Contributed by Abbey Thangiah • Nov 11, 2025

Missionaries are my heroes. When it comes to choosing the narrow gate, there is no one else with a narrower choice than a missionary. They really sacrifice everything to serve the Lord in a country they know not or little off. They leave their family and serve an alien culture and return once a year to their home country if they have the opportunity to. These are a few of the missionaries we can learn from.

The Missionary Who Counted the Cost: Jim Elliot (1927–1956)

Jim Elliot and four fellow missionaries were killed while attempting to evangelize the Auca (now Waorani) tribe in Ecuador. His life perfectly illustrates the One Decision (Enter) and One Posture (Surrender) required by the narrow gate.

• The Choice for Christ (Surrender): Elliot turned away from a life of professional security and comfort to pursue a ministry to unreached peoples.
  “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” (This reflects the idea of “Doing much for God vs. Letting go” and the choice between the two gates.)
• Relationship Over Profession: Elliot was murdered before his missionary work could yield outward results, yet his profound commitment and willingness to sacrifice everything proved the depth of his relationship with Christ, challenging the idea that ministry success is measured by visible “works” (Matthew 7:22-23).

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

The Father of Modern Missions: William Carey (1761–1834)

William Carey, a simple shoemaker, faced immense resistance—even from fellow believers—when he proposed the idea of international missions. He embodies the long journey on the Narrow Road of Discipleship empowered by Grace.

• Discipleship (The Uncomfortable Road): He spent 41 years in India without a furlough, enduring the death of a son and his wife’s mental decline. He saw no converts for the first seven years. His path was the epitome of the “uncomfortable” and “costly” narrow road.
• Perseverance by Grace: Despite overwhelming setbacks, his commitment to translating the Bible into dozens of Indian languages was fueled not by outward success but by sanctifying grace, proving that “Grace trains us” to persevere in holiness and service.

“I am a poor, unworthy creature, and all my dependence is on Christ and his righteousness.” 

The Theologian of Resistance: Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–1945)

A German pastor and theologian, Bonhoeffer was executed by the Nazis near the end of World War II for his involvement in the resistance movement. His life directly challenged the “broad road”.

• The Cost of Relationship: This famous work directly addresses the difference between “cheap grace” (religious profession without surrender) and “costly grace” (a relationship that requires obedience). This is a perfect parallel to the notes’ contrast between “profession” and “relationship.”
• Doing the Will of the Father: Bonhoeffer refused to stay safe in America and returned to Germany to suffer with the Confessing Church. His actions, which led to his death, exemplified the one who “does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

“When Christ calls a man, he bids him to come and die.”

The Pioneer of Inner China: J. Hudson Taylor (1832–1905)

Taylor, the founder of the China Inland Mission (now OMF International), committed himself to living and dressing like the Chinese, often in direct contrast to other Western missionaries.

• Rejecting the Broad Road’s Comfort: He made the radical choice to depend entirely on God for finances, never making appeals for money. This decision to reject the comfortable, accepted model of mission work shows his commitment to the “uncomfortable” Narrow Road.
• Relationship and Surrender: His life was marked by a deep commitment to his personal walk with God, summed up in his motto: “I move men, through God, by prayer alone.” This prioritizing of relational intimacy with God as the source of all outward work is the antidote to the “many who prophesy and perform miracles” (Matthew 7:22) without a true relationship.

“There are three stages in every great work of God: first, it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done.”

Ultimately, the question, “Will I Really Go To Heaven?” is not answered by the fervor of our ministry or the length of our doctrinal statement, but by the authenticity of our walk. Jesus’ warning is a merciful plea: step off the crowded, self-deceiving path of religious profession and fully enter the Narrow Gate of Christ. Let the sanctifying grace that saved you also transform you daily on the narrow road of discipleship. As illustrated by the lives of faithful pioneers who counted all things loss for Christ, the true, verifiable proof of our eternal destination is found in a life wholly surrendered to His Lordship—a life that moves beyond mere saying to truly doing the will of the Father. Today, let the final, conclusive choice be an unreserved, living relationship with Jesus, the only Way and the only Truth that leads to eternal Life.