August 4, 2009

One way

Christians are said to be dogmatic and narrow-minded. How can we say there is only one way to God, one way to enter heaven, one faith? Others make the same claim, so how can we do it too and be correct?

Again, this faith is not about me, nor is this claim. I don’t say Jesus is the only way to God because this suits me, or because I have decided it is so. I don’t want to be intolerant or exclusive, but must say it because Jesus Himself said it. This dogmatic statement is mine because it was first His.

Jesus could not be more exclusive when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). He did not say “I am a way” or that “some people” come to the Father through Him.

He also said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved” (John 10:9). Jesus was not a door, but the door, again a dogmatic and exclusive claim.

The apostles were also insistent that Jesus is the way to the Father. Luke wrote this, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Paul wrote this, “There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). Only one God, only one Mediator, only one way.

The issue is not about who is right and who is wrong. It is about believing the testimony of Jesus Christ based on whether or not He says it with the right credentials. No matter how many people tell me otherwise, I cannot see anything in Jesus that exposes Him as a liar. He has proven Himself true over and over. Furthermore, those who believed in Him and wrote these things did so at the risk of their lives and did indeed die because they believed in Jesus.

Jesus did what no other has done. He died in my place, taking my penalty for sin. He rose from the dead and offers me His life, the life that cannot die. He forgave my sin and is transforming me. He set me on a new path, the way of truth instead of my old way of sin and deception.

Even if my faith did not put me in good company with men like Luke and Paul, because of what Jesus has done in my life, I know that I am on solid footing when I declare that God’s only way of salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ.

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