Saying No-A Matter Of Life And Death

Jesus said: "Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going through it; whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it." -Matthew 7:13, 14.

The broad road is popular because it is easy to travel. Its travelers are self-indulgent, given to fleshly thinking and ways, and they want, not to be different, but to conform to Satan's world. They feel morally hemmed in by God's laws and principles. (Ephesians 4:17-19) Yet, Jesus specifically said that the broad road leads "off into destruction."

But why did Jesus say that only a few choose the cramped road? Primarily because only a minority want God's laws and principles to govern their lives and to help them resist the many inducements to and opportunities for wrongdoing around them. Furthermore, only a comparative few are prepared to fight illicit desire, peer pressure and the fear of ridicule that may come their way because of the path they have chosen.. -1 Peter 3:16; 4:4.

These ones understand fully how the apostle Paul felt when he described the fight that he had in saying no to sin. Like today's world, the Roman and Greek world of Paul's time provided a broad road of opportunity to indulge in wrongdoing. Paul explained that his mind, which knew what was right, waged an ongoing 'war' with his flesh, which leaned toward wrongdoing. (Romans 7:21-24) Yes, Paul knew that his body was a good servant but a bad master, so he learned to say no to it. "I pummel my body and lead it as a slave," he wrote. ( 1 Corinthians 9:27) How did he achieve such mastery? Not in his own strength, which was unequal to the task, but with the help of God's spirit. -Romans 8:9-11.

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Watchtower, 1999