Three Descriptions Of Jesus

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
John 14:6

Jesus said the above when he was questioned by Thomas about they (the disciples) could know the way after Jesus leaves them. I would like to take a look at those three words that are central to the answer Jesus gave.

• the way (Greek: ὁδὸς - hodos - a journey, highway or a mode or means of progress.)
• the truth (Greek: ἀλήθεια - aletheia - heh, it means truth. Hard to call the truth anything but the truth, eh?)
• the life (Greek: ζωη - zoe - the literal or figurative life.)

This is one time where there really are no possible alternate meanings, no room for wiggle. Jesus laid it on the line for His disciples. He told them that He was the only, singular, unique path to be followed. He told them that He was the only, singular, unique truth. He told them that He was the only, the literal, the single point of life.

When anyone tries to tell you that there are other ways to get to heaven, you are now faced with one of two choices. Either Jesus was a liar, that there really might be other ways to reach God. Or, that Jesus was telling the truth. In that case, EVERYTHING that is not based on the meaning of this verse is FALSE, and is of the spirit of antichrist. This view is confirmed by John:

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."
1 John 4:1-3

With this as a filter, it is easy to see just how much of what is in the world today fails that test. All non-Christian faiths and belief systems fail (such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Atheism, Agnosticism, etc.) All "Christian" systems that rely on more than Jesus (and Him alone) fail (like Catholicism, Mormonism, Jehoviah's Witnessess, etc.) All systems that see Jesus as anything other than Son of God fail (such as Islam, Judaism, etc.) Any system that makes Jesus a liar by changing the purpose or direction of His teachings (like any Emergent Church, many pentacostal churches, "Purpose Driven" churches, etc.) or that ignores The Word in favor of it's own choices (any church that has a woman as the pastor, any church that has a homosexual as a pastor or part of the lay staff, any church that "forces" a Gift of the Spirit (like encouraging speaking in tongues but not providing a translation, spiritual laughter, slaying of the spirit, etc.)

Why did I list all this? Because, as a Christian, we need to know completely where the line is drawn. An individual may well be saved (it is not for us to judge a person's salvation in any way) and still be following the false practices shown above. But, any individual or church that espouses (or worse yet, teaches) these things must be rebuked:

"This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. Unto the pure all things [are] pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving [is] nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny [him], being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
Titus 1:13-16

Why do we rebuke? Because, these points are the keys to knowing Jesus for who and what He is. And only by knowing Jesus personally can we approach God the Father ("no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.") If we can deliver the Word to a person that is sinning, we have the promise in James that:

"Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."
James 5:19-20

As the end of this age approaches, it is up to each of us to not only plant the seeds with the unsaved, but to water the plants that are already sprouted. In both cases, having done what we can, we can stand back and praise God for giving the increase. ("I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." 1 Cor. 3:6)

Grace and Peace....