Many professing Christians feel the quiet tension between what they know is right and what they continue to pursue. Whether it’s endless scrolling, the lure of financial gain, or entertainment that stirs sinful desires, these patterns reveal how easily the heart drifts toward the world. Jesus does not call for mild adjustments but decisive action—removing whatever leads us into sin and choosing the narrow path that leads to life. This post explores what that kind of radical obedience looks like in everyday decisions.
Suppose a 26-year-old named Natalie spends three hours a day on Facebook. She knows it hurts her emotionally, fueling jealousy and ingratitude in her heart, and prevents her from beneficial things like reading the Bible and getting together with other Christians in her church for ministry, but she cannot stop.
Suppose 38-year-old Jim comes home from his day job each evening and pours his energies into investing. He loves the thrill of seeing a stock jump in value. He invests in the risky world of leveraged stocks because he is not willing to wait patiently for steady, strong growth. Jim has set a goal of having $5 million by age 40, and it is all he thinks about when he has time. He believes in God but rarely attends church or reads the Bible, and trying to pray is hopeless because his thoughts turn relentlessly to money.
These are just two practical examples of how the warning against loving the world impacts the choices Christians make every day.
More examples: Should we watch movies and TV shows? If so, what kind and what rating? What steps must a Christian take to completely avoid pornography online? What leads you into coveting and greed? Or what is likely to trigger your heart to pursue the things of God, and what is likely to lure you to seek the fallen world and its pleasures?
When you know something is a worldly stumbling block for you, are you willing to forgo it?
Cut it off
Jesus spoke about this in dramatic fashion:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell” (Matthew 5:27–30 ESV).
In other words, if something “causes you to sin,” you should take whatever measures are necessary to remove it. You should ruthlessly rid your life of stumbling blocks—not just rid yourself of sin, but whatever regularly leads to sin.
If watching movies regularly leads you to lust, then you never watch movies again. If scrolling on Facebook leads you regularly into envy, then you close your Facebook account. Or if working in the field of commission sales leads you regularly to lying, then you change your career. If investing in the stock market regularly tempts you to love money, then you give away whatever you must to overcome the love of money and invest your savings in ways that do not require close management.
Two ways
This means making hard choices. This requires sacrifice during this brief life so someday you can have all the blessings of eternal life in paradise with God. Jesus said:
“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).
According to Jesus this world presents us with two gates and two ways.
1. The wide gate
The wide gate has no restrictions, rules, or limitations. Anyone can get through this gate. Masses of people, millions and billions of men and women can enter through this gate. This way is popular. It captures most of the media attention. It is entertaining and exciting, fun and pleasurable. The wide gate sells music and movies. It succeeds. It brings acceptance.
As a result, Jesus said this is the easy way. No self-control is required. No sacrifice. There is no need to say no to temptation. No rejection from worldly friends and family.
2. The narrow gate
The narrow gate is like the turnstile entrance into the public train system or a sports stadium. It restricts you. You still enter through this gate, but you cannot do so any way you choose.
God has given commandments to mankind, so those who take the narrow gate keep those commandments. Those who take the narrow gate avoid both sin and temptation.
The narrow gate requires knowing God’s will, so those who go this way read the Bible and pray and involve themselves weekly in church so they understand that will. They diligently seek the Lord.
Jesus says this way is hard.
What way are you taking?
Jesus says the wide gate leads to destruction, and the narrow gate leads to life.
These two gates have everything to do with how you approach life in this fallen world. If you love the world, you are taking the wide gate, which will end in your destruction. If you love the things of God, you are taking the narrow gate, and you will live forever in paradise.