Answer
The question of whether there are more people in heaven or hell is answered by Jesus Himself: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13–14).
Only those who receive Jesus Christ by faith are given the right to become children of God (John 1:12). Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). We cannot go to heaven through Mohammed, Buddha, or other false gods of man’s making. Eternal life is not for those wanting a cheap and easy way to heaven while continuing to live their own selfish and worldly lives on earth. Jesus only saves those who fully trust in Him as Savior (Acts 4:12).
So, what are these two gates in Matthew 7:13–14? They are the entrance to two different “ways.” The wide gate leads to the broad way or road. The small, narrow gate leads to the way that is narrow. The narrow way is the way of the godly, and the broad way is the way of the ungodly. The broad way is the easy way. It is attractive and self-indulgent. It is permissive. It’s the inclusive way of the world, with few rules, few restrictions, and fewer requirements. Tolerance of sin is the norm where God’s Word is not studied and His standards not followed. This way does not develop or champion spiritual maturity, moral character, commitment, or sacrifice. It involves following “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” (Ephesians 2:2). The broad way “appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12).
Those who preach a gospel of inclusivity where “all ways lead to heaven” preach an utterly different gospel than the one Jesus preached. The gate of deception, self-centeredness, and pride is the wide gate of the world that leads to hell, not the narrow gate that leads to eternal life. Most people spend their lives following the masses who are on the broad road, doing what everyone else does, and believing what everyone else believes.
The narrow way is the hard way, the demanding way. It is the humble way, and those who travel it recognize that they cannot save themselves and must depend on Jesus Christ alone. It’s the way of self-denial and the cross. The fact that few find God’s way implies that not many seek to find it. However, God promises that all who seek it diligently will find it: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). No one will stumble into the kingdom or wander through the narrow gate by accident. Someone once asked Jesus, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He replied, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to” (Luke 13:23–24).
Many will desire to have the benefits of that narrow door, the door of salvation, but “will not be able.” They are unwilling to trust Jesus alone. They are unwilling to give up the world and its attractions. The way of Christ is the way of the cross, and the way of the cross is the way of self-denial. Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it” (Luke 9:23–24).
Jesus knows that many will choose the wide gate and the broad way that leads to destruction and hell. And He said that only a few will choose the narrow gate. According to Matthew 7:13–14, there is no doubt that more people will go to hell than to heaven. The question for you, then, is “which road are you on?”