeemer. Between
us and heaven there stands one great gate. It may be narrow,
but it is the only one. We must either enter heaven by
the narrow gate or not at all.