Good morning! Today is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it! Amen?!?!
I’m going to tell you on the front end. Today, you’re going to feel like you in class because of the approach I will be taking with this message. So, please get some paper and a pen and we will begin. It’s time for class!
The Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan group, released results from a November 2021 survey about what Republicans and Democrats, who identify as Christians, believe about who can and who cannot go to heaven. Roughly 66% of Democrats said people who do not believe in God can still go to heaven; 34% said they cannot. About 55% of Republicans said people who do not believe in God cannot go to heaven; 45% said they can.
These results are disappointing for me to say the least and they should be for you as well. But here’s where the survey results are not only disappointing, but heart breaking and shocking – for me. Survey participants were also asked to respond to the following question: “Is Jesus the only way to heaven?”
About 40% of those who identify as Republicans and 21% of those who identify Democrats said their religion is “the one true faith leading to eternal life in heaven.” Let me read that again, ladies and gentlemen. About 40% of those who identify as Republicans and 21% of those who identify Democrats said their religion is “the one true faith leading to eternal life in heaven.”
Sixty-five percent of those who identify as Democrats and 53% of those who identify as Republicans said many religions can lead to eternal life in heaven. Fifty-three percent of Democrats said some non-Christian faiths can lead to heaven; 35% of Republicans agreed.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are talking about people who were washed in the blood of Jesus! The survey sounds like it could have included some of our families and friends doesn’t it?
All of us have family, relatives and friends who profess to be Christians, but believe that it could be possible for a person who is not a Christian to go to heaven. And some are also willing to consider the possibility that people who practice other faiths or religions can also go to heaven.
Let’s think about this for a moment. Well, let me share with you some of the things I thought about.
How can we, as Christians, help the ones close to us understand that the person who wants to go to heaven must believe that Jesus is the Christ, that He is the only way and that only He can give a person eternal life? Ladies and gentlemen, we must first believe this ourselves because that will be the only way we’ll be able to stand up to the naysayers, to those who want to argue and disagree with us.
Now let’s return our focus to helping those close to us understand that there is only one way to heaven. First, we must lay a foundation for them must that establishes the divine origin of the Bible and its place of authority in the lives of Christians. And second, we have to remind them of who Christ Jesus really is!
This message today is simply a way to look at these issues. I encourage you to be sensitive to the leading of the Lord and have pen and paper ready because He may show you how you can take what you are hearing and adapt it so that you can share it with the people in your life. Remember, you are in class today.
Let’s begin with answering two questions: “What is the purpose of the Bible and what is its origin
We see the purpose of the Bible in 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
(16) All scripture is given by inspiration of God (theopneustos, God-breathed), and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
(17) That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
The word “All” in verse 16 is significant. In the Greek, it’s the word pas and, depending on the context in which it is found, the word will mean –
? All “without exception” (nothing is excluded) or,
? All “with distinction” (something defined or specific)
We find an example of both “all without exception” and “all with distinction” in Matthew 4:23.
And Jesus went about all (all with distinction) Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all (all without exception) manner of sickness and all (all without exception) manner of disease among the people.
Jesus traveled throughout Galilee. No other city is mentioned. So, this is “all with distinction.” While in Galilee, Jesus healed all types of sicknesses and diseases. This would be “all without exception.”
Here in Second Timothy, the word “all” is used two times and both are “all without exception.” The whole Bible, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 is given to us by God. No exceptions. And the good works available to us as His sons and daughters? All of them are available to us - without exception.
Ladies and gentlemen, this one little key – knowing the application of the word “all” in a verse – is going to help you gain a greater understanding of the Bible. One little word. And trust me, there are others like this.
Second Timothy says that all scripture is given by inspiration of God, or is “God breathed.” Why did God “breathe” the Bible into existence?
The answer is simple: He wants us to believe what He believes. Second Timoty tells us that there is profit when it comes to serving God.
The first profit is doctrine or “how to believe rightly.” We learn what we are supposed to believe when we are taught sound or right doctrine.
The second profit of the scriptures is reproof. And, like a good Father, He reproves us or “spanks us” when we are headed in the wrong direction – away from what we are supposed to believe.
The third profit we receive from the Bible is correction, where we learn how to correct our thinking and beliefs to get us back to believing what we are supposed to believe.
Ladies and gentlemen, why does our Father do this? Second Timothy 3:17 tells us.
? For (our) instruction in righteousness – God is training us to see how crucial it is for us to never lose sight of believing what He believes. I want you to think about this. If every single Christian believed what God believed, all of us (without exception) would believe the same thing and teach the same thing. Denominations would be nonexistent.
? That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works – Now this is not talking just talking about men, especially men who stand in the pulpit. No, it’s talking about all of us (without exception) – men and women – who are sons and daughters of the Most High God! As we walk in agreement with our Father, we mature and act more and more like Him, so that we will do all of the good works He has for us to do.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the purpose of Scripture – to move us into living more and more out of our new nature and resembling our Heavenly Father! Now, let’s look at its origin. Turn with me to Second Peter chapter one. We’re going to begin with verse 16 and read the remainder of the chapter.
(16) For we (Peter and the other apostles) have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
(17) For He received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory, This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.
(18) And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount (Peter is talking about Jesus’ transfiguration, which you can read later in Matthew 17:1-9.)
Peter says that he and the apostles were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ majesty, of Jesus’ power and glory. Eyewitnesses. He saw it. This is not second hand. But I want you see what he says in the next three verses.
(19) We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that you take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
(20) Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private (or “one’s own”) interpretation.
(21) For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
In verse 20, Peter says that “Knowing this first” – knowing this above all else, the most important thing we need to know is that no prophecy of scripture – nothing in the Bible, none of it – came from the mind of man. The verse removes all argument about who wrote the Bible.
