YES ! IT IS REALLY JESUS
It is a common belief in the world we live right now that many religions can lead to the same God. To many in the world today, any other view in considered a fundamentalist, extremist view. It is said that those who believe there is only one way to God and heaven are narrow minded, and intolerant. So is there only one way to God? According to the Bible there is no other way to God but through Jesus Christ. I agree with the Bible.
The world (through Satan) has created a system of “feel good” religions that give the believers a false sense of inner peace. They have this inner peace because 1.) They follow a form or appearance of “religiousness” or “Godliness” 2.) Their doctrine occasionally contains some truths, and 3.) They have been deceived into thinking that no matter what they believe, who they call God, or how they live their lives, they will see heaven when they leave this earth. Many people fall for these beliefs because it saves them from having to clash with other religions. They feel they can openly embrace any and all religions (even though contradictions exist) thus making them feel good about how they live their lives. In many people’s minds “I am a good person” equals “I am going to heaven.”
Friends if you fall into that category then today’s message might be a startling one. First let me say that just because something makes you feel good, it doesn’t automatically mean its right. Also, simply because a belief is held by a large number or majority of people doesn’t necessarily make that belief right or true either. As humans, a lot of the time we look for the easy way out. We want the things in life that will cause less trouble for us; the things that will, in our minds, bring solutions to our problems the fastest. We want pleasure. Tell me though, which is better: a lie that makes you feel good now, but will destroy you later, or a truth that may cause trouble now, but will bring lasting happiness in the end?
Though this message may upset some people, I am here to proclaim the truth. It is always the truth that we should seek, regardless of how it may make us feel at first. Remember it is the truth that will set us free. If you let each religion speak for itself, you will find that religions around the world vary greatly on the basic concepts of God, truth, reality, the state of mankind and the solution to our dilemma. They disagree so much that many of their statements contradict one another.
Now according to the rules of logic, conflicting statements cannot all be true. For example: 2+2 = 4. 2+2 cannot = 6, 2+2 cannot = 100. Two + two cannot equal 4 and 6 and 100 at the same time. In the same manner, all religions cannot possibly be true. It is a logical impossibility. Therefore if they are not all true, then not all of them can lead to God.
I tell you that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven, He said this Himself: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:16) Now of course anyone can say this, however no one in history has had the historical proof or the eye witness accounts like Jesus has to back up their claims. The eyes witnesses, the ones who heard Jesus say these things, the ones who saw Him perform miracles and rise from the dead, are recorded in the Bible. The proof is overwhelming. You can find it in the Gospels. There is also non Biblical proof. There are many, many manuscripts written from the time of Jesus. Historians will even agree that Jesus was indeed a real man and walked the earth! There have been many archaeological finds which support the Bible and its doctrines. Surprisingly, to numerous non-believers, there have not been any archaeological finds that disprove the Bible.
Several times now I have been asked this: “how can you prove that Jesus did all these miracles and rose from the dead?” I say to them “what is the difference between the eye witness accounts of say George Washington being president of the U.S.A and the ones who saw Jesus perform the miracles and the resurrection? Why is it easier to believe the eye witness accounts of George Washington’s presidency rather then Jesus’ claim to being the only doorway to Salvation? You can only prove to me that George Washington was president by the eyewitness accounts that we have today. Why is this not sufficient for Jesus?”
