Another problem we face is a belief that all we have to do is help people with their physical needs and we will be saved. Some believe that if we do enough good deeds, God will let us into His Kingdom. The only problem is, we lack the ability to do spiritual things with human power and determination. The truth is, we are powerless to do such things without Jesus. Before we can start serving these people, we need salvation. If we meet their physical needs and haven’t been already born again ourselves, then our help will never go beyond the physical.

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. The small gate is Jesus; and He is requiring us to go through Him. The narrow path He is requiring us to travel is salvation.

The gate is too small and the path is too narrow for an unsaved minister to enter. Sooner or later we will end up going through the wide gate and traveling the broad road. That road is the road that takes people to eternal damnation. The small gate and the narrow road through Jesus will take us to spiritual transformation.

It is true we need to get our physical needs met first before we can understand Jesus’ love. But, just getting our physical needs met will never save us. Just going around meeting people’s physical needs will never save them or us. Jesus is not saying in Matthew 25:31-46 that good works will produce salvation. He is saying that salvation will PRODUCE good works. We first have to go through Jesus, the gate and the way, and then get involved in meeting people’s physical and spiritual needs.