Have you ever heard people saying “okay if your religion works for you, I do not believe in God”? Or something like, “that’s your belief, mine is different”? Or even “you do your religion, I do mine. We worship the same God anyway”. Perhaps, have you thought or said it yourself? We Christians believe that Jesus is the Only Way to God. Have you heard that before? Or have you been caught up in a conversation with Christians who made such a claim? How did you react to this statement? 

We Christians believe so because Jesus Himself said it in John 14:6: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through Me”. Do you think it is arrogant?  How can a person dare to make such a bold statement? Saying that He is the Truth means that everything and everyone else is false. Saying that He is the Life means that everything outside Him is dead. Saying that He is the Way, like He explains in the verse, literally means that no one can come to the Father except through Him. Practically this would mean that other gods are false and other ways are wrong. You see, there are so many religions and belief systems in this world, and Jesus claims to be the Way, the Truth and the Life, He claims to be the only way out of the many others that actually leads to the Father. How can that be? How can someone claim that?

Okay, let me give you a bit of a background. Have you heard about Adam and Eve? We can keep the discussion about creation, evolution, Big Bang, Ice Age, and everything else for next time, but I can just tell you that in the Bible that we believe to be the Word of God and Truth, God created the universe and everything in it (Genesis 1). On the 6^th day, God created human beings according to His image (Genesis 2). Adam was the first human, and because Adam didn’t find a helper like him, God formed Eve. He put both of them in Eden, a garden full of various fruits they could eat freely without having to work, except for one fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden. They enjoyed a close relationship with God, talking to Him daily. One day, Eve was tempted to eat the fruit, so she did, and Adam did, too. Because of their disobedience, sin crept in. When God looked for them, they hid and didn’t dare to come to God anymore. As a consequence, they were cursed and cast out of the garden, marking the start of humanity’s suffering (Genesis 3). 

Now you might be thinking “Okay, it was their lives and their choices, what does it have to do with me?” Whether we accept it or not, that was the first time we human beings became subject to the law of sin. Like the law of gravity that keeps things falling to the ground, sin becomes such a law that draws us towards disobedience and rebellion to God.

“So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.” 

-Romans 7: 21-23

It has nothing to do with you being a good person…think about it yourself. You may not have killed or stolen anything, but have you looked at a man or a woman with lust? Then you have committed adultery in your heart (Matthew 5:28). Or have you had any evil thoughts, or said a curse word? Then you are subject to judgment and the fire of hell awaits (Matthew 5:22). Have you ever lied in your life, or have you disrespected your parents? Then you have trespassed against the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:12). Actually, if you don’t even believe in God, you have worshiped something else, either science, ignorance, pride, or even yourself. That is called idolatry and again, it is a sin ! (Exodus 34:14) Do you see how entangled we are with sin? 

Maybe you are thinking to yourself “But I do more good deeds than sins, will my good deeds not outweigh my sins?”. Try to say that to the police when you are caught driving above the speed limit, running a red light, or parking where you shouldn’t. The police won’t care how many red and green lights you have obeyed throughout your driving years, how many hours you have kept your speed below the limit, or how many times you have parked your car correctly. One mistake is all that is needed to get the ticket. The same goes with sin. If we sin against one part of the law, we sin against the whole law because it comes from the same God (James 2:10-11). So, even though we don’t like to admit it, everyone has sinned (Romans 3:23). 

Because of sin, the relationship between God and humans is broken. Sin sets us away from God. Even worse, the wage of sin is death (Romans 6:23). However, death was never God’s plan for us. God is love (1 John 4:8). He still loves us and longs to restore the relationship He had with humans to how it was at the beginning with Adam and Eve. However, in our current sinful state, it is not possible. God cannot coexist with filthy sin because God is holy and wants us to be holy, too (1 Peter 1:16). He is righteous and just, and thus cannot show partiality nor accept a bribe to turn a blind eye to injustice and suffering (Deuteronomy 10:17). But He still wants human beings to come back to Him, enjoy a relationship with Him, and love Him, not by force or coercion, but genuinely, willingly, and joyfully. He doesn’t want us to die, but to live together with Him, not only in this life but forever. Therefore, He made a plan. 