Another common misconception today is that we will get to heaven by the good works we do here on earth. The Bible however says differently: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:9) Humanity has been born into sin since the fall of Adam and Eve. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12)
From this we can see that we need reconciliation with God. We must be reconciled with God because sin has separated us from Him and without that reconciliation taking place we will see eternal death; the suffering of our soul in hell. Remember what the Bible says: our good works on earth cannot bring that reconciliation to pass. Do you think that we could meet the standard of works God would require of us in order to be “saved” or reconciled by works? We would have to literally be perfect! In the days of Moses, until Jesus came, atonement for sin was always paid for by blood - the blood of sacrifices. A sinless animal was to die to pay for the sins of man. Now doesn’t that seem unfair, something sinless paying for the sinful? All of the Old Testament sacrifices were pointing towards the one who would bear all of mankind’s sin and pay the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus! When Jesus was crucified He was the sacrifice and substitute for us all. His blood covers all of our sins. For this to take place however, for the blood of Christ to blot out every sin from our lives, for our record to be made clean, we must ask for God’s forgiveness, believe in His Son Jesus and acknowledge that He died for us. Only the blood of Jesus has the power to save souls. Jesus, who was sinless and righteous, died so that we the unrighteous might be made righteous through Him.
Salvation therefore cannot come from our good works. Salvation can not come from anything we do alone. Salvation is a gift from God and a gift only. Do not trust in anything but God’s promise of salvation through His beloved Son Jesus. Even if your a Christian already don’t trust in your baptism, don’t trust in your church, or how often you go, don’t trust in how many times you’ve read the Bible, don’t trust in your claim of being a Christian, don’t trust in your donations, don’t trust in your good works, don’t trust in these letters, don’t even trust in your prayers, for none of these things guarantee salvation. Only trust God’s promises in His Word. Do not trust any other thing for the salvation of your soul, but the precious blood of Jesus. Trust God’s Word and trust His promises. Know that His gift (Jesus) is a gift of love, His Word cannot fail, His Word will never pass away and it will stand supreme forever!
Now just because we are initially saved by grace through faith doesn’t mean our responsibility as Christians begins and ends with accepting Jesus. After we have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior we are under greater responsibility to make sure our lives are in obedience to God’s Word.
Our old lifestyle and habits must change. Anything ungodly must go. Some people like to believe what I call the “once saved always saved” idea. They believe that once you have accepted Jesus, no matter what you do afterwards, either change your life or continue to live in sin, you are saved regardless of what you do. The general idea here is that because God knows we’re not perfect we should cease trying to be. These people are deceiving themselves. God tells us to turn from our wicked ways, Jesus told Mary Magdalene to “go and sin no more.” What would be the point of turning from our old ways if we were saved regardless of what we did? Yes, we are saved by grace through faith however we are still under responsibility to turn from our old ways. When we turn back to sin it is not God who is abandoning us, but rather it is us who are abandoning God and thus our salvation through Jesus Christ.
Two things must happen for us to be saved: 1.) We must accept Jesus as Lord and Savior (See John 6:47/Acts 2:21/Romans 10:9) and 2.) Repent for our sin. “Repent” means “change!” Repentance and change go hand in hand. Change should always accompany repentance. It is our duty as Christians to be continually and actively working towards righteousness; the ways of God. Serving God is a great responsibility, but brings a much greater reward.We should always be working to better ourselves.
Now remember when you pursue righteousness and turn from sin opposition will come against you. When trying to eliminate sin from you life the devil will attack you. This is why we must exercise our “spiritual muscles” by reading the Bible. We must learn to distinguish God’s voice from Satan’s lies because the majority of Satan’s schemes begin in our thoughts.
Learn to watch and guard your thoughts, because thoughts can easily become words. Consider and choose your words carefully, as words quickly can turn into actions. Examine and understand your actions, for practiced actions form habits. Observe your habits constantly, because habits are what structure your character. Finally develop and judge your character, for your character reveals your destiny. Learn to recognize the lies of Satan and stop him from interfering with your thoughts, and then you will have good success. “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (See James 4:7)
Opposition will come, but do not let it deter you from changing your life so that it aligns with what the Word says. If you have to make a change in your life for Jesus, then you make that change! When it comes to salvation it doesn’t matter what your friends think, it doesn’t matter what your co-workers think, it doesn’t matter what your neighbors or your family or anyone else thinks about your decision to change your life and follow after Jesus Christ, because your eternal future is based upon your decisions and actions, not their opinions. Everyone has eternal life. The question is: where are you going to spend it? Christianity isn’t true because it feels good, Christianity feels good because it’s true!
