Jesus The Way

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

ONE BIG PROBLEM MANY people have with Christianity is its exclusivity. “How can there be just one true faith?” is a question that is particularly prevalent in our relativistic age. This question implies that doctrinal differences are unimportant. Well-meaning but uninformed Christians can fall into the trap of saying things such as “Well, I just love God; I don’t get into all that doctrine stuff. You know, if we got rid of all doctrine, we would all get along just fine. Don’t get hung up on differences—we are all basically the same.” But that’s not true, is it?

If you have older children or grown children, you may recall the first time you let them walk home from school alone. Did you tell them, “I don’t want to be arrogant or narrow-minded, so feel free to take any street you want, or feel free to ride along with anyone, because they will all bring you safely home”? Of course not! Real love dictates that you show your children the right way, that you tell them, “Stay on this road, and don’t go anywhere else.” That’s not arrogance—that’s love!

Jesus wasn’t being arrogant when He called Himself “the Way.” Everyone has a set of exclusive beliefs—even an atheist. Maybe the best question is “Which set of exclusive beliefs can reconcile me to God and deal with the problem of my sin?” The answer is Jesus.

BOTTOM LINE

True love for your children does not allow them to wander on their own. True love trains them in the way they should go (see Proverbs 22:6).

Moment of Strength: 1 John 5:9-13