The Right Way

Bill Brinkworth

All the misinformation and beliefs of today that state there is one God, but many different ways to heaven are not biblical. There is one God, and there is only one way to get to His heaven or to please Him. That way is clearly preserved for us in the Word of God.

JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY OF SALVATION:
John 14:5 "Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. "

While most will nod their head at this verse in agreement, they do not truly understand what it means when Jesus says, "I am the way..." It means he is the only way, and there is nothing else that can be added or can be done except by excepting the gift of eternal life.

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

He is the way to heaven; not by good deeds or works.
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Most false religions (many call themselves "Christian") teach if your good works out weigh your bad, you'll go to heaven. No one, however, is righteous (Romans 3:10), so our good works won't work to get us to heaven. Giving, being kind, not stealing, not murdering, trying not to sin, giving, helping the poor, reading the Bible, going to church, praying, and being a good person, may be some of the right things to do, but they do not save one from Hell. No one can earn their way to Heaven, the way has already been purchased for us. We just have to accept what Christ did for us is the final payment for our sins.

Hebrews 10:10 "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;"

He is the way and not rituals. Some practices may be Biblical, but they will never get one to Heaven. These include: baptism (never does the Bible mention infant baptism), marriage, and communion. There is nothing you can do to earn salvation; it was all done and paid for by Christ's finished work on the cross.

He is the way and not man-made religion. Man's influence on God's way of salvation is sometimes very subtle; but if we follow what is not God's way it will not get us to Heaven. If we follow a church's way and trust it will get us to heaven, we will be horribly shocked.

JESUS IS THE TRUTH:
John 14:6 " ... I am the way, the truth,"

Although we may not understand it fully, He is the Word.
John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

Jesus is the Word of God, so what He says is right. Thus, we should obey Him and His words only. Many again nod their head in agreement, but if they truly believed it was His Word they would not heed the teachings found in the: Book of Mormon, Catholic Catechism, Jehovah Witness writings, writings of Nostradamus, Marx's, Plato's, and other books that are contrary to God's Word. It is His preserved Word that point us to his Heaven, not man's opinions.

JESUS IS THE LIFE:
John 14:6 " ... I am the way, the truth, and the life: ..."

He is the only way for eternal life. There are Not different roads. False religions teach there are many roads to Heaven. The many ways do lead to one place, but it is not eternity with God.

Matthew 7:13 "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

Only Jesus can give eternal live, not positive thinking, not our opinions, not Satan (as many in the occult would like to believe), and not any unobedient-to-the-Bible religion.

October 2, 1999

This lesson was featured in The Bible View #193.