The word “no” in verse 20, in the Greek, is the word “all” which is combined with the Greek word that means “an absolute negative”. In other words “no” means that absolutely none of the Bible that we hold in our hands came from the mind of man.
And to make sure we don’t miss this point, verse 21 says the same thing in a slightly different way – “the prophecy came not … by the will of man.” The word “not” is “an absolute negative signifying that the Bible being written by man is an impossibility. How are we doing so far class?
Another key to understanding the Bible is that when something is important, scripture mentions it more than once! And this reminds me of Pharaoh’s two dreams, which we read about in Genesis 41:17-24. They were essentially the same and we see from Genesis why that was significant. Let’s pick up the record with verse 25 and then jump to verse 32.
(25) And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what He is about to do.
(32) And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
After telling us in two different ways how the Bible DID NOT come into existence, we learn in Second Peter how the Bible DID come into existence – holy men of God spoke or wrote what they heard from the Holy Spirit. God, the Holy Spirit, gave us the Bible!
Now that we have looked at a way of establishing a foundation to help our families and friends understand that Jesus is the only way to heaven, let’s look at how we can remind them of who Christ Jesus is. To me, this is the most important part of this message. Jesus, in His own words, tells us who He is. Turn to John 14. We going to read verse 6.
“Jesus saith unto him (Thomas), I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”
Ladies and gentlemen, Jesus is making three distinct statements here. He says “Thomas, I am the way.” “Thomas, I am the truth.” “Thomas, I am the life.” Jesus tells Thomas who He is. It didn’t matter who Thomas thought Jesus was. Jesus says “This is who I am.”
Now, let’s look at these statements individually. But before we do, let’s look at the last part of the verse – “no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” The word “no” in this verse – we’ve seen before. It’s an absolute negation. The word “by” means “through”.
We can read the latter part of the verse and still maintain its scriptural integrity as “There is no other way to come into the presence of the Father but through accepting Jesus and everything that He is.” Now, let’s look at the three statements.
“I am the Way.”
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”
When Jesus says “I am,” He’s talking about His deity. “I have always been and there has never been a time when I did not exist.” And He ties this to being the Way, “the author or medium of access,” to the Father. We understand this. But there’s more.
It is impossible to truly understand the depth of what Jesus is saying without an understanding of the word “the.” Remember I earlier talked about the importance of words like this? It is a definite article that “limits the application” of a modifier when it’s linked to a noun. The word “definite” means “free from all ambiguity, uncertainty and obscurity.”
When Jesus says “I am the” whatever follows the “the” only applies to Him. Jesus removes all (without exception?) ambiguity, uncertainty and obscurity about Who is the Way to the Father.
Jesus follows the statement with “no,” which puts the brakes on any other way to the Father. It’s that double negative that we talked about earlier. Again, driving home the point He is the only way to the Father. And Jesus repeats this doctrine, this right teaching, in various ways throughout the gospels. Let’s look at one example.
Turn to John 7. We’re going to read verses 7 through 9.
(7)said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am (“I have always been”) the door of the sheep. (There is no other door but Jesus.)
(8) All (without exception) that ever came before Me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
(9) I am the door (Jesus repeats this and as we learned in Genesis 41, and establishes that He is the door.): by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Here in John 14:6 Jesus says, “I have always been the One – Me and no one else – who gives a person access to My Father and absolutely no one, not one single person, will ever see My Father without going through Me.” There is no access to God without accepting Jesus as the only Way.
Now, let’s look at the second statement: “I am the TRUTH”
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the truth: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”
The word “truth” means “the reality, the veritable essence of the matter.” Jesus says “I am Truth and I have always been Truth. I have always been what is real.” We see this said another way in John 17. Let’s read verses 17 through 19.
(17) Sanctified them through thy truth: thy Word is truth.
(18) As thou has sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
(19) And for their sakes I sanctified Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
In John chapter one, in verses one through four, the Bible says this about Jesus:.
(1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
(2) The same was in the beginning with God.
(3) All things were made by Him; And without Him was not anything made that was made.
(4) In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Jesus says, “I have always been the One – Me and no one else – who is truth. No one, not one single person, will ever come to My Father, without knowing Me, the Truth.” Ladies and gentlemen, truth does not exist without Jesus.
Now let’s finish up with the third and final statement: “I am the LIFE”
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”
The word “life” in the Greek is zoe and simply means “eternal life.” Jesus says “I am the Life and I have always been the Life. And because of that, I am eternal life.” There is no other life outside of Jesus.
There are so many scriptures that confirm this. For example, in John 11, verses 25 and 26 we read:
(25) Jesus said unto her (Martha), I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believed in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
(26) And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me (that I am the Life) shall never die (will never spend a moment in the lake of fire). Believeth thou this?
Now look at Roman chapter six, verse 11.
“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through (by way of) Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Turn to Hebrews 7. We’re going to read verse 16.
“Who (Jesus) is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.”
And the last one, 1 John chapter five, verses 11 and 12.
(11) And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
(12) He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not (ou) [the] life.
The word “not” is the same word that we have seen several times in this message. It means “absolutely not, no way possible.”
Jesus says, “I have always been the One – Me and no one else – with eternal life because that is Who I am. No one, not one single person can receive eternal life and see My Father without going through Me.” There is no eternal life without Jesus.
Most of us have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. So, we need to ask ourselves “Why did I choose him?” And then ask “Did I choose someone who would not lie to me?” If we believe Jesus does not lie, then we must believe that He is the only way to heaven. Why? Because He said so. And we must let people hear that conviction in our voices.
As I said earlier, this teaching is just a way to help those who are important to you understand why they must believe and stand firm on the truth that there is no other way to heaven than through Jesus. I
I pray that this has been a blessing to you and class is dismissed.
