“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
Two men are seated in a plane. The first man is given a parachute and told to put it on because it will improve his flight. He’s a little skeptical at first; he cannot see how wearing a parachute on board a plane could possibly improve his flight.
After some time, he decides to experiment and see if the claims are true. As he straps the apparatus to his back, he notices the weight of it on his shoulders and he finds he now has difficulty sitting upright. However, he consoles himself with the flight attendant’s promise that the parachute will improve his flight, and he decides to give it a little time.
As the flight progresses, he notices that some of the other passengers are laughing at him because he is wearing a parachute inside the plane. He begins to feel somewhat humiliated. As they continue to laugh and point at him, he can stand it no longer. He sinks low in his seat, unstraps the parachute, and throws it to the floor. Disillusionment and bitterness fill his heart because as far as he is concerned, he was told an outright lie.
The second man is also given a parachute, but listen to what he is told. He is told to put it on because at any moment he may have to jump out of the plane at 35,000 feet. He gratefully puts the parachute on. He does not notice the weight of it upon his shoulders, nor is he concerned that he cannot sit upright. His mind is consumed with the thought of what would happen to him if he had to jump without the parachute.
Let’s now analyze the motive and the result of each passenger’s experience. The first man’s motive for putting on the parachute was solely to improve his flight. The result of his experience was that he was humiliated by the other passengers laughter, disillusioned, and somewhat embittered against those who told him to wear the parachute. As far as he is concerned, it will be a long time before anyone gets one of those things on his back again.
The second man put on the parachute solely to survive the jump to come. And because of his knowledge of what would happen to him if he jumped without it, he has a deep-rooted joy and peace in his heart, knowing that he has been saved from certain death. This knowledge gives him the ability to withstand the mockery of the other passengers. His attitude toward those who gave him the parachute is one of heartfelt gratitude. He knew that the parachute was going to save him from certain death. In the same way, as Christians we have “joy and peace in believing” (Romans 15:13) because we know that the righteousness of Christ is going to deliver us from the wrath to come.
Christianity’s popular appeal of the gospel basically says... “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. He’ll give you love, joy, peace, fulfillment, and lasting happiness.” In other words, Jesus will improve your life [your flight]. The sinner responds, and in an experimental fashion puts on the Savior to see if the claims are true. And what does he get? Likely his life does not change. He may even experience temptation and persecution.
He finds it difficult to live an upright life. Not only that, but other people mock him for his faith. So what does he do? He takes off the Lord Jesus Christ; he is offended for the Word’s sake; he is disillusioned and somewhat embittered—and rightly so because he feels like he was duped. He was promised love, joy, peace, fulfillment, and lasting happiness, and all he got was “more of the same” along with trials and humiliation.
His bitterness is directed toward those who gave him the so-called Good News. Because he thinks he tried Jesus and it didn’t work out, his latter end becomes worse than the first—he is now another frustrated and bitter “backslider.”
Instead of teaching and preaching that Jesus will “improve one’s flight,” we should be warning sinners that one day they will have to jump out of the plane. “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). When a sinner understands the horrific consequences of rejecting God and His free offer of salvation, he will be motivated to seek the Savior in genuine repentance, to escape the wrath that is to come.
Escaping God’s coming wrath, is that the primary motive for a Christian? Obviously, from a study of God’s Holy Word we learn that “escaping His wrath” is not all God wants and expects from us. Actually, if our motive is only to secure what we might call a fire insurance policy, we will not succeed as followers of Christ. God wants our true love and genuine devotion. He wants us to fall in love with Him and allow Him to transform us into “new creations” in the likeness of Christ. But that is rarely if ever the beginning of a Christians walk. Such depth in heart and soul only comes as we grow and mature. The FIRST motivation of a hearer of the gospel, should be to line up on one side or the other... with God or against Him. Refinement of the heart, the mind and our spirit will come with teaching and a lifelong commitment of discipleship. First, you make a decision to stand with God, fearing His wrath, with a clear understanding that He offers nothing more than the security of being “on His side” of the battle with His adversary Satan.
If we are true and faithful witnesses, that is what we are teaching and preaching — that there is wrath to come, and that God “commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:30,31).
The issue for all humanity is not one of hooking up with God to enhance our happiness, but one of being declared righteous by Him. It does not matter how happy a sinner is or how much he is enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season; without being aligned with the righteousness of Christ in all it aspects, depth and facets, we will perish on the day of wrath. The Bible says, “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death” (Proverbs 11:4). Peace and joy are legitimate fruits of salvation, but it is not legitimate to use these fruits as a drawing card or replacement for God’s true and genuine plan of salvation. If we do, the sinner will respond with an impure motive, lacking genuine repentance.
Hang on to your parachute... it is your most prized possession!
