Steadfast, Immovable, Abounding

Third installment of the Romans Road series

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 6:23

Of all the teachings of Jesus, the one which seems most unpalatable to the world is that only faith in Him can save a person from condemnation. This is a belief which sets our faith apart from many religions and even some false off-shoots of Christianity. It is this belief which often evokes the word’s accusation of narrowmindedness and egotism. To protect themselves from the truth, people have crafted self-satisfying messages like “all roads lead to heaven,” leading many far astray.

Yet the word of God clearly states that only Christ offers salvation from sin and communion with God. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Matthew 11:27). There is no way around it—God has provided no way to know Him except through belief in His Son.

So why is Jesus the only way to eternal life? Why doesn’t God “forgive the sin of unbelief”, as some would put it?

The answer to these questions lies in the Biblical truth that God is the Author and Giver of life and Christ is His Son. He is the source of all things, and each breath we take is a gift from Him. I love what John 1:3 says: “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” When we consider how God continually provides for a world which continually rejects Him and blasphemes His name, it becomes clear that His love for this world is truly greater than we will ever begin to describe. But how can we expect the Creator to give us eternal life with Him when we spend our time here on earth running from Him? Even if we claim faith in God yet reject His Son, we do not have faith in the one true God. We can’t call Jesus only a man and still believe His sacrifice will cover our sins.

God created you for fellowship with Himself. As Jesus said in John 14:3, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” While the disciples probably didn’t fully understand these words, they must have offered great comfort—no matter what happened during Jesus’ life on earth, at some point they would be with Him forever. Christ came down to this earth to be with us so that we can one day be with Him. Hebrews 10:19-22 says, “Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” We serve a God who gave His life to make a way for us to know Him—and yet the world is disgusted by the thought that He only provided one way.

I believe part of the reason people want to believe there are many roads to heaven is that we have watered down the concept of heaven until it is nothing more than an over-the-top, extended vacation. We highlight the healing from sickness, the beautiful streets of gold, the freedom from pain, the reunions with loved ones…This is all, of course, true—the life of a child of God after death will be more glorious than this life can ever reflect. But the focus of our eternity in heaven will be unending, unbelievable, perfect celebration and glorification of Christ. Why would a loving God allow someone who denied His Son on earth to praise Him forever in heaven?

During this life, we are never without a choice—and God is never without grace. As 1 John 3:1-3 says, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” Our God has invited you to call Him Father. He, the Artist who spoke the world into being, the Voice which led His people through the wilderness, the Miracle Worker who raised the dead with a word, the Suffering Servant who gave His life on a cross, the undefeated Savior who destroyed the grave, the great High Priest who intercedes for us at the right hand of God, and the returning King who will restore His church for eternity, wants you to know Him. Fall before Him in adoration, and hear Him say, “child, you are Mine.”