The One And Only Way - John 14:6

 

 
 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” - John 14:6

      It is so acceptable among many people to quote the first half of this verse and completely ignore the last half. But any argument against the Christian claim that Jesus is the only way to heaven comes from either false religion or no religion at all. In fact, Christians who hold securely to this belief are most often disparaged by religious opponents and unbelievers, sometimes even by their own families and friends. They would probably like to see a big red ‘prohibited sign’ over the very idea. Scripture, however, is very clear on this point - “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” - Acts 4:12.
    We Christians are often condemned as being exclusivist for holding such an opinion. What ‘the world’ doesn’t seem to understand is that it is not an opinion. Faith in God and faith in His holy World assure us that what we believe is in fact the truth just as God is truth.
    Time and again Scripture confirms the nature of our belief. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” - John 3:36. It is through our saving faith in Jesus that mankind is saved. Not all mankind but only those who have come to believe in Christ as Savior. “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” - 1 Timothy 2:5-6. Christian, what more proof do you need to believe in the one way to heaven? In Christ’s own words, He declares He is the way, the truth, and the life!
    Upon speaking to Mary, the sister of Lazarus upon the day he was raised to life again by Christ, He said - “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” - John 11:25-26. And Mary believed in Him. And to all Christ’s faithful today, we believe in Him also.
    Does it sound exclusivist? You bet it is because it’s the truth to all who believe and denied to those who don’t. More important is that it is still the truth whether we believe it or not! You may not believe that the sun can do great damage to your skin because it doesn’t illustrate it immediately. But just lie out in it without protection and in a short time you can see - and feel - the damage that the sun did to your exposed flesh.
    Refusing to believe in the primacy and singularity of Christ’s claim as Savior to mankind will result not only in the eventual destruction of our bodies but also of our everlasting souls. Many will not believe these Scriptural claims but Jesus spoke to these unbelievers too. “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” John 3:17. Still not convinced? Read the words of Jesus to His own disciples - “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” - Matthew 10:28.
    Decorum and courtesy are righteous traits but they will never give us eternal life if we have no faith in Jesus. Holy Scripture speaks often and strongly about the need to have faith in Him who is both Lord and Savior. Those who do will reap great rewards and eternity in heaven. Those who don’t will find themselves confined eternally to ‘the pit’ where  ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ - Mark 9:48.

The Evil Around Us - Mark 5:9

And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” - Mark 5:9

    In something I read recently the question was asked, “Why do such terrible things happen in the world?” The respondent answered by saying that the first thing we need to remember before we ask such a question is that ‘we live in a fallen world.’ We have to remember that the entire universe suffers from the fall and seeks deliverance. “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.” - Romans 8:22. As simple as that answer seems it is the truth and although it doesn’t assuage our feelings of sadness or hopelessness it does make the grasp of our plight in this fallen world a bit easier to understand but only on one condition. And that condition is our faith in God.
    We also need to remember that God has given this sinful world over to the devil as a kingdom and in his kingdom are his slaves and minions - “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” - 2 Corinthians 4:4. Is it any wonder that we see and experience such pain and suffering in this world?
    The daily anguish and misery we face here on this earth is indicative of the vast number of natural evils we are vulnerable to such as plagues, hurricanes, fires, and floods to mention but a few. Then we are subjected to the sinful thoughts, words, and deeds of Satan’s disciples. As we look about us - they are everywhere. Truly, they are ‘legion.’
    So it should come as no surprise to us that in this world we will have suffering but Christ has promised us that it will not always be so for His followers. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33. How? You ask. Through faith in the one triune God of the Bible.
    Knowing that we are constantly surrounded by sin - both our own and that of others - we must comes to terms with the fact that there is no worldly remedy for our circumstances. Because the devil rules the world there can be no relief through the methods of this world. Only our faith in God can pierce the darkness. Without faith we are certainly a pitiful lot. “We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon as in the twilight, among those in full vigor we are like dead men.” - Isaiah 59:10. This is one of the primary symptoms of sin in our lives. This is the mark of those who, without faith, are slaves to sin.
    It should not astound us when we see or experience evil in our lives. It is all around us. We should not be perplexed over the disasters and truly horrific events that threaten our world on a daily basis. Jesus even warned us that these things would ultimately happen but He also said that He prevails over it all. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33. Jesus promised that few would enter the Kingdom of Heaven. “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.
    Truly, is there any doubt that Legion is many?

Simply Follow The Directions - Genesis 19:15-16

As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.” But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. - Genesis 19:15-16

    For me, the first question that arose in my mind was why? Why, after knowing it was angels who spoke to him, why did Lot linger? Perhaps a clearer understanding of the word ‘linger’ is due. One of the most common synonyms for linger is the word ‘remain; as in “he remained (lingered) seated.” So again - why would Lot linger when he knew that Sodom was about to be destroyed?
    If we profess to be Christians; if we claim to have faith in our Triune God, why would we ever hesitate to do what He asks and commands of us? A quick and faulty excuse on our part would be that we want to know such requests and commands are indeed from God Himself and not simply some trick of the devil.  There is always a sure sign of God’s genuine authority in our lives. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” - 1 John 4:1. The way to test the spirits is to refer to our Bibles. The Word of God never lies. And while we may not always understand why we are instructed as to a particular course of action, we must never pose questions to things the Scripture doesn’t address. To do so indicates our unwillingness to abide in God. And opposition to God is a sure sign of faithlessness. Such faithlessness is evidence that we don’t even believe we are salvageable in eternity. We are not at liberty to choose whether or not we will listen to the Lord. Even Judas did what Jesus told him to do - “Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, ‘What you are going to do, do quickly.’” “So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.” John 13: 27, 29.
    God takes a very dim view of people not listening to Him. “. . . do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. For forty years I loathed that generation and said, ‘They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.’ Therefore I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’” - Psalm 95:8-11.
    Truly, ignoring God’s commands or even lingering before following them can cost us dearly. Lot’s wife is evidence of God’s response to taking His commands lightly. “And as they brought them out, one said, ‘Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.’” - Genesis 19:17. What did Lot’s wife do? “And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” Genesis 19:25-26.    
    No one is suggesting that disobedience toward God will turn us into pillars of salt but when we deliberately fail to obey God’s commands there is a reckoning awaiting us. We may learn from it or we may wish we had simply followed the directions.