There is an idea floating about—a warm and fuzzy idea—that says it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re sincere. You’ve probably heard it before, spoken by well-meaning friends or written on a bumper sticker:
"We’re all taking different roads, but they all lead to the same place."
It sounds wonderfully tolerant, doesn’t it? Everyone is right, and no one is wrong! It’s as if Heaven is at the top of a mountain, and whether you climb from the north, the south, the east, or the west—somehow, we’ll all meet at the summit.
But let me ask you something. If you need directions to a city you’d never visited, would it make sense to say, “Just take any road? They all lead there eventually.”?
Of course not.
Roads have destinations. If I take the wrong road, I will end up in the wrong place. And yet, when it comes to the most important journey of all—the one that determines our eternal home—some claim all paths are equally valid.
The Two Roads
Jesus disagreed. In Matthew 7:13-14, He described two roads, not a dozen, not a hundred—just two.
One is broad, easy, and crowded. It is well-paved, well-traveled, and comfortable. It is the path of self-made religion, human traditions, and a gospel that bends to fit our desires. It is the road that says, “Follow your heart. Do what feels right. Surely, God won’t mind.” But this road does not lead to Heaven. It leads to destruction.
The other road is narrow and difficult. It requires self-denial, obedience, and faithfulness. Few find it, not because God has hidden it, but because few are willing to follow it. This road alone leads to eternal life.
Now, notice what Jesus did not say. He did not say that the broad road is for irreligious people and the narrow road is for the religious. No, many of those walking the broad road believe they are headed for Heaven. But belief alone does not change the destination.
Imagine a man boarding an airplane for New York, but the plane is actually headed for Los Angeles. He can believe he’s going to New York with all his heart. He can feel it in his bones. He can sincerely tell everyone on the plane that he is going to New York. But unless he changes flights, his destination will not change.
Sincerity does not override reality.
The Problem with Good Intentions
Some years ago, I attended a funeral where two preachers spoke glowingly of a departed man. They praised his education, his kindness, and his leadership. They mentioned how he had once been part of the Lord’s church but later left to become a priest in a denomination that denied many of Christ’s teachings.
And then came the part that disturbed me.
One speaker said, “When one is no longer constrained by sectarian walls, one finds oneself surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, far greater than one had imagined.”
Another said, “Though he took a different road to the Celestial City, he finished his course well.”
I had to ask myself: Is that true?
Can a man walk away from the truth, embrace doctrines contrary to God’s Word, lead others to do the same, and still finish the course well?
By human sentiment, yes. We want to believe that as long as someone is trying to serve God, however they choose to do so, all is well.
But according to Scripture, the answer is no.
Mark 8:38 – Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.
If I claim to love Christ, I cannot be ashamed of His truth. If I truly care for the lost, I cannot water down the gospel so that no one is ever offended.
The Danger of Softening the Gospel
There’s a trend today where some churches feel pressure to be “nice” rather than truthful.
They want people to feel comfortable. They fear being labeled “intolerant” or “divisive.” And so, they dilute the message.
· They avoid talking about sin because it makes people uncomfortable.
· They ignore difficult doctrines because they don’t want to drive anyone away.
· They teach only about God’s love, never His justice.
In doing so, they trade the gospel of Christ for a gospel of convenience.
But Jesus never softened the truth to make people feel better about their sins. He told the woman caught in adultery, “Neither do I condemn you,” but He didn’t stop there. He followed it with, “Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11).
Love without truth is an empty sentiment. Truth without love is cruelty. But truth spoken in love is the power of God unto salvation (Ephesians 4:15).
What Should We Do?
1. Stand for truth, even when it’s unpopular.
2 Timothy 4:2-4 – Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth.
We are in that time. The world wants teachers who will tell them what they want to hear, not what they need to hear. Be different. Be bold.
2. Do not apologize for the hard teachings of Scripture.
Truth is truth, whether or not it offends. Jesus was crucified because people didn’t want to hear the truth—yet He spoke it anyway. If you stand for the gospel, expect resistance.
3. Love people enough to tell them the truth.
It is not love to let someone believe a lie that will destroy their soul. If someone is heading toward a cliff, love compels us to warn them.
4. Walk the narrow road yourself.
It is one thing to say we follow Christ; it is another to truly submit to His teachings, even when they challenge us.
Matthew 7:21 – Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Conclusion: The Road That Leads to Life
The road to life is not found by accident, and it is not made by men. There is only one way to the Father—through Christ alone (John 14:6).
You can take any road you like. You can follow any belief you choose. But if it is not the road Christ Himself laid out, it will not take you where you want to go.
So, choose wisely.
Because, yes—it does matter what you believe.
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