A number of years ago while serving in the U.S. Army, I was stationed at Arlington Hall Station in Arlington, Va. During that time I was the non-Commissioned Officer in charge of local procurement. The duties of this position required travel into the local towns for the purchase of certain items. The cities of Alexandria, Va. and Washington, D.C. can be very troublesome to the driver who is not familiar with the streets. And just to make driving all the worse, there were those ‘oft familiar’ “One Way” signs. There were times when it seemed almost impossible to get from one place to another because of those “One Way” signs.
However, the “One Way” signs were there for a purpose, that being the orderly flow of traffic. It didn’t take long for me to learn that if ever I was to get to where I was going, then the “One Way” signs had to be used.
For the sojourners of this life, to get to Heaven they must go by THE ONE WAY. In John 14:6, responding to a question by Thomas, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” Did you notice that Jesus did not say that He was a way among many? He said, “I am the way.” In other words, what Christ was saying is that if we ever expect to go to Heaven, we must do so by way of Him. Just as there is a reason for “One Way” signs in a city, there is a reason for Christ being THE ONE WAY to Heaven. Please allow me to briefly explain why.
Since sin first came into the world as a result of Adam’s sin (Genesis 3), all men have as a result become sinners by nature and are under the curse of death (Rom. 5:12; I Cor. 15:21). Death is both physical and spiritual. Physical in the sense that the body ceases to function and therefore buried; spiritual in the sense that all unsaved people will spend eternity in Hell, burning in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:15; 21:8; cf 20:10). As a result of man’s sinful nature, he does not seek after God (Ps. 53. 1-3); Rom. 3:10-18). In short, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23).
Because man had sinned against God, punishment or payment was required. Because God is rich in mercy (Eph. 2:4), He “commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners...” (Rom. 5:8), because He was “not willing that any should perish” (II Pet. 3:9). Payment for sin had to be made, or punishment would follow. No, it is not possible to “earn” our way to Heaven; our good works will never do. (Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:9; II Tim. 1:9; Titus 3:5). Payment must be made!
This brings us to the ONE WAY to Heaven which we find in the person of Jesus Christ. In Isaiah, chapter 53, we have the prophecy of the coming Messiah (Christ) and what He would do for us. In Hebrews, chapter 9, verses 11-14, 26, 28; 10:12 we have the recorded fulfillment of this prophecy. Christ did in fact die on the cross of Calvary, shedding His perfect blood as payment for your sins, and mine. No other payment would have satisfied a Holy God (Heb. 9:22-24). The Christ who died on the cross and was buried also rose again just as the Bible said He would. Before ascending to Heaven (Luke 24:51), Christ was seen by Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9), by two other women (Matt. 28:9), by two disciples (Luke 24:15), by the eleven disciples (Luke 24:36), by the ten — Thomas absent (John 20:19), by the eleven disciples (John 20:26), and five hundred brethren (I Cor. 15:6), to name a few. Josephus, the Jewish historian, also records that Christ arose from the dead (Antiquities of the Jews, Book XVIII, Chapter 3, para. 3).
My friend, if Jesus Christ did all of this to secure our salvation and place in Heaven, can we expect that there is any other way to Heaven? Again, I remind you that Jesus said, “I am the way.” There is no other way to Heaven; God said it, and that settles it!
Dear one, if you have never received Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, if you would like to have forgiveness of sins and receive eternal life, if you would like to go to Heaven, then right now, wherever you are, why not do this: Bow your head in prayer, admit to Jesus Christ that you are a sinner, and are now asking for His forgiveness and for Him to come into your heart and be your Saviour and Lord forever. Salvation is only by faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. In exercising this faith, you are trusting your soul to Jesus Christ for all eternity (II Tim. 1:12; John 10:28, 29). If you call upon Jesus Christ for salvation, then I John 5:11-13 gives you assurance of being saved. My friend, is Jesus Christ speaking to you heart right now? “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:6,7).
There is only ONE WAY — Jesus Christ.
- Richard A. Ciarrocca
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All Scripture references are from the KJV 1611
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