Copyright © Abel Ramirez. All rights reserved.
For example, who does the Bible say that Jesus really is? Is
He just a “good man”? Jesus answers this question Himself. “I and the Father are one.” John 10:30. This is the clearest
statement of the divinity of Jesus that He ever made. Jesus
is not merely a “good man”. He is God! When Jesus taught
at the Temple, He stated that He was eternal. “I tell you the
truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” John 8:58. When Jesus proclaimed that He existed before Abraham was born He undeniably
proclaimed His divinity. Abraham lived more than 2000 years
before Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Not only did Jesus say that
He existed before Abraham; He also applied the holy name of God, “I
AM”, to Himself. “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM. This
is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to
you.’” Exodus 3:14.
The fact is - the Bible proclaims that Jesus
is God!
“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in
bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the
head over every power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10.
“He is the image of the invisible God, the
firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones
or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him
and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things
hold together.” Colossians 1:15-17.
“In the beginning the Word
already existed. He was with God, and he was God. He was
in the beginning with God. He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn’t make. Life itself was in him,
and this life gives light to everyone. The light shines through
the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John 1:1-5.
“The
Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen
his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father,
full of grace and truth.” John 1:14.
“No one has ever seen God. But his only Son, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart;
he told us about him.” John 1:18.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Revelation 22:13.
“Anyone
who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show
me the Father?’ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and
that the Father is in me?” John 14:9-10.
Jesus asks the question Himself. Do you believe Him when He
says specifically that He and the Father are one? Do you believe
Him when He says that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him? Do you believe the Bible when it states that Jesus is the image of
the invisible God? Do you believe the Bible when it states He
is the creator of all things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible? Do you believe Jesus when He says that He is the Beginning and the
End? These are only a few of the verses which proclaim the divinity
of Jesus Christ. The Word of God leaves absolutely no room to
believe that Jesus was merely a “good man”. To believe that
Jesus was simply a “good man” is to have no belief at all!
Is Jesus the only way to God? Is He the right way for some people
and not for others? Again, Jesus answers these questions Himself, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me.” John 14:6. Jesus makes it absolutely
clear. He is the only way to God the Father! This is the
truth for everyone! The narrow road to God is the only road
to God, Jesus Christ! The narrow road to God, however, is also
wide enough for the entire world! “For God so loved the world
that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall
not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son
into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through
him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does
not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in
the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:15-18.
As Jesus proclaimed, He is the one and only truth for all mankind. He is the source of all truth, “For the law was given through
Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17. “You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John
8:31-32. He said, “I am THE way, and THE truth and THE life.” He did not say “a way”, “a truth” or “a life”. He is the way and the
truth and the life! The Bible says, “Salvation is found in no
one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by
which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12.
The fact is - the Bible
proclaims over and over again that there is only one way to God, and
that way is Jesus Christ!
“Anyone who believes in the Son of
God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe
God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the
testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does
not have life.” 1 John 5:10-12.
“For there is one God and one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself
as a ransom for all men” 1 Timothy 2:5-6.
“The next day John
saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look! There is the Lamb
of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” John 1:29.
“He
is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone
who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”
Acts 10:43.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel Christ; for it
is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” Romans
1:16
“He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey
the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting
destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord” 2 Thessalonians
1:8-9.
“He who hates me hates my Father as well.” John 15:23.
“He
who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” Luke 10:16.
“I am the
light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.” John 8:12.
The Bible teaches with absolutely no ambiguity that faith in Jesus
Christ is the only way for anyone to find salvation. For any
Christian to make a statement like, “Well, I know Jesus is the way
for me, but he may not be the way for everybody” is to completely
deny the words of the Bible and Jesus Christ Himself. It is
simply impossible to be a believer in Christ and not believe the words of
Christ! To believe in Christ without believing the words of
Christ makes you a “fan” not a “follower.” “Therefore everyone
who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like
a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24. “But
everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into
practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” Matthew
7:26.
