Only Jesus
If we were to ask some of the great Christian teachers to answer the question, "What one thing is necessary?",
The great Apostle Paul might say - "Only Faith." (A favorite song of years gone by expressed it this way: "Only believe, only believe, all things are possible.")
Certainly John, the Apostle of Love would counter, "Only love." (A current expression is "Love makes the world go ’round.")
Centuries later, the great founder of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther, would proclaim, "Scriptura Sola" - "Only Scripture."
We would reply, "With all due respect, Paul, John and Martin, you’ve all missed it. For you see, it’s not a thing at all, it’s a person - the answer is Jesus - "Only Jesus." It’s been a long time, but we used to sing the chorus often, "He’s all I need, He’s all I need, Jesus is all I need."
The message for today is as simple as I hope it will be memorable - "Only Jesus."
With a title like this, it’s important, first of all, to make sure we are not getting it confused with the "Jesus only" teaching which nearly derailed the Pentecostal movement in it’s formative days.
The Assemblies of God began in 1914 as a loose fellowship of pastors and churches. No creed was drawn up by the leaders at that time because they insisted that their only written authority was that of the Bible. However, with the strong emphasis on personal revelation, many ideas were espoused and promoted by influential pastors. One such idea came to be known as the "New Issue," otherwise known as the "Jesus Only" movement within early Pentecostalism.
It all started in 1913 at services conducted by Mary B. Woodworth-Etter in Arroyo Seco, California. Early one morning John G. Scheppe, after praying through the night hours, received what he believed to be a new revelation concerning the power resident in the name of Jesus. He ran through the camp, waking everyone with this good news. Soon after, R.E. McAlister, after searching through the Scriptures, made the observation that when the New Testament Apostles baptized converts, they did so in the name of Jesus only.
Soon, large groups of Christians were being rebaptized "in the name of Jesus," which was viewed as a door into increased blessings from God. The message was picked up by a prominent Pentecostal preacher by the name of Frank J. Ewart who tied it in with Jeremiah 32:22, saying that this baptism in the name of "Jesus Only" was the "new thing" prophesied by Jeremiah.
By early 1915, through the concerted efforts of a couple of preachers, the message had spread across the country. However, the problem was not limited to promised spiritual blessings through rebaptism - it soon evolved into a denial of the Trinity, with proponents saying that while God is a threefold being (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), he is but one person, Jesus Christ. These preachers also began to teach that only people who were baptized in the Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues were truly saved.
In response to these departures from Biblical doctrine, two councils were called (1915, 1916) in which these matters were discussed, and what we now know as the "Sixteen Fundamental Truths" were adopted to give guidance to the church’s teachings.
(Taken from an article by Timothy M. Powell, "’Jesus Only’ and the Assemblies of God" in the 1979 Fall edition of "Paraclete.")
So what then do we mean by "Only Jesus"? Because what we believe is based on what the Bible says, we’ll allow the answer to come from Scripture. But first, we must acknowledge that to say "Only Jesus" will probably elicit strong criticism. Why?
"Only Jesus" is too simplistic - in most people’s thinking, simplicity is for the simple minded, complexity is superior because it shows a higher intellect. Pridefulness makes us all want to think of ourselves as being smarter than the next person. To say, "All you need is Jesus" is just too simple. Even a child can understand it, and certainly we’re beyond that. So we spin out our complex religious philosophies, pat ourselves on the back, and actually miss the point.
Secondly, the simple message, "Only Jesus" is in direct opposition to the religion of "works." Look at all the man-made religious systems of this world, including aberrations of Christianity, and you will see that they are all built on the idea of the evil-works/good-works scale. If at the end of the day your sins are stacked on one side of the scale and your good works on the other, if the good outweighs the bad, then you will make it to heaven. But that’s not true Christianity - all you need is Jesus, "Only Jesus".
Also, and especially in today’s world, those who proclaim "Only Jesus" will be charged with the really big sin of intolerance. To say that there is only one way to know God and be ultimately received into heaven is to suggest that other religious beliefs are plainly wrong. We are told that in order to live peacefully with all men, we must believe that not only are all men created equal, but that all religions are created equal. Therefore, no one who claims to have the truth can be challenged. But if all claims to truth are indeed truth, then there will end up being no truth, for if there is no falsehood, there can be no truth. Also bear in mind, the success of the doctrine of tolerance will bring an end to all evangelism and missionary endeavors, which of course will result in disobedience to the Great Commission.
