Jesus Christ is the Answer. But what is the Question:
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How can I be sure of a right relationship with God and of entrance into heaven?
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How can I tell whether I am really a Christian?
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Does it really matter what I believe as long as I live a moral life and try to love others?
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If God were to ask me “Why should I let you into my heaven” — what would I reply?
The Problem for everybody:
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Your sins separate you from a holy God. You need to be born again. (Read John 3)
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Salvation is a free gift by the grace of God apart from human works. (Read Ephesians 2)
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You must respond by repenting of sin and trusting Jesus Christ alone. (Read Romans 10)
JESUS IS THE WAY
People would like to believe that there are many ways to God; that you can follow all different routes to get to the top of the mountain. Jesus stated categorically that He is “the Way.” You cannot get more exclusivistic than that. There are a wide variety of ways that seem right to men, but those lead only to destruction (Prov 12:15; 16:2; 21:2). Just as Pilgrim in Pilgrim’s Progress, we must enter through the right gate upon the right path and then we must persevere in our journey – staying on that right path until we reach our final destination. If we stray off the path, we must repent and return to that straight and narrow path that leads to the Father. Yet this is not a journey of works but salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ who alone is the Way to God the Father.
SIX INSIGHTS REGARDING JESUS AS THE ONLY WAY TO GOD
I. THE WAY TO GOD THE FATHER IS KNOWN INTIMATELY BY JESUS BECAUSE HE CAME FROM HEAVEN AND RETURNED TO HEAVEN
The testimony of Jesus is trustworthy.
John 3:13 “No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven; the Son of Man.”
John 3:31-32 “He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. What He has seen and heard, of that He testifies;”
John 6:51 “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”
John 7:28, 33 “You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true . . . For a little while longer I am with you, then I go to Him who sent Me.
John 8:14 “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going.”
John 13:3 “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God.”
John 16:5 “But now I am going to Him who sent Me.”
John 16:28 “I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.”
II. THE WAY TO GOD THE FATHER IS NARROW
Genuine; exclusive; unique.
Matt 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
III. THE WAY TO GOD THE FATHER IS ENTERED THROUGH ONLY ONE DOOR
We are commanded to come to the door and enter in.
John 10:7-9 “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”
IV. THE WAY TO GOD THE FATHER HAS BEEN OPENED TO US BY THE SACRIFICIAL DEATH OF JESUS ON THE CROSS
Hebrews 10:19-20 “Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh.”
Ephesians 2:16,18 “and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity . . . for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.”
V. THE WAY TO GOD THE FATHER INVOLVES THE PATH OF DISCIPLESHIP AND HOLINESS = FOLLOWING JESUS
Mark 8:34 “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”
Isaiah 35:8 “A highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for him who walks that way, and fools will not wander on it. No lion will be there, nor will any vicious beast go up on it; these will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there.”
VI. THE WAY TO GOD THE FATHER ARRIVES AT THE FINAL DESTINATION OF CONSUMMATED SALVATION
Hebrews 7:25 “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”
2 Timothy 4:18 “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
CONCLUSION:
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.”
Acts 16:17 “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.”
JESUS IS THE TRUTH
In our relativistic culture people react against the concept of Absolute Truth. They prefer different strokes for different folks – where there is no accountability before a God who has revealed standards and penalties. By taking a subjective approach to reality they imagine that they can live in their own dream world where they face no ultimate condemnation and judgment. Jesus flies in the face of that mentality and presents Himself as very God – as the source and definer and communicator of Absolute Truth. Everything that stands against Him is false and deceptive. Whatever ways men invent to try to connect to God must be dismissed as mere counterfeits.
SIX INSIGHTS REGARDING JESUS AS THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH
I. THE WORLD REMAINS SKEPTICAL THAT ABSOLUTE TRUTH CAN BE KNOWN
John 18:38 “Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?’”
II. THE TRI-UNE GOD IS IDENTIFIED AS THE SOURCE OF TRUTH
God the Father: Ex. 34:6 “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth”
Psalms 57:10 “For your lovingkindness is great to the heavens and your truth to the clouds.”
[opposed by Satan who is the Father of all Lies – John 8:44]
God the Son: John 8:46 “If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me?”
John 14:6 “I am the Truth”
Rev. 3:7 “He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens”
God the Holy Spirit: John 16:13 “when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”
1 John 5:6 “the Spirit is the truth”
III. JESUS IS TRUTH INCARNATE – THE ULTIMATE REVEALER OF TRUTH
John 1:9, 14 “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man . . . And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 18:37 “For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.”
IV. THE TRUTH CAN BE KNOWN TODAY BY STUDYING AND APPLYING GOD’S WORD
John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.”
Ephesians 1:13 “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise”
V. THE APPROPRIATION OF THE TRUTH ISSUES IN OBEDIENCE
1 John 2:4-5 “The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected.”
3 John 4 “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”
VI. ONLY THE TRUTH CAN SET ONE FREE
John 8:31-32 “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
CONCLUSION: Will we align with Truth or Falsehood?
JESUS IS THE LIFE
Just as water is essential for our physical life, Jeremiah points to the Lord as the Essential Source of our Spiritual Life. The prophet contrasts trusting the Lord with the folly of turning away from the Lord or putting any confidence in the flesh: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord.” (vs. 5). Why would anyone even be tempted to look elsewhere for prosperity and blessing? The problem is that our “heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick” (vs. 9). Jeremiah uses the analogy of a fountain to bring to our minds various aspects of how the Lord must be looked to as the source of spiritual life. Christ’s encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 brings out many of these same elements as He testifies:
“Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
SIX CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SOURCE OF OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE – DESCRIBED AS A FOUNTAIN
I. AUTHENTIC SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE
Genuine; exclusive; unique.
John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 14:6 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
II. AVAILABLE (ACCESSIBLE) SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE
We are commanded to come to the waters and freely drink.
John 4:10 “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
III. ACTIVE SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE
Produces spiritual life and vitality.
John 4:42 “This One is indeed the Savior of the world.”
IV. ABUNDANT SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE
No limit to its provision or to its depth or fullness.
More than merely adequate or sufficient.
V. ABIDING SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE
Continuing, enduring, permanent.
John 4:14 “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
VI. AWESOME SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE
Should evoke our worship and praise.
John 4:29 “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?”
CONCLUSION:
“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink, He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke of the Spirit.”
John 7:37-39
Here is a new way to look at this at this profession of Jesus to be “The Way, the Truth and the Life“.