One Way, Jesus
I see it all the time, and I hear it all the time. We live in a very relativistic age, especially in terms of religion. How many times have you heard it? “There are many ways to God.” “What’s true for you is true for you; what’s true for me is true for me.” “All religions are basically the same.” I hear it from Christians and non-Christians alike. With non-Christians it makes sense to me. A lot of Eastern religions in particular are more open by nature. Even with Christians, I think I can understand where people come from. We don’t want to be branded as intolerant, we don’t want to appear to be close-minded, and we certainly don’t want people to go to hell. So, on the surface, it makes sense to advocate a sort of universalism that includes everybody in heaven.
But when we talk about Christianity, the faith that we write about so much here at ZA Magazine, we can’t judge these issues by what makes sense to us. We have a worldly way of thinking by default. This certainly isn’t hard to accept. Without God speaking to us, how can we know anything true about God?
That’s why we have the Bible. When we call it God’s Word, we’re not kidding - this book contains all sorts of revelations about the nature of God and His laws for us. It casts light onto a Being that would otherwise be totally be above our comprehension.
So when it comes to big issues, we have to see what God’s Word says. And make no mistake…this is a HUGE issue! Is Jesus the only way to God? If not, then Christians don’t need to try to convert people to Christianity at all; they would only need to urge people to be spiritual. If so, then Christians put their foots in the ground and make a bold declaration in a world that will brand them as narrow-minded and intolerant.
What does the Bible say about this enormous question? Is Jesus the only way to God? Is God the only God?
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.
Isaiah 45:21b
And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.
Ephesians 4:21b
The truth is in Jesus…
1 John 2:23
No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
What else do you need? Words spoken by Jesus and God, Paul and John. All of them say the same thing: God is one. Jesus is the only way to God. The truth is in Jesus. NO ONE who denies the Son (Jesus) has the Father (God).
Is it any wonder that Jesus was crucified, that Paul was martyred, that John was exiled? They weren’t being politically correct! I mean, the Pharisees had all the appearance of religious purity, but Jesus even offended them in the name of truth.
So that’s it. Need I go beyond the Scriptures? If you still don’t buy it, snoop around on the Internet. Click here for a great page on the subject. There are additional links on the bottom to explore. Try this site to explore key differences between Christianity and other world religions.
Jesus is the only way to God. It’s bold, it sounds close-minded, but it’s the truth, and we as Christians MUST stand by it.
As always, though, feel free to comment if you disagree!
Grace and peace,
Brendan