I said it before that the price of sin is death, right? Because of our sin we all deserve to die. Because God doesn’t want us to die, He set up a scapegoat (John 1:29). The scapegoat, however, needs to be blameless. If you need someone else to pay your debt, he/she needs to have more money than your debt, right? Sin is like this debt. If God wants someone else to pay the debt of sin, the One needs to be sinless. But you see how easy it is for us to sin, and everyone has sinned. Who is blameless then? 

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”. The plan that God made was unthinkable, out-of-the-box, and utterly radical. It costs Him a lot to perform, yet He chose to do it anyway. He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, whom He loved and was with before the creation of the world (John 17:24), to empty Himself from all His glory, live a humble life on earth fulfilling all of God’s promises, and obeying Him to the point of death on the cross (Philippians 2:7-8).

Do you know why you live on this earth? Jesus did. He came with at least two important missions: to bring the Kingdom of God on earth (Mark 1:15, I will talk about this next time), and to die on the cross on behalf of you and me, for our sins. For this purpose, He had to live a sinless life. How could He? He is God (John 1:1). Though He was tempted, He never sinned, for He always chose obedience and submission to God’s will over personal satisfaction and comfort. He chose love over pleasure for our sake ! How would you feel if you knew that the reason you are on earth is to die a painful death for a crime you didn’t commit, for a person who has no clue about you or even rejects you? Jesus, knowing this, still chose to come to earth and live a sinless life (2 Corinthians 5:21). He loved us enough to abandon His heavenly glory and die on our behalf so that we may have life in abundance (John 10:10-11). He knew that once He paid the price of sin, whoever believes in Him is free from the punishment, curse, and wage that come as consequences of sin. He found it worthy. He found each one of us worth it. He loves us that much! By His blood our sins are washed away (Romans 5:9). By His wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). By His sacrifice we are reconciled with God (Colossians 1:20). As a consequence, we get the right to be children of God (John 1:12). And as His children, we are also heirs (Romans 8:16-17) having access to all His inheritance; love, peace, joy, blessings, that exist only in His kingdom.

But the Good News doesn’t stop there. As He is sinless, death cannot detain Him. On the third day He rose from the dead. Because of this, death no longer has power over us who believe in Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:55). Moreover, He ascended into heaven, preparing a place for us, so that one day we’ll be united with Him (John 14:2-3), worshiping Him with all the angels and creation forever (Revelation 5:13)! Beautiful, isn’t it?

Jesus prayed this to His Father, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:1-3). Jesus echoes what His Father said earlier, “I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.” (Isaiah 45:5). Only through Jesus we can have life, and life in abundance (John 10:10). This is the Good News, that we don’t need to live as slaves and die in our sins, but we can live in freedom and abundance as children of God, not only here and now on this earth but forever. jesus knew we couldn’t save ourselves, no matter how hard we tried. In His immense love for us, out of free will, He decided to lay down His own life for ours. Jesus knew that sacrificing Himself was the ONLY WAY to save us. He did not look at the hefty price He had to pay; He loves us that much. So, to answer the question, Is Jesus the only Way ? yes. Is it arrogant to boldly proclaim that? no.

Where do you stand today? Have you made the decision to leave your old life filled with sins and follow Jesus? If you haven’t, because you don’t believe in Jesus Christ or you have been brought up in Church without really understanding the importance of this decision, today, if you hear the Good News, do not harden your heart. Unless you repent, you will perish (Luke 13:3). Repent, leave your old sinful habits, believe in God, believe also in Jesus Christ (John 14:1), be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). 

Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” 

You can click here to be redirected to the prayer of salvation. Declare it in faith as the Bible says, you need to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart so that you will be saved. No one else can do this on your behalf, you need to do it yourself as salvation is personal. Jesus died for you, offered Himself as a gift for you to be saved, and only you can take that gift, no one else can take it on your behalf, not even your parents or spouse. So would you like to accept this invitation today? Jesus is knocking. 

“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” 

-Revelation 3:19-20