"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:1-6).
Is Jesus The ONLY Way to Heaven?
* Absolutely! Investigate The Claims of Christ!
o Jesus Christ, the Son of God, said:
+ "...I am the way..." (John 14:6).
Jesus is not a way, but "the way" to heaven!
+ "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved..." (John 10:9).
Jesus is not a door, but "the door" to heaven!
+ "...if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins"
(John 8:24).
o Consider the evidence Jesus offered which gives us the basis to believe and accept His claim as THE ONLY WAY to God.
+ When Jesus said, "I am the way", He also declared Himself to be "the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). These were significant claims!
+ To Martha, whose brother Lazarus had been dead four days, Jesus declared, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John 11:25).
# Anyone can say such things, but only God can resurrect the dead! Jesus validated His claims and proved that His words were true when He raised Lazarus from the dead! "And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth...Then many of the Jews which...had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him" (John 11:43-45).
+ Jesus stated that the sign (proof or evidence) that God would give to His generation would be:
# "...the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Matthew 12:39-40).
+ This sign was fulfilled when Jesus was crucified for our sins and resurrected three days later by the power of God from the dead; explicitly proving that He is "...the resurrection, and the life;" and indisputably proving the veracity of all His claims!
# "To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3)
+ The resurrection of Christ is one of the best-attested events in human history.
# "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses" (Acts 2:32).
+ The greatest proof that Jesus is truly God the Son and THE ONLY WAY to God is His resurrection from the dead.
# "And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:4).
* John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, proclaimed Jesus as the Sacrifice which God had provided for all peoples of the world.
o "...Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).
o John the Baptist preached that salvation was ONLY possible to those who believe in Jesus!
+ "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36).
* The Early Church leaders clearly taught that Jesus Christ was the ONLY WAY to be saved from sin!
o The Apostle Peter declared that Jesus is the ONLY one by whom we can be saved--there is NO OTHER means of salvation!
+ "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
o The Apostle Paul taught that Jesus is the ONLY ONE WAY to God!
+ "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5).
+ "...we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand..." (Romans 5:2).
o The Apostle John stated that eternal life is ONLY through Jesus!
+ "...God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life" (1 John 5:11-12).
* There is ONLY ONE God by Whom ALL PEOPLES of the earth can be saved!
o "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear" (Isaiah 45:22-23).
* Yes, Jesus Christ, God the Son, is THE ONLY WAY to Heaven and the ONLY means of salvation!
o "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow...And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11).
* Do you accept and publicly acknowledge Jesus as your Lord and Savior?
o Jesus said, "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33).
The Way To Heaven
A note from Pastor Daniel E. Lundmark...
Years ago (in the early '70s), I spoke with young people who often gathered in groups on Main Street in Northampton during warm summer evenings. After introducing myself and making some small talk, I would ask them the following thought-provoking question:
"What is the only way a person can get into heaven?"
The responses I received were about as varied as the number of youth on the streets. Some said, "You have to belong to a church." Others replied, "You have to live a good life." Many admitted that they did not know!
I then had the young people read out of my Bible the words of Jesus in the third chapter of the Gospel of John where Jesus told the religious Jewish leader, Nicodemus,
"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
I emphasized to the youths that Jesus was saying that the only way to heaven is to be born again. In the early 1970's, this Biblical term "born again" was rarely mentioned in the media and for that matter in many churches. The youths did not understand what Jesus meant by the term. Most of them thought Jesus was talking about re-incarnation. They found it easy to identify with the question that Nicodemus asked.
How can you be born again?
"Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit" (John 3:4-8).
I explained to the youths that God created Adam and Eve with the capacity to fellowship with Him and He would walk and talk with them regularly. However, when they sinned against God by disobeying Him, they experienced spiritual death and were no longer able to live in God’s presence just as God had warned (Gen. 2:17). Since then, all mankind has been born spiritually dead with a sin nature. The Bible says, "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). We have all been born physically ("born of the flesh") with a need to be born again ("born of the Spirit").
