|
Is Jesus the only
way to heaven?
Christ is more than a system, tradition, or belief. He
claimed to be God. His miracles proved His deity. Josh
McDowell writes, "Among the religious leaders who have
attained a large following throughout history, Jesus
Christ is unique in the fact that He alone claimed to be
God in human flesh. A common misconception is that some or
many of the leaders of the world's religions made similar
claims, but this is simply not the case. Budda did not
claim to be God; Moses never said that he was Yahweh;
Muhammad did not identify himself as Allah... Jesus
said that he who has seen Him (Jesus) has seen the Father
(John 14:9). ...Anyone who would dare to make such
claims... to forgive sins, to raise Himself from the dead,
etc...would have to be either out of his mind or a liar,
unless he was (in fact) God."
The answer is yes, Jesus is the
only way to God.
Perhaps the better way to say that is to say that the
Bible tells us about one way and only one way. Look at
the following verses: John 14:6, Acts 4:12, 1 Timothy
2:4-5. John 14:6 "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the
truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me." Acts 4:12 "Salvation is found in no one
else, for there is no other name under heaven given to
men by which we must be saved."
On the other hand, we know
that the Lord wants everyone to be saved, as it says in
2 Peter 3:9. "The Lord is not slow in keeping his
promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with
you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come
to repentance." Does God love the world? Yes He does,
John 3:16. "For God so loved the world that he gave his
one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life.
Jesus is also a Person who knows our needs,
feels our pain, and sympathizes with our weaknesses. He
offers to forgive our sins, and to give us the free gift
of eternal life...making peace between us and His Father
when we decide to trust Him as Lord and Savior of our
lives. He loved us so much that He died for our sins
2,000 years ago.
The Bible says that we are sinners: Rom 3:23-24 "for all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God," (NIV) But that God has
provided Jesus as the Savior: John 3:16 says: "For
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but
have eternal life. (NIV)
The Bible also says that we can receive Jesus Christ as
our Savior and have eternal life: John 3:36: "Whoever
believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever
rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath
remains on him." (NIV)
NEXT
|
|
|