Finding God

Dear Brooks, Isn’t it upsetting that organized religion is promoting the idea that there are ways to God other than Jesus, who claimed to be the way. Oh, how they love to make the giver-of-life irrelevant! Destroy Him and destroy Christianity! Well, we are told that Blessed are they that endure to the end for they shall be saved. I plan to be among those who endure. If this essay brings but one sheep into the fold, I could be happy in my achievement because there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who was lost and saved, than ninety-nine who were in the fold. Editor’s Note: Thanks Don, I found myself in the midst of three members of the Bahai faith a few days ago and after listening to them for fifteen minutes, I sure wish I had had your article with me. I think I will send it to them now.

I am troubled, personally, because of the growing number of statements that Christ is not the only way to God. It seems to some that other religions have a route that will take them to God, but NOT the Triune Christian God. It is especially worrisome when these comments come from our Christian clergy. This Christian God has said that He is a jealous God and, Exodus 20 : 3, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” Isaiah records some of the declarations of the Lord revealed to him; for instance, Isaiah 45 : 5 & 6, ” I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no god beside Me; I girded thee though thou hast not known Me, that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I am the Lord and there is none else.” Look at 44 : 10, “Ye are my witnesses saith the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am He; before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.” Also, 42 : 8, “I am the Lord; that is MY name; and My glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” Finally, 46 :9 & 10, “Remember the former things of old; for I am God and there is none else; I am God and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” Keep in mind, these statements were made by a Triune God, the Father. the Son and the Holy Ghost.

Now, to find our way to this God, Jesus provided counsel as recorded in John 14: 4 – 11, “And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto Him, Lord, we know not wither 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. If ye had known Me, you should have known My Father also; and from hence forth ye know Him, and have SEEN HIM. Philip saith unto Him, Lord, shew us the Father and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? the words that I speak unto you, I speak not of Myself, but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works. BELIEVE ME THAT I AM IN THE FATHER AND THE FATHER IN ME; or else believe Me for the very works sake.” Any reasonable thinker can ascertain from these critical statements that Jesus and the Father are one. Therefore, when Jesus says, “No man cometh unto the Father but by Me,” how does one contest it? By saying it is NOT true?

Jesus did not say I am telling the truth; Jesus said, I AM the Truth! My Oxford dictionary defines truth as, “the quality or a state of being true or truthful, what is true, what is accepted as true (one of the fundamental truths)”. By saying, “I am the Truth, Jesus was personifying ALL the aspects of Truth in Himself. Did Jesus do anything that might cause us to believe He is Truth? John 2: 19 & 22, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days, I will raise it up.” When therefore He was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that He had said this unto them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.” Yes, in His discussions with His disciples, Jesus told them plainly that He would lay down His life for His friends, and that no man taketh His life from Him but He would lay it down and take it up again in three days. And after crucifixion, God resurrected Him. To make this astounding forecast and to achieve it, clinches it for me; Jesus is the Truth. John 14 : 16 & 17, “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; EVEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him; but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you.” So, these words tell me that Jesus is Truth and the Spirit of Truth, the third part of the Triune God, shall dwell in us for ever, if we are followers of Jesus, and hence, the Father.

JESUS IS THE LIFE. Because Jesus was perfect, obeying the law even unto death, death had no hold on Him and the grave could not detain Him. In John 14: 19, “Yet a little while and the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me; BECAUSE I LIVE YE SHALL LIVE ALSO.” JOHN 3: 16, ” FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER SHOULD BELIEVE IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. So, JESUS IS LIFE, and these clay vessels have life because He breathes the breath of life into us. Likewise, when we die to sin, Jesus, who is the resurrection (as He told Martha when raising Lazarus from the grave) will call us from the grave, and having imputed to us righteousness, he will clothe our souls with a spiritual body like unto His perfect body.

So, regardless of the words of our clergy, or those others who want to achieve a one world religion, we choose to stand in the “old” faith. Jesus said, “He who is not with me, is against me.” The scoffers fall into this category. They can choose to ignore Jesus’ ringing statement, but I chose to believe; I pray that you do also believe!

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh to the Father but by Me.”