This birth is supernatural! It is NOT a mere mental allegiance to a theological viewpoint! It is NOT just belonging to a church or just living a good life! Jesus explained to Nicodemus that this spiritual rebirth is a work of the Holy Spirit that occurs when a person turns his life over to Jesus Christ, fully believing in Him to forgive all of his past sins. The working of the Holy Spirit is invisible just as the wind is invisible, yet evidence of this miraculous work of God becomes immediately apparent as a new and changed life emerges!
How does this spiritual birth occur?
"Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?"
(John 3:9)
In response to Nicodemus's question, Jesus explained how it is possible for one to be born again, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:14-17).
The background:
Nicodemus knew well the story of the serpent placed upon a pole in the wilderness.
"And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived" (Numbers 21:4-9).
In that story, God sent poisonious snakes to judge the Israelites who sinned in complaining against God. Many were bitten and died. They cried out to Moses who cried out to God. God told Moses to put a serpent of brass upon the pole and every who had been bitten would live if they looked upon the serpent on the pole. This was the ONLY provision of God for their sins. Those who had been bitten and believed the message, looked and lived!
Significance:
* We have all sinned and are facing the eternal judgment of God without Christ.
o "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
* God gave the ONLY provision for their salvation on the pole.
o God gave the ONLY provision of His Son, Jesus, on the cross for all sinners. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son..."
* Those who believed and looked, lived!
o "...that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
o "...that the world through him might be saved."
Every person is in need of salvation. No one can get to heaven based on his own efforts or good works. To enter heaven, all must accept God's only means or provision of salvation--the sacrifice of His Son on the cross.
Jesus said, "Ye must be born again." It is not an option, but rather the only way to Heaven!
Not everyone will accept Jesus as Savior, but the Bible says, "...as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God..." (John. 1:12).
How to take THE ONLY WAY to heaven
* Accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of your life.
o "…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…" (Acts 16:31).
o "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12).
o "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20).
+ Open the door of your heart now and receive Jesus by praying A Sinner's Prayer (click here).
How to continue on the way to heaven
* Read the Bible and obey God’s Word.
o "That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Timothy 6:14).
o "Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book" (Revelation 22:7).
* Keep in communion and fellowship with the Lord through prayer.
o "Watch…and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36).
* Regularly attend a church that believes and preaches the Bible.
o "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25).
Is Jesus The ONLY Way to Heaven?
* Absolutely! Investigate The Claims of Christ!
o Jesus Christ, the Son of God, said:
+ "...I am the way..." (John 14:6).
Jesus is not a way, but "the way" to heaven!
+ "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved..." (John 10:9).
Jesus is not a door, but "the door" to heaven!
+ "...if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins"
(John 8:24).
o Consider the evidence Jesus offered which gives us the basis to believe and accept His claim as THE ONLY WAY to God.
+ When Jesus said, "I am the way", He also declared Himself to be "the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). These were significant claims!
+ To Martha, whose brother Lazarus had been dead four days, Jesus declared, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John 11:25).
# Anyone can say such things, but only God can resurrect the dead! Jesus validated His claims and proved that His words were true when He raised Lazarus from the dead! "And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth...Then many of the Jews which...had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him" (John 11:43-45).
+ Jesus stated that the sign (proof or evidence) that God would give to His generation would be:
# "...the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Matthew 12:39-40).
+ This sign was fulfilled when Jesus was crucified for our sins and resurrected three days later by the power of God from the dead; explicitly proving that He is "...the resurrection, and the life;" and indisputably proving the veracity of all His claims!
# "To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3)
+ The resurrection of Christ is one of the best-attested events in human history.
# "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses" (Acts 2:32).
+ The greatest proof that Jesus is truly God the Son and THE ONLY WAY to God is His resurrection from the dead.
# "And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:4).
* John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, proclaimed Jesus as the Sacrifice which God had provided for all peoples of the world.
o "...Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).
o John the Baptist preached that salvation was ONLY possible to those who believe in Jesus!
+ "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36).
* The Early Church leaders clearly taught that Jesus Christ was the ONLY WAY to be saved from sin!
o The Apostle Peter declared that Jesus is the ONLY one by whom we can be saved--there is NO OTHER means of salvation!
+ "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
o The Apostle Paul taught that Jesus is the ONLY ONE WAY to God!
+ "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5).
+ "...we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand..." (Romans 5:2).
o The Apostle John stated that eternal life is ONLY through Jesus!
