Jesus said, in John 14:6: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” - NIV
Let’s start with …
The Truth:Pontius Pilate said - "What is Truth?"
While there are quite a few varying definitions, one being; “sincerity in action, character, and utterance”, there really is only one way to define it.
Truth is the complete and total absence of falseness.
In John 14:6, Jesus says that he IS the Truth. How does the above definition apply here? Well, imagine him as a body of water with no impurities or boundaries whatsoever and perfect in every way. Now take a glass and fill it with this water and drink it. Refreshing, satisfying and life sustaining, right? Right! Now, take a drop of falseness, in the form of arsenic, and drop it into that same glass of water. It is almost undetectable while looking at the glass but is totally and utterly undrinkable, without resulting in death!! Therefore, the glass of water no longer represents the original body of water and is no longer the truth. The truth has vanished, right before your eyes. The two cannot coexist.
In the same way, God is pure, has no boundaries and is perfect in every way. He cannot be tainted by falseness. In fact, falseness cannot exist where he is because it would be immediately destroyed, since God cannot be destroyed.
In our world, falseness jumps in front of truth, obscuring most of it from our view, but letting just enough through to make us believe that IT is the actual truth.
Gen 2:17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die. - NIV
Sin = Falseness
Sins are terminal and ultimately cause Death
Since all of us are filled with sin and will therefore die, we cannot be in direct communion with God because we would be immediately destroyed. Being a loving God, he won’t force us to choose him. He gives us the freedom of choice, to choose him or to choose to live by our own sinful desires. He also does not want to destroy you, so he will allow you to live for eternity based on the choice that you make. If you choose him, then you will live in eternity with him. If you choose yourself, then you will live in eternity apart from him and by yourself.
He has created a place for Satan and his demons to live because of their choice to live by their own desires. Since he has already created this place, he does not need to create a separate place for the people that have chosen to do the same. That place is called Hell. As a side note, many people want to know why God would torture people for an eternity, just because they refuse to choose him over their own desires. That is a misunderstanding. Nowhere in the bible does it state that there will be torture in Hell. The word used to describe the situation in Hell is torment.
Luk 16:28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. - KJV
Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. - KJV
Torment can be defined in many ways, such as, intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain. In Hell, you will not be in contact with God, but you will also not be in contact with other people. When you choose your own desires, you are choosing self. Since you are choosing to be in eternity with yourself, then that is exactly how it will be. You will be alone. So the only place for torment to happen would be from within. If there is any suffering through mental or physical pain, it will be self induced as you reflect over the choices you’ve made.
The Way:Compared to God, our best actions and intentions are like dirty rags. If you try to clean yourself with a dirty rag, you are still dirty. There is no way for man to clean himself from his own sins/falseness. It is a disease that affects 100% of the population. It was contracted by the first man and passed on throughout the generations to the current time. No one is immune and everyone has it. The result of this sin is death. No one escapes, we all will die.
So, how can we change this result? WE can’t. Only God CAN and he DID. He provided a Way for us, but will not force us to take it.
God took on flesh, in the form of Jesus, to die in our place. He had to. This was the only way to cleanse us, so that we could live for an eternity with him. Only that pure, boundless, life giving water can clean us and make us worthy of Heaven. Death did not exist prior to sin coming into the world. The result of Sin is Death. Our sins are just symptoms of the incurable disease called death. Since no man can clean himself or anyone else of sin, then he must be subject to that result. It is our debt to pay and we are in deep. We are incapable of repaying this debt. God made us to be in communion with him. He does not want anyone to perish, so in order for us to live, he had to pay this debt for us and he did. Whether we want to be with him or not, he paid it. Therefore EVERYONE has eternal life. Now the question becomes, which WAY are you headed?
Jesus provided the way, by paying our debt to sin. The only reason for doing such a thing is because he loves us. If we choose to live by our own desires and reject him, then we are choosing death. Since death has been defeated, you are choosing the only other thing available, which is an eternity apart from God. You are choosing to live in Hell, all alone.
A common question was recently posed to me by my Brother. He asked why I thought Christianity was the right way and all other religions are not?
