I sat in church this morning struggling to focus on what my pastor was teaching. The sermon, for those who know Jesus, wasn’t ground breaking but then again it was… I sat in tears hearing the truth in a new way. I hope the same is true for you. A general summary of AJ Vaughns’ (pastor of LifeWay Church) sermon is below. You can also listen to it at lifeway-online.org.
The idea of “one way to heaven” is hard to believe and no one wants to be labeled “intolerant.” It’s a tough idea to grasp because if there is only “one way” then many, many of our fellow humans are not going to heaven.
The idea of “one way” does not make God unfair as is so often thought. If all roads lead to God then God’s standard is very low. The truth is, he is holy and his standard is very high. Second, if there are multiple ways to God, then it seems to indicate that he does not care enough to tell us or clarify the way. The fact is, God is very fair (and a God of order) so he tells us the way and we have an obligation to follow his way. Third, if all roads lead to God then all religions are the same. In some ways they are – all tell us to do good and not to do bad. We all know this. Christianity is different though.
“One way” is essential to following Jesus. He does claim to be the only way. John 14:6 says “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”" And in John 8:24 he tells us, “Unless you believe that I Am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.” You either believe this – that Jesus is Lord, or he is a liar or lunatic. Believing in Jesus is the test of our trust in God. “…Gods light came into the world, but people love the darkness more than the light.” (paraphrase of John 3:17-19) If you believe this truth, you are a Christian.
Jesus died to provide a way to God. “But God showed us his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.” Romans 5:8-9 If you don’t believe this, you are essentially saying he died for nothing – that his death was meaningless.
Jesus makes sense as the way to God. Christianity is the only faith that begins with a loving God. “For God so loved the world…” as noted in John 3:16. God is first loving. He took the first step toward us. No other religion believes that. Christianity is the only faith that doesn’t depend on us. “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” Eph. 2:8 You simply don’t have to be good enough to believe in Jesus. You cannot be and it is not required. His love for us is based on His grace – the fact that he loved us first. Christianity is also the only faith that challenges our pride. “Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Eph. 2:9. Being humble is difficult…you see our faith doesn’t depend on us. Nothing we can do will make up for our sin. It is simply not about us, but about Jesus and his choice to die on the cross. If you humble yourself and accept this fact, you will find real life. And Christianity is the only faith that offers a guarantee. “No power in the sky above or in the earth below- indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to seperate us from the love o God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39. It is all God’s doing – we cannot earn or lose his love and so we serve out of gratitude.
So what do we do with all of this?
Stop riding the fence. It seems easier to say there are many ways to heaven when asked direct questions about our faith but after awhile it hurts us and others because we are not telling the truth. Second, think with love and speak the truth with grace. Don’t argue with people who disagree with you! They are not the enemy but those who God is seeking. Colossians 4:5-6 tells us to live wisely among those who are not believers, to be gracious. Finally, live and share the Good News with eternity in mind. If you believe what the Bible tells you – then DO IT. The eternity of others depends on your honesty and willingness to share what you know. Remember – if you seek to find out what God is telling you is really true, you will find Him! Those who seek him will find him…they will see his face.
In His love and peace –
Sue
