Chapter
8.2
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, the Life
....it is God's plan, ....His only plan, ....our only hope
SUMMARY QUESTION: Why is Jesus the "only way" for our salvation, saying.... "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me"?
Answering this addresses two of life' biggest questions....
What is true? — questions about the nature of truth and whether it is objective or subjective. If truth is objective, what is it based on? What is the source of truth?
What is right and what is wrong? — questions dealing with morality. Are right and wrong based on an unchanging, objective set of moral standards, ....or are they subjectively based on a person’s or group’s feelings, desires or standards that fits the time and place?
Okay, so ....we have a choice. Answer these "life's questions" from a personal "subjective" worldview ...."that fits the time and place". Or answer them from a supernatural, eternal, "objective" perspective as God sees it.
....SMILE, ....sounds like life itself.
The straightest, "objective" truth I know is the Bible, ....where we learn unchanging, authentic history from God Himself. In Scripture, God tells us things which otherwise we would never know. ....According to the TRUTH in God's Word, ....what was true yesterday, ....is true today, ....and will still be true tomorrow.
So, what are the basics of God's TRUTH on which we can build our lives?
Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!....
Honor God with everything you own;
....His blessings will overflow your life.
Don’t resent God’s discipline....
It’s the child he loves that God corrects;
a father’s delight is behind all this.
— Proverbs 3:5-12 MSG
"God-Moments" in Life....
If Jesus is "the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE", ....then we should expect, even anticipate "God-Moments" in our lives, ....when He SHOWS US THE WAY, ....TELLS US THE TRUTH, ....and reveals Himself PRESENT IN OUR LIFE. ....These are just normal consequences of traveling with Jesus on life's journey. That is what He does all day ....as our Savior, Lord, and Friend.
Why is this important? Because when God-Moments happen (see Chapter 10), ....we need to understand them in His goodness ....and respond to His intent. Because those moments are customized by God for where we are ....and what we need in life's circumstances. ....That is HOW GOD DOES RELATIONSHIP!
Well, ....you're probably ahead of me, ....knowing where this is going. Because....
Jesus is OUR HUGE and breathtaking "God-Moment"!
"Why Jesus?", because....
We were lost, ....so God shows us the WAY to find Him.
We don't know eternal truth, ....unless God tells us TRUTH.
We are spiritually dead in sin, ....until God gives us New LIFE.
"I am the way...."
....We were lost, SO GOD SHOWS US THE WAY TO FIND HIM.
"Sin" happens when we lose trust in God and CHOOSE TO LIVE WITHOUT HIM. We journey through life guided by our own "subjective" truth, which is influenced by our human desires, appetites and whims. In so doing, we make ourselves vulnerable to Satan's deceitful lies and twisted truth. ....We chose to fight life's spiritual battles ....without God's help. ....Which is prideful, thinking we know better than God how to enjoy life to its fullest. .......And fail to understand ...."Eternity".
Since we humans are prone to follow our own self-interests, our hearts must be shown how to find the One True God. Left on our own, we are clueless how to live in relationship with Holy God. ....Thus the enormous number (4,200+) of "other" religious worldviews, ....all searching for spiritual connection.
Only Creator God can fill the void He shaped in our hearts ....for His presence.
"You have been chosen to know Me, believe in Me, and understand that I alone am God. There is no other God — there never has been, and there never will be. I, yes I, am the LORD, and there is no other Savior.
— Isaiah 43:10-11 NLT
Without Jesus, ....we would have no clue how to live with ....or even find the Lord God Almighty. Jesus is "THE WAY" ....to eternal life!
"I am the truth...."
....We don't know eternal truth, UNLESS GOD TELLS US TRUTH.
In this chapter, we answer two of life's biggest questions ....about "What is true" and "What is right and what is wrong?"
To know right and wrong based on an objective set of moral standards, we must talk with God. Read His unchanging Word. Believe His eternal TRUTH.
Otherwise, ....if living without God, "truth" would be subjectively based on a person’s or group’s feelings, desires or standards that fit the time and place. ....Hmm. Sounds difficult. ....See God's TRUTH verses subjective truth?
God's TRUTH is "objective", ....forever unchanging. ....What was true at the beginning ....is still true today!
....and....
Scripture explains how we can know God's TRUTH....
No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And WE HAVE RECEIVED GOD'S SPIRIT (not the world’s spirit), SO WE CAN KNOW the wonderful things (spiritual TRUTHS) God has freely given us.
When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words (from God's Holy Word) given to us by the Spirit, USING THE SPIRIT'S WORDS TO EXPLAIN SPIRITUAL TRUTHS.
— 1 Corinthians 2:11-13 NLT
"I am the life...."
....We are spiritually dead in sin, UNTIL GOD GIVES US NEW LIFE.
For this is how God loved the world (us, His creation, Ephesians 1:5-6): He gave his one and only Son (a Holy sacrifice on the cross, John 17:19), so that everyone who believes in him (victory over death, Ephesians 2:5) will not perish but have eternal life (with Him in Heaven, John 17:24).
— John 3:16 NLT
....and....
God's plan: we are born again to eternal life in Christ!
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by His great mercy that we have been BORN AGAIN, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept IN HEAVEN for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by His power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.
— 1 Peter 1:3-5 NLT
Such is God's only plan! Our only hope!
As Jesus said,
"I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. No one
can come to the Father except through Me."
— John 14:6
.
This and John 3:16 may be the TWO MOST PIVOTAL scriptures in the Bible, ....both spoken by Jesus Himself.
These two scripture encompass our understanding of the Gospel message....
Repeating what we discussed above....
Jesus is OUR HUGE and breathtaking "God-Moment"!
"Why Jesus?", because....
We were lost, ....so God shows us the WAY to find Him.
We don't know eternal truth, ....unless God tells us TRUTH.
We are spiritually dead in sin, ....until God gives us New LIFE.
If Jesus is "the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE", ....then we should expect, even anticipate He is ACTIVELY ENGAGED in our lives, ....when He SHOWS US THE WAY, ....TELLS US THE TRUTH, ....and reveals Himself PRESENT IN OUR LIFE. ....These are normal consequences of traveling with Jesus on life's journey. That's what He does as our Savior, Lord, and Friend.
....Now we know the Gospel TRUTH! Thanks for staying with me. Let's keep going....
*Credits: stained glass window from Resurrection Church / cross and tomb icon from clipart-library
