Grow
in His Way
By
Stewart Whittemore
Jesus
said to him: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through Me.” John 14:6
Probably
one of the most challenged beliefs in Christianity is that Jesus is the only
way to heaven and God. Some would argue; Jesus is exclusionary, there are many
ways to God! One just has to find the way that is right for him or her.
Actually Jesus includes everyone in His statement. There is not an
except-clause in that verse.
Now let us look at Jesus' statement more closely to see God's “way” for us.
THE
WAY
Early
on in man's history God was showing him the way in a natural setting that would
point to man's ultimate destination, God's Kingdom through Jesus Christ. We can
see this in God's deliverance of Israel from the bondage of Pharaoh in Egypt.
God gave them one way to escape, through the Red Sea He parted. When it was time for them to posses the
promised land He parted the Jordan for them to cross. There was one way in.
Jesus
(The Way) came to deliver all from the bondage of sin and give them the keys to
His Kingdom. Some people still want to
find their own way, but God clearly tells us that Jesus is the Way!
THE
TRUTH
What
is truth? That is the question Pontius Pilate posed to Jesus when He was
brought before him to be condemned and sentenced to death. Pilate was staring
Truth right in the face and didn’t want to accept it, because of the angry mob
waiting outside to crucify Jesus.
In
some ways, not much has changed since that day. Many still want to silence
Jesus. We have taken prayer out of our schools, tolerate lifestyles that were
never condoned by God, and now we are even in the process of tearing down any
reminders of our Law Giver from our buildings and institutions once founded on
those very same laws, the Ten Commandments. However, our loving and
merciful Father wants none to perish but all to come to repentance and
Salvation (See 2 Peter 3:9). And this is the truth.
THE
LIFE
When
one receives Jesus into his life he is "born again.” Jesus showed us what this “reborn” life
is. He lived a life filled with love,
mercy, forgiveness, meekness and humility. It is the life He wants us to have.
He sent us the Holy Spirit, the Power to change our desires, so we can be
like Him.
Jesus
is always willing to give us His new life, so we can grow in His “way.”
"Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away;
behold, all things have become new."
2 Corinthians 5:17
Stewart Whittemore writes from Grants Pass. stewart33@earthlink.net