The Only Way

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

– Acts 4:12

We live in a nation that’s blessed with choices. Need a cellphone? There are dozens of companies offering popular devices from Apple, Samsung, Google, and many others. Well-stocked supermarkets may offer 10 or more brands of bottled water. And if you’re looking for entertainment, Netflix, Apple TV, and Hulu have a program or movie for just about everyone — from cartoons to romantic comedies to horror flicks. Then there’s that online global marketplace, Amazon.com. According to the BigCommerce website, Amazon is where you’ll find your choice of more than 350 million different products!

Since choice has long been popular in America, it’s no surprise that there are also multiple options for religion. Like the sandwich items posted on a fast-food menu board, there's something for every taste and preference. And furthering the confusion is that many self-described experts assure us that whichever one we choose, it really doesn't really matter — just so long as we’re sincere in our beliefs and it makes us happy. After all, one person's truth isn't someone else's. It's all relative. And we're all worshipping the same god anyway. Right?

Not really! The Bible tells us that Jesus made some startling claims that clearly contradict today’s easy-going take on faith. And he also backed them up. For example, Scripture accurately predicted Jesus' birth — even the name of the tiny village where it would happen — centuries before the fact. And in Christ's brief time on earth, he proved himself as the Son of God by curing the sick, raising the dead, forgiving sins, and being a living sacrifice to pay the price for the sins of the world. His resurrection from the grave (also as he predicted) proved his power over death. And 2,000 years later, Jesus' words continue to change lives and make an eternal difference.

"I am the vine; you are the branches," we read in John's gospel. "If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

Many people — even those who aren't Christ-followers — agree that Jesus was a "good" man and a "wise" teacher. But the hot button question is whether or not he's really the only way to God. The short answer is ...YES! Jesus declares that no one can come to the Father (God) except through him. But that's a claim that makes people uncomfortable these days. It's an assertion of exclusivity. And many would call it intolerant.

Or maybe it's not quite so exclusive after all. Jesus' death and resurrection make it possible for anyone to have eternal life, and no one who wants a new life through the Savior is turned away. And unlike manmade religions, the way to God isn't about keeping certain rules, saying special prayers, or eating (or not eating) particular foods. Instead, being a Christ-follower is about having a personal relationship with him, accepting what he accomplished for us through his death, and letting him live through us. Without faith in Jesus, we can’t please God. 

By some counts, there are today about 20 different major world religions plus thousands of related beliefs and their offshoots. And they all have something in common: their emphasis on doing. But Christianity — the simple faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior — is instead about what's been done. We can't earn our salvation or perform enough good deeds to earn our way to God's favor. Christ has already done it — and paid it in-full through his crucifixion. All we need to do is come to him in faith.  

"It is finished!" Jesus proclaimed as he hung from the cross to save you and me. It was the only way.

Love Language

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

– 1 John 3:16

LOVE is a remarkable word. For example, we might say that we love our spouse, we love America, and we love pizza. They’re the same four letters, but the word’s meaning varies greatly depending on the context.

Now let’s consider something about love according to relationship expert and counselor Gary Chapman. He’s observed that husbands and wives demonstrate their love for each another in distinct ways. Some show it through words of affirmation or acts of service while others speak it through physical touch or quality time. And yet another so-called love language involves giving or receiving gifts.

God likewise communicates his love in several ways. For example, there’s the familiar Bible story of the Prodigal Son, where a loving father welcomes back his wayward — and totally undeserving — child with open arms. And then there’s the parable of the shepherd who searches tirelessly for a single missing sheep. When he finally finds it, he returns it triumphantly to the rest of the flock. These are just two illustrations of our Creator’s immense love for you and me.

Jesus meanwhile paints this sacrificial word-portrait of love, which the agrarian people of his day would have recognized immediately: 

“I am the good shepherd,” Christ tells us though the Gospel of John. “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

The Savior also once told his disciples about a certain man who sold his possessions to buy a field. But not just any field — but one that held buried treasure. The purchase price was staggering, but the man did whatever it took to gain the prize. Likewise, God will go to any means to bring us into his kingdom. And he made that possible by entering the world in human form through Jesus, living a perfect life, and then personally paying the penalty for the sins of the world through an unjust execution on a Roman cross.

LOVE is a small word. But when it’s spoken through God’s love language, its power and potential are endless.

Worthy of Worship

 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God

– 1 Corinthians 10:31

Christ-followers worship the true God revealed and proclaimed through the Bible. Meanwhile, various religions around the world promote false gods, ancestor worship, and even the reverence of living things or nature (worshiping the creation rather than the Creator). And then there's today’s popular false teachings such as New Age, Scientology, and Kabbalah. Whatever they worship, the list goes on and on. 

Even those who embrace atheism are in fact active worshipers.

True, they may not be regular churchgoers and proclaim Jesus as their Lord and Savior. But they — like everyone — bow to their favorite idols. Some worship money, luxury, and pleasure, while others bend the knee to intellect and higher learning. And still millions more kneel at the altar of more-negative gods such as alcohol, drugs, and illicit relationships.

The saying goes that there are no atheists on the battlefield. But within everyone rages a different conflict: The God of the Bible versus the world’s gods and idols. It's our hearts and souls that are the prizes of this hotly contested struggle.

Perhaps we don’t literally kneel and worship before an Old Testament-style golden idol. But secretly (and maybe not-so-secretly), we do cherish our own personal gods. Think about the things you worry about or sacrifice your time and money for. What are the issues that make you angry? What brings you the most joy? And here’s a revealing question: Whose attention and applause do you most crave?

If your answers don’t involve God, you’re likely worshiping an idol. And idols can be difficult to recognize through the smoke and confusion of spiritual warfare. Even apparently good things can evolve into god things.

Christ-followers must remember that the God of the Bible refuses to share his glory with false deities and cheap idols. So, let’s reflect on the God (and gods) in our lives, and choose the only One to serve and live for. After all, he’s worthy of our worship and praise.

Points of Light

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

– Isaiah 9:2

Launched on Christmas Day 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is making headlines with the stunning images it’s taken of hyper-distant galaxies, planets, and stars. NASA announced in August 2022 that the orbiting technological marvel had even captured the first clear evidence for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of a planet outside our solar system.

It takes just a tiny point of light on the JWST’s mirror to change our notions about the universe. But when there are barriers to the light — such as the atmosphere in the case of traditional terrestrial telescopes — we can miss the big picture or be misled by a distorted image.

This principle also applies to our spiritual lives. “I am the light of the world,” Jesus proclaims in John 8:12. “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." 

As Christ-followers, our lives are to always reflect his love in action. But we too face barriers and distortions. For example, the world teaches us to beat the competition, climb the corporate ladder, and keep up with our neighbors. We also need the biggest, the fastest, and the shiniest. And most of all, it’s not bragging if we can back it all up.

Christ has a much different viewpoint: To be first, we must be last. However, it’s long been a human tendency to gaze into the mirror and ponder our warped self-image of importance. But the true message is clear: We are nothing without Jesus, and we can do even less by ourselves. What’s more, it’s when we surrender to God and live out the plans he designed for us long ago that we become brilliant points of light that reflect true lives of purpose.

Christ-followers might not make headlines like the JWST, but every day they’re making life-changing differences both big and small by mirroring Jesus through their words and deeds. As we read in Matthew’s gospel:

“In the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”