IS JESUS CHRIST THE “ONLY WAY” TO GOD?

Dear Friends:

This past weekend I was reading a Men’s Vogue Magazine, and came across an article about the well known actor, Will Smith. The article made mention of Will’s success as an A-1 actor in Hollywood, but also, it spoke about his new found spiritual interest, Scientology. Most of us are aware of several major Hollywood actors who claim Scientology as their religion of choice; Tom Cruise and John Travolta are perhaps the most famous. Will, says that he has been studying with Tom Cruise and feel that he is on the right track. He makes what I believe to be a very interesting and controversial statement as it relates to equating major religions as one and the same. He says,

“I studied Islam for Ali, I grew up in a Baptist household, I went to Catholic school, he reasons. I’ve studied Buddhism and Hinduism and I’ve studied Scientology through Tom. And nobody is saying anything different! Look, I use the Bible to explain the ideas of God, and life, and love, and relationships, and the life of Jesus Christ to teach my children how to defend their spirit. But in all of the experiences I’ve had with Tom and Scientology, like 98 percent of the principles are identical to the principles of the Bible.” (Men’s Vogue Magazine, page 188, Dec/Jan 08)

Wow! That is amazing to read isn’t it? From these words, it seems clear to me that Mr. Smith is advocating that there are more ways than one to get to God and to have a relationship with Him. Therefore, I wanted to put this question to you, the readers, and see what you think: Is Jesus Christ the only way to God? I realize that this is a hot topic in America, and that there are strong feelings on all sides of the matter. However, the bible alone has the answer to this all important question.

Our Lord, Jesus Christ made several statements that speaks to the exclusivity of Him being the only way to God! In John 14:6, He says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Also, in John 10:1-2, He says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who dos not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the Shepherd of the sheep.” Jesus later explained to His disciples what these words meant. In verses 7 -9, He expounds: “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”

From these verses Jesus is making very exclusive statements concerning himself being the only way to God. He makes no apology for these and other statements concerning His identity and the role He plays in the lives of Believers. As for me, I am absolutely convinced that Jesus is indeed the only way to God. I make this judgment for several significant reasons:

1. The Claims of Jesus
2. The Death of Jesus
3. The Resurrection of Jesus
4. The Post-Resurrection Ministries of the Apostles
5. The Written Word of God
6. The Christian Church

Unfortunately, time and space will not allow me to expound upon these six items that I have identified. However, I do want to briefly say a few words about the claims of our Lord as I believe that everything begins and ends with His claims. What did He claim while He was on earth?

1. He claimed to be the Son of God (John 3:16)
2. He claimed to be the only way to God (John 14:6)
3. He claimed to be God Himself! (John 8:58; 10:30) Also, John says He was God (John 1:1-6, 14)
4. He claimed to have the authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:10)
5. He claimed that He would die and be resurrected (John 2:19-22)

These are just a few of our Lord’s claims about Himself and His mission on earth. In closing, I want to share the words of a great scholar and philosopher as it relates specifically to the significance of Jesus’ claims. In the book Mere Christianity, This scholar criticized the idea that Jesus was merely a human being, albeit a great moral teacher:

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg–or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 1952, pg. 43)

I am staking my eternal destiny on the the irrefutable evidence of Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world, the only way to Almighty God, and my personal Savior and Lord! How about you?

Blessings to All!

Does the Atonement Guarantee Physical Healing?

Dear Friends:

One of the most controversial teachings from the Word of Faith and some Charismatic Churches is that supposedly when Jesus died on the cross, the stripes he received guaranteed our physical healing. The proof texts that these churches used are found in Isaiah 53:4 & 1 Peter 2:24. As always, we encourage everyone who reads these passages to read them in their proper context to get a full understanding.

Do these Scriptures teach that when Jesus died on the cross for our sins that the stripes He received was for the purpose of securing our healing from all physical ailments? After reading and studying these two passages of Scripture I have come to the conclusion that our Lord’s death in no way guarantee our healing in this life! Why?

When you read the historical and immediate context of Isaiah 53, it becomes quite clear that the prophet has “Spiritual” salvation in mind and not physical healing when he said: “By His stripes we were healed.” A careful reading of the entire chapter will reveal that the subject of physical healing is not mentioned! The entire theme of that chapter has to do with the atonement and redemption that the Messiah would provide for His people .

The emphasis is on the Messiah (Jesus Christ) being taken as a “Lamb to the slaughter” in order to redeem sinful humanity by becoming a “sin offering” and thus, make reconciliation possible to everyone who believes. The passage in First Peter is even more telling. When one reads 1 Peter 2:24, you will see these words in the NIV: “He Himself bore our Sins in His body on the Tree.”

Notice what Jesus bored in His body: Our Sins, not our Sickness. Proponents of this doctrine try to evade this passage because it goes against what they teach. However, let’s be clear: Did Jesus die in order to Save us? Or, did He die in order to physically heal us? However, a better question is did He have to die in order to heal us?

Why would it be necessary for Jesus to die in order to heal our ailments? While He was on earth, did He not heal many sick and impotent folk? Did He not raise the dead? Did He not cast out demons? Did He not give sight to the blind? Did He not demonstrate His Sovereignty over nature, sickness, disease, and even the Spirit world while He was on earth?

Why did He need to die in order to physically heal us? I have no doubt that His death on the cross was for the express purpose of redeeming us and reconciling us back to God! Does God and can God heal today? Absolutely! I am a recipient of God’s healing. I believe that God heals in accordance with His purpose for our lives. Some people will never be healed of their maladies and ailments in life, while some will experience the miraculous power of God to heal.

One such example is the well-known and beloved Christian writer, Joni Erickson Tada. Joni had a life threatening accident nearly forty years ago in which she broke her neck in a diving accident. This left her in a wheel chair for life! Joni says “I believed God for healing and I prayed for that healing, but God, in His divine wisdom chose to not heal me.”

Today, Joni has a National Ministry entitled: “Joni & Friends”. This ministry exist for the sole purpose of bringing hope to those who have suffered and who, need to know the saving power of Jesus Christ! Yes, God can heal without a doubt, but sometimes He chooses not to heal for His own divine purposes. What say the rest of you?

Blessings to All!