+ "...God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life" (1 John 5:11-12).
* There is ONLY ONE God by Whom ALL PEOPLES of the earth can be saved!
o "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear" (Isaiah 45:22-23).
* Yes, Jesus Christ, God the Son, is THE ONLY WAY to Heaven and the ONLY means of salvation!
o "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow...And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11).
* Do you accept and publicly acknowledge Jesus as your Lord and Savior?
o Jesus said, "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33).
The Way To Heaven
A note from Pastor Daniel E. Lundmark...
Years ago (in the early '70s), I spoke with young people who often gathered in groups on Main Street in Northampton during warm summer evenings. After introducing myself and making some small talk, I would ask them the following thought-provoking question:
"What is the only way a person can get into heaven?"
The responses I received were about as varied as the number of youth on the streets. Some said, "You have to belong to a church." Others replied, "You have to live a good life." Many admitted that they did not know!
I then had the young people read out of my Bible the words of Jesus in the third chapter of the Gospel of John where Jesus told the religious Jewish leader, Nicodemus,
"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
I emphasized to the youths that Jesus was saying that the only way to heaven is to be born again. In the early 1970's, this Biblical term "born again" was rarely mentioned in the media and for that matter in many churches. The youths did not understand what Jesus meant by the term. Most of them thought Jesus was talking about re-incarnation. They found it easy to identify with the question that Nicodemus asked.
How can you be born again?
"Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit" (John 3:4-8).
I explained to the youths that God created Adam and Eve with the capacity to fellowship with Him and He would walk and talk with them regularly. However, when they sinned against God by disobeying Him, they experienced spiritual death and were no longer able to live in God’s presence just as God had warned (Gen. 2:17). Since then, all mankind has been born spiritually dead with a sin nature. The Bible says, "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). We have all been born physically ("born of the flesh") with a need to be born again ("born of the Spirit").
This birth is supernatural! It is NOT a mere mental allegiance to a theological viewpoint! It is NOT just belonging to a church or just living a good life! Jesus explained to Nicodemus that this spiritual rebirth is a work of the Holy Spirit that occurs when a person turns his life over to Jesus Christ, fully believing in Him to forgive all of his past sins. The working of the Holy Spirit is invisible just as the wind is invisible, yet evidence of this miraculous work of God becomes immediately apparent as a new and changed life emerges!
How does this spiritual birth occur?
"Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?"
(John 3:9)
In response to Nicodemus's question, Jesus explained how it is possible for one to be born again, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:14-17).
The background:
Nicodemus knew well the story of the serpent placed upon a pole in the wilderness.
"And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived" (Numbers 21:4-9).
In that story, God sent poisonious snakes to judge the Israelites who sinned in complaining against God. Many were bitten and died. They cried out to Moses who cried out to God. God told Moses to put a serpent of brass upon the pole and every who had been bitten would live if they looked upon the serpent on the pole. This was the ONLY provision of God for their sins. Those who had been bitten and believed the message, looked and lived!
Significance:
* We have all sinned and are facing the eternal judgment of God without Christ.
o "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
* God gave the ONLY provision for their salvation on the pole.
o God gave the ONLY provision of His Son, Jesus, on the cross for all sinners. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son..."
* Those who believed and looked, lived!
o "...that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
o "...that the world through him might be saved."
Every person is in need of salvation. No one can get to heaven based on his own efforts or good works. To enter heaven, all must accept God's only means or provision of salvation--the sacrifice of His Son on the cross.
Jesus said, "Ye must be born again." It is not an option, but rather the only way to Heaven!
Not everyone will accept Jesus as Savior, but the Bible says, "...as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God..." (John. 1:12).
How to take THE ONLY WAY to heaven
* Accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of your life.
o "…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…" (Acts 16:31).
o "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12).
o "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20).
+ Open the door of your heart now and receive Jesus by praying A Sinner's Prayer (click here).
How to continue on the way to heaven
* Read the Bible and obey God’s Word.
o "That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Timothy 6:14).
o "Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book" (Revelation 22:7).
* Keep in communion and fellowship with the Lord through prayer.
o "Watch…and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36).
* Regularly attend a church that believes and preaches the Bible.
o "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25).
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