Jesus said He was God. Jesus said He was the only way to the
Father. There is no middle ground in either of these statements. This is true of the entire Word of God which proclaims Him to be Our
Lord, Our God and Our Savior!! You either believe it or you
don’t. It is impossible to regard Him simply as a “good man”
with a “good message”. This “good man” said He was God. His message was that only through faith in Him will anyone find salvation. He’s either right or wrong. He’s either telling the truth or
not. If He isn’t exactly who He said He was then He would have
to be the biggest liar or the craziest person to have ever lived. Either one would disqualify Him as being a “good man with a good message.”
So
what do you believe?
Do you believe that Jesus was born
of a virgin? “The virgin will be with child and will give birth
to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, ‘God is with
us.’” Matthew 1:23.
Do you believe that Jesus walked on water? “When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus
approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified. But he said to them, ‘It is I; don’t be afraid.” John 6:19-20.
Do you believe that Jesus calmed the storm with His words? “Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples
woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be
still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still
have no faith?’ They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who
is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’” Mark 4:38-41.
Do
you believe that Jesus healed the sick? “Suddenly, a man with
leprosy approached Jesus. He knelt before him, worshipping.
‘Lord,’ the man said, ‘if you want to, you can make me well again.’ Jesus touched him, ‘I want to,’ he said. ‘Be healed!’ And instantly the leprosy disappeared.” Matthew 8:2-4.
Do you
believe that Jesus raised the dead? “Jesus, once more deeply
moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across
the entrance. ‘Take away the stone,’ he said. ‘But, Lord,’
said Martha, the sister of the dead man, ‘by this time there is a
bad odor, for he has been there four days.’ Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory
of God?’ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked
up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I
knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the
people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come
out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with
strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to
them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’” John 11:38-44.
Do
you believe that Jesus was crucified and died on the cross? “Finally, they came to a place called The Skull. All three were
crucified there – Jesus on the center cross, and the two criminals
on either side. Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive these people, because
they don’t know what they are doing.” Luke 23:33-34.
Do you believe
that Jesus was placed in a tomb? “As evening approached, there
came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become
a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body,
and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the
body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own
new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone
in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.” Matthew 27:57-61.
Do
you believe that Jesus rose from the dead? “Early on Sunday
morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other
Mary went out to see the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake,
because an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled aside
the stone and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and
his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear
when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. Then the
angel spoke to the women, ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I know
you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He has been raised from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come see where his body was lying.” Matthew 28:1-6.
Do you believe
that Jesus appeared to His disciples after He was crucified and buried? “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where
Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped
him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All
authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them
to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with
you always, to the very end of the age.’” Matthew 28:16-20.
We are not called to be “cafeteria Christians”, which is a person
who picks and chooses the parts of the Gospel they want to believe. It is either all true or it’s not. As Christians, by definition,
we believe all the words of Jesus. We believe all the words
He spoke and all the accounts of His life given to us in God’s Holy
Inspired Word by the people who followed Him, suffered for Him and
died for Him. In doing so, it becomes clear, by His own proclamation,
He is divine, that He is in fact, God! When He said, “I am the
way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me.” John 14:6, Jesus declares, with absolutely no uncertainty,
all other beliefs, philosophies and religions which disagree with
Him, are false and that there is only one truth and only one way to
God the Father. This is the foundation of our belief as Christians!
As true followers of Jesus Christ, we should never compromise the
truth of the Gospel as stated by Christ Himself and His disciples. When it comes to the salvation of the human race, all the political
correctness and relativism in the world will not allow one person
to enter Heaven with God!! The only thing that will is faith
in the one and only Son of God, Jesus Christ! As Jesus said,“He who hates me hates my Father as well.” John 15:23. “He who
rejects me rejects him who sent me.” Luke 10:16.
This is the truth we hold to as we approach those who do not believe. Our efforts to share the Gospel with the world should spring from the joy we have in proclaiming the “Good News” of salvation which is available to everyone who believes! We should share the Gospel with the genuine compassion and love each of us should have for all who are lost, not with arrogance or pride. This is the example Jesus has set for us to follow and the instruction we receive from the Word of God. “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” 1 Peter 3:15.
Each of us will personally stand before the judgment seat
of God one day. On that day there will be no discussion, no
excuses. The truth about Jesus will be proclaimed by everyone who
has ever lived! “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of
Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the
earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11. The choice of
life and death is before each of us. It’s either one or the
other. There is no middle ground!