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I Am The Way. . .
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In John 14:6, Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life; NO ONE (emp. mine) comes to the Father but through me." This statement is singular and exclusive -- Jesus (singular) is the way (exclusive). No matter what we may want to believe, there is only one way to salvation. Emotionally, it can be hard when we look at so many sincere people seeking so many ways to God, but we must come to grips with the fact that Jesus, by singling himself out has excluded every other way. This thought is repeated when Peter speaks concerning Jesus in Acts 4:12, "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." We are not required to judge the world, the words Jesus spoke will do that (John 12:48), but we must proclaim the truth of the Gospel, and that includes the fact that no other way will do. We need to understand that Jesus' way is right, not because we believe it (believing something doesn't make it so) or follow it (we are not the arbiters of acceptable practice) but because Jesus says it. It is not our way, it is God's way. Our responsibility is to proclaim that way to the world. When Jesus said "I am the way..." He implied that we must set aside our own ways and follow Him. We are not the ones who determine what is and is not acceptable to God. It is vital that we commit ourselves to a proper and continuing understanding of what God has said (2Tim 2:15) and not rely upon our own understanding (Prov 3:5-6). Only when we commit ourselves to the path Jesus set before us can we truly say we are following Him. Regardless of what we think we know, our beliefs must always be made subject to a more complete understanding of God's Word. Jesus' words also show us that Christianity is not a comparative religion; our rightness is not determined by how wrong others are. We cannot judge our standing with God by looking to the beliefs of others. In fact, what others do is of no consequence to our relationship with God. It can be hard to look at sincere people and see them condemned by God. It can also be tempting to look at others and build ourselves up by pointing out their flaws. The fact is that the Word of God makes no provision for either. It is only by God's Word that we will be judged (John 12:47-49), and it is only upon God's Word that we must base our lives. End |