Now let’s review the Scriptures to make our case for "Only Jesus."
We start with the very first of the Ten Commandments, "You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3) A little later the command was restated: "Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." (Exodus 34:14)
"But," you may ask, "what do Old Testament commands have to do with the New Testament Jesus?" When writing to the church of Philippi, Paul provided the answer: "God exalted [Jesus] to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that 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 2:9-11)
There is absolutely no question about it. When Paul used the Greek word, "kurios," he used it in place of the unspoken name for God given to Moses ("YHWH"), four consonants which were later combined with the vowels of another word for "Lord" ("Adonai") to become our word "Jehovah."
To the saints at Ephesus, Paul proclaimed that there was only one Lord. (Ephesians 4:5)
In the companion Prison Epistle, Colossians 1:13-20, we read that:
Jesus is the source of redemption and forgiveness (verse 14).
Jesus is the image of God (verse 15). (He is the second Adam - the first Adam created in the image of God was marred due to deception and disobedience.)
Jesus proceeds from the Father (verse 15). (Notice that in contrast with religions which preceded Christianity, Jesus was born without there being a "mother-god.")
Jesus is the Creator (verse 16).
Near the close of his ministry, while teaching the young pastor Timothy about prayer, the Apostle said, "there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." (I Timothy 2:5) This was not a new idea, for Jesus Himself, when speaking about prayer said, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it." (John 14:13,14)
How we love to recite the promising and comforting words of Jesus, "In my father’s house are many mansions, I go to prepare a place for you." But we may fail to read on to where Jesus also said, just a few verses later, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." ( John 14:2-6)
One of the most remembered verses in the Bible, John 3:16, says ". . . whosoever believeth on him [Jesus] shall inherit eternal life." It does not say, "Believe on whomever you fell like believing on . . . ."
Over and over John hammers this home:
"But as many as received him [Jesus}, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" [Jesus]: (John 1:12)
"This is the work of God, that ye believe on him [Jesus]whom he hath sent" (John 6:29)
Even more telling is Jesus’ frequent use of the expression "I Am," clearly identifying Himself with the "I Am that I Am" as revealed to Moses.
At the end of his book, John explains that what he wrote was ". . . written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." (John 20:31)
Philip, one of the first New Testament Evangelists, when talking with the governmental official from Ethiopia, permitted him to be baptized, saying, "If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said, ’I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’" (Acts 8:37)
When Paul and Silas answered the question of the jailer, they did not say, "Believe on anybody you think to be a good person." No, they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." (Acts 16:31)
Most importantly, Peter, in his second recorded sermon, boldly proclaimed, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
Is there any doubt left in our minds that the Scripture intends to convey this truth, "Only Jesus"?
Some time ago I came across a beautiful description of the One of whom we speak. It is called "Jesus the Man."
More than 1900 years ago there was a man born contrary to the laws of life.
The man lived in poverty and was raised in obscurity. Only once did he cross the boundary of the country in which he was raised and that was during his exile in childhood.
In infancy he startled a King; in childhood he puzzled doctors; in manhood he ruled the course of nature - walked upon the sea as if on pavement and hushed the storm to sleep.
He never wrote a book, and yet all the libraries of the country could not hold the volumes of books that have been written about him.
He never wrote a song, yet he has furnished the theme for more songs than all other topics combined.
He never founded a college, but all the schools put together cannot boast of having as many students.
The names of the past proven statesmen of Greece and Rome have come and gone. The names of the past scientists and philosophers and theologians have come and gone; but the name of this man abounds more and more. Though time has spread many years between the people of this generation and the scene of his death, yet he still lives! Herod could not destroy him and the grave could not hold him.
He stands forth upon the highest pinnacle of Heavenly glory, proclaimed of God, acknowledged by angels, adorned by saints and feared by devils as the living, personal Christ, our Lord and Savior- -and our God!
At the time of His crucifixion, a very important question was asked by the Roman governor, Pilate. "What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" (Matthew 27:22) This question is raised again today and two answers are possible. One is that shouted by the mob incited by the religious leaders of that day, "Crucify him!" The alternate response is to "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." That’s all that’s needed, for the way to peace in this life, and joy in the next, is simply, "Only Jesus."
