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
**
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.
*
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.”
*
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.
This faith is demonstrated first in our belief of who Jesus is. Second, it's demonstrated by our love for God and others, as we live out a life of obedience to God. As we live out our faith knowing that Jesus is indeed the Christ, it gives us strength to walk in victory.
*
If you have children, think for a moment of how your son or daughter grew up. As they grew, more than likely you set rules and guidelines in place to ensure they would grow up safely and into a confident, God fearing, and God loving person. If you did that, over the years you probably knew that your child loved you, not because he or she just said so, but because they obeyed the rules and guidelines that were set in place for them.
When we're born of God and become His children, the same expectation is placed on us. God's commandments aren't meant to be a burden. You may be one who has read The Ten commandments and felt that they were quite burdensome. But if you look at them again, you will probably agree that they may be a little difficult, but they can be kept.
John tells us here that loving God is obeying His commands. He goes on to say that since we're born of God, we can have victory over the world because of our faith and the fact that we do believe Jesus is the Son of God.
There are so many, far too many, people today who believe Jesus is the Son of God but don't want to obey His rules and guidelines for their lives because they think they're too hard or take away too much of their freedom. It makes me wonder and ask, do those who believe, but don't follow, have a true love for God or just love in words only. When we obey God's rules, we show just how much we truly love Him. John 14:15 Jesus says,
John 14:15 – “If you love me, you will keep my commands.”
If only everyone would realize that obeying the commandments of God will come naturally when we truly understand what God did for us. John continues:
1 John 5:6-10 – “Jesus Christ—he is the one who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water and by blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and these three are in agreement.
******** 9 If we accept human testimony, God’s testimony is greater, because it is God’s testimony that he has given about his Son. 10 The one who believes in the Son of God has this testimony within himself. The one who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony God has given about his Son.”
Don’t let the part about the testimony of the water, the blood, and the Spirit confuse you. John gives a testimony to the fact that Jesus is the Son of God. When he says that Jesus came by water it gave testimony to the baptism of Jesus and the start of His public ministry. The fact that he came by blood gave testimony that Jesus died on the cross and His earthly ministry had come to an end. The Spirit’s testimony was present at the baptism of Jesus and throughout the public ministry of Jesus. All three of these bore witness to the fact that Jesus is indeed the Christ.
*
As a pastor, I've been called on more than once to be a character witness in court for someone who was going through a hard time due to some bad decisions. On a few of those occasions, there were more witnesses than just me giving testimony that that person was who they said they were and had become.
So, how many witnesses need to give testimony that Jesus is God's Son? John gave us three witnesses who bear testimony to the fact that Jesus is the Son of God. These three witnesses, the water, the blood, and the Spirit all three testify that Jesus is the Son of God.
If we just stop and think for a moment, there should be no doubt in our mind that Jesus is the Son of God. At Jesus's baptism, we had Jesus in person, we had the Spirit descending upon Jesus as a dove, and we had God speaking from heaven saying “This is My Son in whom I am well pleased.”
In the entire event of Jesus's crucifixion and his resurrection again we should see easily that Jesus is the Son of God. If you are truly a child of God, then surely you have been witness of the Spirit’s moving in your life.
In the biblical days, the Jewish courts would always require a minimum of two credible witnesses. To help ensure the credibility of who Jesus was and is, John gave us three witnesses. The Spirit was that third witness. The Spirit had been present when Jesus was baptized, as well as throughout his public ministry. All three of these witnesses were credible and no one could dispute the claim that Jesus is indeed God's Son.
*
If you were subpoenaed to be in court and had to give witness to the claim that Jesus was and is the Son of God, what would you say? Would others consider you a credible witness of who Jesus is today? So, John completes his statement:
1 John 5: 11 – 13 – “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
*
Many people are born with some sort of birthmark. Most birthmarks are present at birth or soon after and are harmless. Some go away over time, but most birthmarks are permanent. If some unfortunate event happens to a person with a permanent birthmark, it can also be used to make a positive identification. Now think about this.
When God testified that He had given us eternal life and His Son, and those who have the Son have life, in a sense He gave us a spiritual birthmark. John made it clear that our relationship with the Son is what determines whether we have eternal life. God wants His children to know that they belong to Him. He doesn't want to leave us to depend on whether we feel like His children or hope we’re his children. John tells us that these things were written so that we could know for sure that we're children of God. And as we believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, we're given an identifiable birthmark that is the presence of Jesus in our life.
Sir James Simpson was the discoverer of chloroform. When he was on his deathbed, a friend asked him, “Sir, what are your speculations?” Simpson replied, “Speculations! I have no speculations! For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” Sir James believed in Jesus as the Son of God and was given a birthmark indicating he belonged to God throughout his life.
*
Have you ever been lost - truly lost without a clue as to how to get back home? If you have ever been in that predicament, you probably remember how scary it can be—to be lost.
And so. . . I close this message today with one of my favorite passages from Scripture. In fact, I quoted it just a couple of weeks ago. But this passage assures us that Jesus is the ONLY WAY to heaven.
John 14:1-6 – “Let your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if that were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, so that where I am, there you will be also.
******** 4 And you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Jesus was in a conversation with his disciples about Him going home to be with His Father and to prepare a place for them. He told them He would come back someday to take them home to be with Him. When Thomas said “We don't know where you're going, how can we know the way?”, in the most profound and clear statement about how to get to the Father, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.” Notice that Jesus was not a way. There weren't options for choosing a different path to get there. Jesus was the only way to get to the Father. And Jesus is the only way to get to the Father today.
Today's culture is working overtime to convince us that there are many ways to get to God. They tell us that we have to work our way; we have to be good enough; we have to do this or that and eventually we might make it. Jesus made it clear that way is through Him. What an assurance we have from someone who has promised to come and take us home. His name? Is Jesus.
Are you certain that if you died right now you would go to heaven? AMEN if you know for sure. But if you don't know Jesus as your personal Savior you will not get there.
I am offering you the good news that today, right now, you can be assured that you will have eternal life with Jesus in heaven the moment you leave this earth if you will come and accept Him as your very own right now. It is THEN, that you will know for sure. And if anyone THEN asks you if you know for sure you will go to heaven when you die, you can assure them and be assured that you will.
