Tom Burke

July 2026
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During his earthly ministry, Jesus made some truly audacious statements. Reading them from the perspective of those who know about his resurrection, ascension, and current position at God’s right hand, these words sound perfectly appropriate. But consider those who had only known him as an insignificant carpenter from an insignificant town in insignificant Galilee. What would their reaction be upon hearing these words on the lips of Jesus:

“I and my Father are one.” ¹

“Before Abraham was, I am.” ²

“You search the Scriptures … it is they that bear witness about me.” ³

Jesus spoke such words without apology because he knew that, before he ever spoke them, God had revealed them. He knew, with unshakable conviction, who he was and what he was here to accomplish.

Jesus’ boldest, clearest, and most revealing statements were made to his disciples. For example, consider what he said to those disciples just before he was taken to be crucified.

John 14:6  (King James Version)Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.⁴

Even today, these words incite anger among the ungodly. They cut like a sword through all of the varied philosophies of mankind. How can we dismiss the words of other good and holy men so easily?

Simple – Jesus clearly stated that the words he spoke were given to him by the Father.⁵ Thus, even if such men were indeed good and holy, any suggestion of “other ways” is not only misleading, but patently false.

In fact, there are not “many ways.” There are two. And only one leads us to the Father.

Matthew 7:13–14  (English Standard Version)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.

What is the narrow gate? Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life. It is narrow because the Devil unleashes all of his deceptive powers in order to obscure it. It is narrow because it requires a departure from the sin and self-will that so many revel in. But it is THE way.

What is the wide gate? Everything else.

What those who promote other paths to God (or to godliness) fail to note is that our Adversary is not simply a deceiver,⁶ he is a ruler. He holds authority in this world.

Ephesians 2:1–3  (New International Version)As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

 In which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

In short, Satan is (for now) in control of the activities and culture of the world,⁷ and it furthers his purposes to muddy the waters by presenting the illusion of “many ways.”

I once read about a nation in which baseball was by far the most popular sport. Its citizens were baseball fanatics, especially, of course, for their hometown team. Strangely, there was no completely dominant team. Some would have losing streaks, then “miraculously” bounce back at the end of the seasons. The fierce competition kept the seats filled with spectators.

It was later discovered that one man owned the entire league. “Wins” and “losses” were decided not on the playing field, but in a corporate office. Many teams, many uniforms, many songs, but in fact only one who controlled it all, for his own profit. And so are the ways of the world, the wide gate.

In contrast, God has provided one way — and only one way — by which men and women can become right in His eyes. Thankfully, that one way can be distinguished from all other ways due to one radical difference:

Romans 3:21–24  (New International Version)But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,

 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

And all are justified [made righteous] freely⁸ by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

You will note the verses above speak of a righteousness given by God. And, thank God, it is a righteousness available to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Most significantly, note that this righteousness is given by grace. Grace is not something worked for, neither can my works add to it. It is a gift.

Sadly, many Christians — who have received this gift, who have entered by the narrow gate — fall under the delusion that, having entered in, they can now improve their status by their works. Many of the saints in Galatia had succumbed to this error, and Paul rebuked them sharply.

Galatians 3:1–3  (King James Version)O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Very simple logic, is it not? And yet even today so many Christians, dissatisfied with their present state, go seeking for that “something extra,” that element they feel they are missing. And Satan is happy to oblige them via the latest book, podcast or internet guru. Yet God’s Word tells us that all we will ever need is ours in Christ.

Colossians 2:9–10  (King James Version)For in him [Christ] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

And ye are complete [filled full] in him, which is the head of all principality and power.

If I am filled full, what needs to be added? In truth, if I feel I am lacking something, I simply have not yet understood and explored all that is mine in Christ. And yet, if I begin considering my condition rather than the Scriptures, my current discontent can lead me to look in other places, places which offer a variety of prescribed works.⁹

This choice comes at a terrible cost.

Colossians 2:18–19  (New International Version)Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen;¹⁰ they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind.

They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

Do you see the startling truth? The fact that they had lost connection indicates that at one point, they had a connection to the head, Christ Jesus. Reentry into the realm of fleshly works has caused them to lose it! Obviously, this connection, paid for by Christ, cannot be severed by my choices, but in practice, once works are introduced, Christ can no longer work in his body.

Whatever the required works might be, they bring the possibility of measuring, grading, categorizing. How can the unity of the spirit be maintained in an environment like this?

All of the permutations available within the “wide gate,” be they religions, philosophies, or self-help programs, have this one element in common: works of the flesh. The works specified can (and do) vary widely, but all leave room for fleshly advancement. Thus, all leave room for both pride and condemnation.

How sad when men and women, thinking they have changed gates, have really only traded one set of rules for another. This is what was happening in Galatia.

Galatians 4:6–9  (New American Standard Bible)Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba! Father!”

Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are not gods.

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles, to which you want to be enslaved all over again?

As an illustration of the vast difference between the way of works and the way of grace, the writer of Hebrews speaks of two mountains:

Hebrews 12:18–21 (New International Version)You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm;

To a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them,

Because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”

 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”

These verses refer to Mount Sinai, where the Law was given. In Christ, we have been brought to a very different place.

Hebrews 12:22–23 (New International Version)But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,

 To the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect.¹¹

Christians, let us vow to remain where our Lord has brought us. Let us plant our stakes here. Let us settle down here. As Jesus declared, he is the way, and we have entered in through that gate. There are no further gates, only the wide gate back into bondage.