The reason is that ALL other religions require YOU to do something to save yourself. The Bible teaches that we CANNOT save ourselves, because all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. Only God himself can save us and he did that through Jesus Christ. So if anyone believes or teaches that you can save yourself and that there are many ways to get into Heaven, then they have not understood God's message and purpose for our lives. Please don't be fooled, but read it for yourself. If you take the time to read God's word, then it will be clear to you that there is only one WAY.
Eph 2:8 For
it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -
not by works, so that no one can boast. - NIV
The Life:Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. – NIV
Without God, there is no life. God has always existed and therefore is THE life. Only life can create more life. We can only create because he first created us, in HIS image.
If he created all life, then it is only right that he has ownership and is in control of it as well. Since he has control, he can determine what is and what is not allowed.
I have heard it said that if God is so loving, then why did he command all of the killing in the Old Testament?
God knows the beginning from the end of all creation. He knows from the time you are born, whether you will choose yourself over him. People forget that even though he is loving beyond all measure, that he is also Just beyond all measure. Okay, so what does that mean?
Let’s say that someone murdered a close friend or relative of yours. The murderer was caught and is facing a trial by judge. The evidence is irrefutable that he committed the murder. All evidence is brought before the Judge for review and she agrees that this person is the murderer. Then, the Judge surprises everyone by letting the murderer go free with no repercussions what so ever. When asked why, she responds that she loves all people equally and could never condemn anyone to death or punishment. What would your response be? Absolute uncontrollable outrage!! You would do everything in your power to make sure that Judge never sees another case again. If so emotionally inclined, you might just strike out at her yourself in utter disbelief that she would let them go.
So how is it that we condemn God, when he judges that someone is guilty and deserves death and then carries out the sentence?
God knows everything about you. He knows your actions, your intentions and your inner most thoughts. He knows what you do in private and he knows what you do in public. All evidence is on the table, right in front of him and there is nothing to refute it. Are you guilty of breaking any of God’s laws or commandments? ANY of them?
Mat 5:21 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.” - NIV
Mat 5:27-28 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. – NIV
Mat 5:37 Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. - NIV
• So, have you ever been angry with a sibling or a good friend?
• Have you ever looked at someone of the opposite gender and thought what it would be like to be with them?
• Have you ever said Yes to someone and then did the opposite?
These are just a few examples of sin. These three examples alone are enough to condemn most people. With these three alone, you are a murderer, an adulterer and a liar. God said that if you are even guilty of ONE of them, then you are guilty of ALL of them.
Jam 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. - NIV
There are 10 commandments that were given to us. Are you even trying to live by them?
Now I hear people saying that there are just too many rules to live by, why even try if even my thoughts are to be judged?
The Law and the Commandments are to be followed as best you can, but it is the intent of them that is misunderstood. They were designed to show you what a perfect and holy LIFE looks like. They are to show you that you CANNOT live it perfectly. They are designed to show you how sinful you really are. They are to show you just how much you NEED God. It is where your heart is as you do your best to follow his commandments that God looks at. He knows you will not always be able to keep them, but he wants you to love him enough to do your best. He wants a relationship with you. He wants you to spend eternity with him.
Another court case: This time YOU are in front of the judge. You ran a red light and were caught speeding in a school zone and nearly ran over a kindergartener. The fine is $250,000 or you will spend the next 10 years in jail. You are found guilty and don’t have $250,000 to pay. You are headed to jail. Wait! Someone that you don’t know bursts in to the courtroom and shouts, “Let them go!!, I have the money and will pay the fine for them.”
What will you do? Will you say no to that person? Most likely you’re very grateful that you and your family won’t have to endure 10 years apart. I’m sure that you would thank that person for doing such a kind and selfless deed. I know I would!
He has given you life. He has saved your life by paying your fine. Now he wants to spend his life with you. Give your life now, to the only one that cares enough about it to save it from certain death. Ask him to forgive you for your sins against him and then ask him to come into your life and into your heart. Then live your life like you are the child of a KING.
What do you do now? Find a Bible believing church and attend a Bible study. Surround yourself with other true believers. Get to know Jesus. He loves you and so do I.
