Christ is the Only Way to God

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I heard the claim that there are many religions that value justice, peace, etc., and that they therefore lead to God. The claimant said that the job of Christians is to simply follow the [summary of the law|http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2010:25-10:28&version=ESV], which says: to love God and to love our neighbor.

Read the main paragraph of II John:

“And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.”

That was the Apostle John writing. Here is Jesus, and here it is even bolder (from John 10):

“‘{.yaesu-words}Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.{/}’ This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

“So Jesus again said to them, ‘{.yaesu-words}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 listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.{/}’”

! Just in case you missed it, there:

!! From Jesus Himself...

"{.yaesu-words}My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.{/}" Matthew 11:27

"Have you not read this Scripture: “ ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;	this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”" Mark 12:10–11

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not obelieved in the name of the only Son of God." John 3:16–18

"For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him." John 5:21-23

"This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it dand not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." John 6:50–51

"So Jesus again said to them, “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 listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:7-11

"The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day." John 12:48

"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

"Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades." Revelation 1:17-18
!! From the Apostles...

"He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, the gave the right to become children of God." John 1:11–12

"There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12

"Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins." Romans 3:24

"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all." Ephesians 4:4–6

"At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:10-11

"When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed." 2 Thessalonians 1:7–10

"There is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time." I Timothy 2:5-6

"No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also." 1 John 2:23

"Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son." 1 John 5:10-12

"Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son." 2 John 1:9

!!! Hebrews gets technical with it:

"But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. ... Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant." Hebrews 9:11–12

!! Rewind! From the Old Testament:

"You shall have no other gods before me." Exodus 20:3

"I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him." Deuteronomy 18:18–19 (see Acts 7:35-37)

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!! But how can this be?

OK, given the above, you might be feeling confused or hurt by the way God's plan is so exclusive. First of all, Daniel Johnson makes a great point by comparing the cure for sin to the cure for cancer. Currently, we have no real cure for cancer. If we found one, no one would be sad that there is "only one way" to cure it. We would all just be happy that there was a cure.

I have some more comments on this. Watch this location for more.

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For Our King, Only

Christ is the Only Way to God