“I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” ~Jesus (John 14:6)
“I don’t believe Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father.” That is a direct quote of a Methodist baby Christian acquaintance. I respect the bold honesty and I love her no less for such a blasphemous statement. Church folk everywhere are caught in the tangle of dissected truths. Did Jesus actually say it? Did He mean it? Was He lying? Exaggerating? Perhaps we can not begin to understand such a rash claim! We don’t think like God, right? True enough, His ways are not our ways; His thoughts are certainly not ours! (Isaiah 55:8)
Since Adam and Eve, God spoke of the promised Messiah. (Genesis 3:15) and the faithful of the Old Testament had only that Promise upon which to stand—but STAND they did. Another friend of mine denies the need for the Word at all, written or incarnate. God wouldn’t set us up in a test where education and knowledge is mandatory to salvation. How very true. Heed this warning: Do not ignore His revealed Word, readily available to you, just because the rationalization fits some people’s reality. Some cannot read. Some have not had the Gospel reach their language over the years. Babies die. Gentiles were outside God’s chosen nation. Jews are blinded, veiled from seeing. Others have been raised with true faith, in their various religions and are content in their faith. Well, maybe. I am convinced that without a personal relationship with the One True God, one cannot be truly contented. Nevertheless, the sincere, innocent and God-loving humanity who die in their sins will be judged in all fairness, with truth and love, by Christ Jesus. By the way, “innocent” is a term used loosely here for even a newborn has sin by sheer fact of his human-ness. All mankind will be judged, and Judge Judy isn’t the name.
As sure as our existence and reality, Jesus is revealed in ALL THINGS…IN NATURE. I have heard and read of testimonies of instinctual faith so that when the person’s soul finally encountered the Word, in the words of the Bible or in Christ, the Savior, it was more like recognition than revelation. God is able to reveal Himself in hearts where the Word has been denied! He is also able to bring the Word to God forsaken places. Joel Rosenberg shares a story in Epicenter, where a certain townspeople had a common dream--the very same dream--concerning God's revelation; God’s holy presence and reality was made evident to an entire village! God finds a way…through Christ. The Holy Spirit moves, empowered by prayers of righteous men. So doubters are right to say, “God is not limited by a book.” Is He limited to only One path, One Way? Absolutely! But Jesus Christ is not ONLY in the Book! He lives in the temples, His namesakes. He has always lived, lives now, and forever will live supernaturally by way of His Comforter and Counselor, the Holy Spirit. This is God, the three in One. But that raises a question for another time.
“Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” ~Jesus (Matthew 28:20)
“I don’t believe Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father.” That is a direct quote of a Methodist baby Christian acquaintance. I respect the bold honesty and I love her no less for such a blasphemous statement. Church folk everywhere are caught in the tangle of dissected truths. Did Jesus actually say it? Did He mean it? Was He lying? Exaggerating? Perhaps we can not begin to understand such a rash claim! We don’t think like God, right? True enough, His ways are not our ways; His thoughts are certainly not ours! (Isaiah 55:8)
Since Adam and Eve, God spoke of the promised Messiah. (Genesis 3:15) and the faithful of the Old Testament had only that Promise upon which to stand—but STAND they did. Another friend of mine denies the need for the Word at all, written or incarnate. God wouldn’t set us up in a test where education and knowledge is mandatory to salvation. How very true. Heed this warning: Do not ignore His revealed Word, readily available to you, just because the rationalization fits some people’s reality. Some cannot read. Some have not had the Gospel reach their language over the years. Babies die. Gentiles were outside God’s chosen nation. Jews are blinded, veiled from seeing. Others have been raised with true faith, in their various religions and are content in their faith. Well, maybe. I am convinced that without a personal relationship with the One True God, one cannot be truly contented. Nevertheless, the sincere, innocent and God-loving humanity who die in their sins will be judged in all fairness, with truth and love, by Christ Jesus. By the way, “innocent” is a term used loosely here for even a newborn has sin by sheer fact of his human-ness. All mankind will be judged, and Judge Judy isn’t the name.
As sure as our existence and reality, Jesus is revealed in ALL THINGS…IN NATURE. I have heard and read of testimonies of instinctual faith so that when the person’s soul finally encountered the Word, in the words of the Bible or in Christ, the Savior, it was more like recognition than revelation. God is able to reveal Himself in hearts where the Word has been denied! He is also able to bring the Word to God forsaken places. Joel Rosenberg shares a story in Epicenter, where a certain townspeople had a common dream--the very same dream--concerning God's revelation; God’s holy presence and reality was made evident to an entire village! God finds a way…through Christ. The Holy Spirit moves, empowered by prayers of righteous men. So doubters are right to say, “God is not limited by a book.” Is He limited to only One path, One Way? Absolutely! But Jesus Christ is not ONLY in the Book! He lives in the temples, His namesakes. He has always lived, lives now, and forever will live supernaturally by way of His Comforter and Counselor, the Holy Spirit. This is God, the three in One. But that raises a question for another time.
“Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” ~Jesus (Matthew 28:20)
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