The world (through Satan) has created a system of “feel good” religions that give the believers a false sense of inner peace. They have this inner peace because 1.) They follow a form or appearance of “religiousness” or “Godliness” 2.) Their doctrine occasionally contains some truths, and 3.) They have been deceived into thinking that no matter what they believe, who they call God, or how they live their lives, they will see heaven when they leave this earth. Many people fall for these beliefs because it saves them from having to clash with other religions. They feel they can openly embrace any and all religions (even though contradictions exist) thus making them feel good about how they live their lives. In many people’s minds “I am a good person” equals “I am going to heaven.”
Friends if you fall into that category then today’s message might be a startling one. First let me say that just because something makes you feel good, it doesn’t automatically mean its right. Also, simply because a belief is held by a large number or majority of people doesn’t necessarily make that belief right or true either. As humans, a lot of the time we look for the easy way out. We want the things in life that will cause less trouble for us; the things that will, in our minds, bring solutions to our problems the fastest. We want pleasure. Tell me though, which is better: a lie that makes you feel good now, but will destroy you later, or a truth that may cause trouble now, but will bring lasting happiness in the end?
Though this message may upset some people, I am here to proclaim the truth. It is always the truth that we should seek, regardless of how it may make us feel at first. Remember it is the truth that will set us free. If you let each religion speak for itself, you will find that religions around the world vary greatly on the basic concepts of God, truth, reality, the state of mankind and the solution to our dilemma. They disagree so much that many of their statements contradict one another.
Now according to the rules of logic, conflicting statements cannot all be true. For example: 2+2 = 4. 2+2 cannot = 6, 2+2 cannot = 100. Two + two cannot equal 4 and 6 and 100 at the same time. In the same manner, all religions cannot possibly be true. It is a logical impossibility. Therefore if they are not all true, then not all of them can lead to God.
I tell you that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven, He said this Himself: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:16) Now of course anyone can say this, however no one in history has had the historical proof or the eye witness accounts like Jesus has to back up their claims. The eyes witnesses, the ones who heard Jesus say these things, the ones who saw Him perform miracles and rise from the dead, are recorded in the Bible. The proof is overwhelming. You can find it in the Gospels. There is also non Biblical proof. There are many, many manuscripts written from the time of Jesus. Historians will even agree that Jesus was indeed a real man and walked the earth! There have been many archaeological finds which support the Bible and its doctrines. Surprisingly, to numerous non-believers, there have not been any archaeological finds that disprove the Bible.
Several times now I have been asked this: “how can you prove that Jesus did all these miracles and rose from the dead?” I say to them “what is the difference between the eye witness accounts of say George Washington being president of the U.S.A and the ones who saw Jesus perform the miracles and the resurrection? Why is it easier to believe the eye witness accounts of George Washington’s presidency rather then Jesus’ claim to being the only doorway to Salvation? You can only prove to me that George Washington was president by the eyewitness accounts that we have today. Why is this not sufficient for Jesus?”
Another common misconception today is that we will get to heaven by the good works we do here on earth. The Bible however says differently: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:9) Humanity has been born into sin since the fall of Adam and Eve. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12)
From this we can see that we need reconciliation with God. We must be reconciled with God because sin has separated us from Him and without that reconciliation taking place we will see eternal death; the suffering of our soul in hell. Remember what the Bible says: our good works on earth cannot bring that reconciliation to pass. Do you think that we could meet the standard of works God would require of us in order to be “saved” or reconciled by works? We would have to literally be perfect! In the days of Moses, until Jesus came, atonement for sin was always paid for by blood - the blood of sacrifices. A sinless animal was to die to pay for the sins of man. Now doesn’t that seem unfair, something sinless paying for the sinful? All of the Old Testament sacrifices were pointing towards the one who would bear all of mankind’s sin and pay the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus! When Jesus was crucified He was the sacrifice and substitute for us all. His blood covers all of our sins. For this to take place however, for the blood of Christ to blot out every sin from our lives, for our record to be made clean, we must ask for God’s forgiveness, believe in His Son Jesus and acknowledge that He died for us. Only the blood of Jesus has the power to save souls. Jesus, who was sinless and righteous, died so that we the unrighteous might be made righteous through Him.
