Jesus - The Only Way

The title of the message today is Jesus, The Only Way. Many in today's world will question if Jesus is the only way to God? You might be asking, “Do some people REALLY think there are other ways to get to heaven?” Yes, some are being led to believe that. That is the route we will take today to find the answer. We will be using the Book of 1 John 5 for our text today. PRAYER

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I read a story about a man who was hiking through the Royal Gorge in Colorado with his family. He said that it is a beautiful canyon with several beautiful waterfalls. On this particular hike, a friend of his was with them who was familiar with the area. His friend asked if they would like to see some hidden falls. He said they hiked in what seemed to be the wrong direction as they wound around the mountain. But he said that if his friend had not shown him the way, he would not have been given the chance to see those beautiful falls.

Getting to God is a lot like getting to those falls - there's only one way and Jesus is the One who can show us.

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Our world today seems to be convinced that there's more than one way to God. They seem to be listening to more of what the world says than what God says. When John wrote this particular letter in 1 John, many were listening to false teachers and what they were teaching about God. They were also exchanging the truth for lies. God encourages us today to put aside the lies that the world is trying to convince us of and to take on the truth of His Holy Word. John begins:

1 John 5:1-2 – “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of him. 2 This is how we know that we love God’s children: when we love God and obey his commands.”

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It wasn't that long ago that when a couple went into the hospital to have a baby, the husband sat in the waiting room until the doctor came out and gave him the news of the birth. Nowadays it is quite common for the father to be in the delivery room when the child is born. With my boys, I was only able to be in the delivery room when Jeremy was born. When it occurred, I knew he was born because I saw it with my own eyes. He had been born into our family.

But how do we know when we've been born of God? What is it that makes us children born into His family? Do we just need to know about Him? As most of us know, there's a huge difference between knowing about someone and knowing someone personally. When we know about someone, we tend to know facts and details. To say that we know somebody personally involves something a lot deeper.

So John begins this letter with a bold statement: “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God.” So, God is telling us that there is a condition to being born of God. That condition is met when we believe that Jesus is the Messiah.

But to believe this requires more than just an acknowledgment that Jesus is the Son of God. Anyone can say that. But it is also conditional that we have confident trust that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do. Do you have that trust? Believing in the Bible is far more than believing certain things to be true. Biblical saving faith is trusting and relying on those facts.

I knew and believe that Jeremy had been born that day, but I had to acknowledge that he was born into our family as well. Do you remember the day you were born into God's family? I wonder what led up to you making more than just an intellectual decision to believe in Jesus and actually coming to the realization that believing required more. John continues:

1 John 5:3-5 – “For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands. And his commands are not a burden, 4 because everyone who has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith.

5 Who is the one who conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

John countered the false teachings of his day by sharing that Jesus did come in human form, died on a cross for the sins of all people, and was raised from the dead. John didn't waste any time letting his readers know that only those who believe in faith in Jesus are God's children.