We have been learning how to defend our Christian faith.
The Christian faith believes in the reality of God, that the Bible is the Word of God, and Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life in heaven.
Remember what God said through the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4:2? “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.”
How will we correct, rebuke, and encourage someone who asks “Why do you believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life and heaven?” Aren’t there many ways to heaven? Sadly, many leaders are saying this, “I’m a Christian but there are other ways to get to heaven!” They are saying, I’m Christian but… But?? Jesus is the only way!
Why believe Jesus is the only way to heaven?
Before we can answer that question, we need to ask the person asking, do you believe in an afterlife?
You see, the first reason for believing in Jesus Christ is to accept the fact that we need an answer to what happens when we die. One of man’s greatest problem is they will all eventually die and what happens after death is unknown! And so, when someone ask you “Why do you believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life and heaven?” your first answer should be,
1. I want to know what happens to me when I die and Jesus knows!
Jesus Christ knows exactly what happens to people when they die!
How do we know this?
Jesus Christ is the only person who lived on earth, died, experienced life after death, and came back to life to tell people how they too can live again! There is no question, Jesus Christ was a man who died on a cross and was buried for 3 days and rose again!
The Roman Empire and the Jewish Leaders at the time made sure Jesus was dead and stayed buried! But the Great Roman Empire with Caesar’s seal on the stone that closed Jesus’ grave along with powerful Roman soldiers guarding it and the influential Jewish Leaders watching with eagle eyes, could not hold back the power of Jesus rising from the grave! There were over 500 people who witnessed Jesus’ resurrected body! Simple ordinary men died testifying that Jesus conquered the grave!!
To those who do not believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven, ask them to disprove the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If they seriously take that challenge, they will be faced with the reality that Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life!
Sure, there are plenty of people who will tell you they died and came back to life, BUT, can they tell you how you can come back to life again yourself? You see, 2. Only Jesus Christ died and came back to life to tell us how we too can come back to life for eternity!
Buddha may tell you how to get to heaven but he’s still dead! Mohammed may tell you how to get to heaven but he’s still dead! Hindu Gurus and Swamis may tell you how to get to heaven but they’re all still dead! Taoists don’t even know who wrote what they are being told about heaven; but whoever those Tao writers were, they’re all still dead! And do you really want to follow a rat or a pig or a cow or any other animal when you die? It is your choice! Religion or Jesus Christ?
Will you believe in Jesus Christ who knows the way to heaven because He is now in heaven OR believe dead people or creatures who are actually subordinate to you?
Why else believe Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven?
As alluded to earlier, Jesus Christ is the only person who came from heaven, who is now in heaven, and will come back to earth to bring all His followers to heaven!
Jesus Christ is alive and is in heaven and the only one who has the power to bring people to heaven and made a promise to do so! You see, only Jesus Christ can assure you of heaven! There are many religions out there which talks about heaven, but 3. Only Jesus Christ gives a guarantee of going to heaven. Belief in Jesus Christ gives you assurance. Religions will tell you maybe you can go to heaven because you did certain things.
Please open your Bibles to the Gospel of John Chapter 6, verses 35-40…… Jesus said, “Everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Will you a follow a religion which only gives you a possibility of going to heaven? Believe in Jesus Christ as you personal Savior and God and you will be assured of heaven!
Now, if believing Jesus only leads you to heaven, you will only believe in Jesus if you really want to go to heaven. Not only do we need to have an understanding that there is a heaven, we must be able to tell people what heaven is and what it is not! Golfers will tell you, in heaven you will play golf all day on the most manicured courses and play with Tiger Woods. Musicians will tell you, heaven is where all the great musicians will be playing. Packer fans will tell you, heaven is like Lambeau Field where all the great players play and the Packers always wins! Everyone can imagine a heaven to their liking; but the bottom line is this, heaven is where God is! Therefore, who God is, makes heaven!
What did we note a few weeks back about God? God is the source of everything! God is Creator God who brings harmony, order, and wonderful design! God is more complex than the universe! God is perfect and Holy! God is love! And so what is heaven like?
God rules in heaven! Heaven is more complex than the universe! Heaven is in perfect order and beautifully designed! Heaven is perfect and holy because God is perfect and holy! Heaven is love because God is love!
And so, when someone asks you why you believe in Jesus, you need to tell them 4. you believe in God who is in heaven! Then ask them, do you believe in God? Ask people who question your Christian faith, do you believe in God? You see, if people don’t believe in God, they will make up whatever they want about life and afterlife. But sadly, no matter how convinced they are, they will have to face the judgment of their Creator when they die. We can not help people who refuse to bow down to God. How confident are you in defending your belief in God? Think about this for a moment, can you give at least 3 evidences of the existence of God?
It is crucial to defend your faith in God! I encourage you to regularly review the previous messages about Apologetics.
One more reason why believe Jesus is the only way to eternal life and heaven. 5. Jesus is the only One who can perfect us to a perfect eternal place called heaven.
If we believe in God who is perfect and holy, we need to be perfect and holy to be with Him in heaven. What makes a person imperfect? Turn to Mark 7:20-23 in your Bibles…..
Anyone here never did those things Jesus listed?? Do you know anyone on earth who never did any of those things??
And so, there is a major problem: God is perfect and holy and we who lived on earth are imperfect and unholy, how can we be associated with God and have entrance to His Holy eternal place?
Can caterpillars, the way they are, fly??
Will caterpillars be able to fly??
Caterpillars will be able to fly once they are transformed to a butterfly!
An imperfect person, this is everyone who has lived on earth, can not go to the perfect place of God until they are transformed! How can we be transformed?
We are transformed when we claim Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for our imperfections. Jesus Christ is God, became a man on earth but lived a perfect sinless life, and allowed the world to kill him on a cross. His death on a cross paid for all the penalty of man’s sins.
We do not and cannot attain a right relationship with God in our own righteousness because our self-righteousness is as filthy rags. We are guilty sinners in the need of a perfect righteousness. Let us read Romans 3:21-26……..
God is just! God can only accept payment for sins against Him if someone perfect paid for those sins!
2 Corinthians 5:21 states, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Only Jesus was and is perfect and only Jesus can pay for our sins which allows us to enter holy heaven.
We can certainly say more about Jesus Christ as the only way to heaven. If these 5 reasons can not convince you or convince others, God is speaking loud and clear to everyone person in this world through His Creation and through the Bible which is God’s Word sufficient to testify about Jesus. God has done His job. No person will have an excuse when they face God when they die. God has revealed Himself plain and simple to every person.
God has done His job! If you’re not a believer of Jesus Christ, your job right now is to consider what Jesus Christ did for you and receive Him as your personal Savior and Lord!
What’s our job as Believers of God and Jesus Christ? Yes, we are to rest in Him. But remember what we noted at the beginning? God tells us in 2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.”
Do you believe in God? Great! What truths do you have?
Do you believe in the Bible? Awesome! But what truths do you have to support your belief?
Are you a Believer of Jesus Christ? Are you doing what He has told you to do?
As we meditate quietly for a moment, will you think about the following: Do you know for sure what will happen to you when you die? Are you ready to give the reasons for your belief in Jesus Christ to anyone who asks?