Salvation therefore cannot come from our good works. Salvation can not come from anything we do alone. Salvation is a gift from God and a gift only. Do not trust in anything but God’s promise of salvation through His beloved Son Jesus. Even if your a Christian already don’t trust in your baptism, don’t trust in your church, or how often you go, don’t trust in how many times you’ve read the Bible, don’t trust in your claim of being a Christian, don’t trust in your donations, don’t trust in your good works, don’t trust in these letters, don’t even trust in your prayers, for none of these things guarantee salvation. Only trust God’s promises in His Word. Do not trust any other thing for the salvation of your soul, but the precious blood of Jesus. Trust God’s Word and trust His promises. Know that His gift (Jesus) is a gift of love, His Word cannot fail, His Word will never pass away and it will stand supreme forever!
Now just because we are initially saved by grace through faith doesn’t mean our responsibility as Christians begins and ends with accepting Jesus. After we have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior we are under greater responsibility to make sure our lives are in obedience to God’s Word.
Our old lifestyle and habits must change. Anything ungodly must go. Some people like to believe what I call the “once saved always saved” idea. They believe that once you have accepted Jesus, no matter what you do afterwards, either change your life or continue to live in sin, you are saved regardless of what you do. The general idea here is that because God knows we’re not perfect we should cease trying to be. These people are deceiving themselves. God tells us to turn from our wicked ways, Jesus told Mary Magdalene to “go and sin no more.” What would be the point of turning from our old ways if we were saved regardless of what we did? Yes, we are saved by grace through faith however we are still under responsibility to turn from our old ways. When we turn back to sin it is not God who is abandoning us, but rather it is us who are abandoning God and thus our salvation through Jesus Christ.
Two things must happen for us to be saved: 1.) We must accept Jesus as Lord and Savior (See John 6:47/Acts 2:21/Romans 10:9) and 2.) Repent for our sin. “Repent” means “change!” Repentance and change go hand in hand. Change should always accompany repentance. It is our duty as Christians to be continually and actively working towards righteousness; the ways of God. Serving God is a great responsibility, but brings a much greater reward.We should always be working to better ourselves.
Now remember when you pursue righteousness and turn from sin opposition will come against you. When trying to eliminate sin from you life the devil will attack you. This is why we must exercise our “spiritual muscles” by reading the Bible. We must learn to distinguish God’s voice from Satan’s lies because the majority of Satan’s schemes begin in our thoughts.
Learn to watch and guard your thoughts, because thoughts can easily become words. Consider and choose your words carefully, as words quickly can turn into actions. Examine and understand your actions, for practiced actions form habits. Observe your habits constantly, because habits are what structure your character. Finally develop and judge your character, for your character reveals your destiny. Learn to recognize the lies of Satan and stop him from interfering with your thoughts, and then you will have good success. “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (See James 4:7)
Opposition will come, but do not let it deter you from changing your life so that it aligns with what the Word says. If you have to make a change in your life for Jesus, then you make that change! When it comes to salvation it doesn’t matter what your friends think, it doesn’t matter what your co-workers think, it doesn’t matter what your neighbors or your family or anyone else thinks about your decision to change your life and follow after Jesus Christ, because your eternal future is based upon your decisions and actions, not their opinions. Everyone has eternal life. The question is: where are you going to spend it? Christianity isn’t true because it feels good, Christianity feels good because it’s true!
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