WHICH ROAD ARE YOU ON?

By Akin Ojumu

Ever since being driven from God’s presence in the Garden of Eden, man has been trying to find their way back. In their effort to retrace their steps to Eden, they’ve followed two distinct paths, which are the two forms of religion found in the world.

In the quest back to God, you’d find that there are two gates leading to the two roads that people travel on: there’s the broad road and the narrow road. Travelers on both of these two roads are promised that the road they are on is the one that leads to heaven and eternal life. 

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14).

Of the two roads, the broad road is the more appealing route. The welcoming sign at the gate leading to this road says, “Come as you are, remain as you are.”

Traveling on the broad road is an experience in pleasure and an adventure in splendor. It’s a smooth road that’s free of bumps and empty of potholes. Convenience and comfort are the asphalt with which it is paved. At every mile on this road, you’ll find a rest area where people stop for enticing goodies of blessings, miracles, and deliverance.

Travelers are promised fulfillment of dreams and attainment of all their heart desire. All they have to do is visualize it, say it, and it’ll all come to pass. Purity and holiness are foreign concepts here. The broad road can be likened to Lagos 3rd Mainland Bridge during rush hour; it’s jam-packed with travelers. 

The broad road is a religion of human achievement and it’s nothing but Christless Christianity and human religion. Here, travelers engage in religious activities as a way to appease God. Human works, material possessions, and self-righteousness are measures of spiritual worth.

Travelers on the broad road believe they are capable of moving the hand of God to unlock His blessings by multitudes of their religious rites. Overtaken with pride and hubris, many even consider themselves equal with God.

In contrast, the narrow road is boring, bland, and pretty unexciting. Traveling on this road is an unpleasant experience. Those who choose to travel here understand they must endure hardship and they know that difficulty comes with the territory. On the narrow road is where the flesh dies and, here, self finds a resting place. 

Unlike on the broad road, rest areas on the narrow road are places of pain and great travail. There aren’t too many willing to travel this way. Those who do, hate the world and the things of the world. 

New age philosophies and human wisdom repackaged as the Word of God are forbidden on the narrow road. Mindless emotionalism and irrational sentimentalism in the name of worship have no place here. To be holy even as the Heavenly Father is holy is the singular pursuit of narrow road travelers.

The narrow road is true Christianity. It emphasizes divine accomplishment in contrast to human achievement. Travelers on the narrow road understand that salvation is a gift of God and not something earned by human efforts.

Narrow road travelers know that apart from the grace of God, they are nothing. They understand that no man is saved by the multitudes of their religious deeds. All of man’s righteous works are nothing but filthy rags before God.

While both broad and narrow roads promise the travelers heaven as the final destination, the broad road is a superhighway to eternity in hell. 

For anyone who looks to heaven as their preferred destination for eternity, it behooves you to immediately take a detour onto the road that can actually get you there.