Is Jesus the only way to God?

Pastor Hans Voortman

In a previous article I discussed the question, 'How do I know there is a God?' Having shown that God exists, the next question is, 'How can I get to know Him?'

Most people today instinctively believe in God - deep down inside something tells them He exists. But in the effort to 'know' God, a myriad of different paths have been trod, each claiming to lead to the truth. The brief space given me in an article like this can't begin to do justice to a true study of 'Comparative Religion', so I won't attempt to look at any other religions in detail, but rather to give some guidelines as to how to assess Jesus' assertion: 'I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one can come to the Father except by me !' (John 14:6).

I also want to give a framework for comparing other religions to Christianity. In other words, is the message of Christianity so unique, particular and encompassing that it could be so boldly declared as the only way?

The Little River Band had a song out a number of years ago which declared, 'There are so many paths up the mountain, but the view from the top is still the same!' Something within us would like to believe this, because we can't accept that all those nice Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and even the agnostic bloke down the street who's just into having a good time, could somehow all be wrong and be going to hell!

The apostle Peter declared, 'Salvation is found in no one else; there is no other name under Heaven given to men by which we must be saved' (Acts 4:12). I'm sure many would like to appeal to him not to use such all-embracing language. Couldn't there just be a little allowance given to other beliefs? Isn't it an incredibly bigoted position that Christians take when they think that they are better than anyone else, preaching an exclusiveness that says, 'Everyone else is wrong and we're the only ones with the way to God?'

The apostle Paul also realised the inflammatory nature of what Jesus' message proclaimed; yet despite opposition that many times landed him in jail, he continued to 'preach Christ crucified; a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, it is the power of God unto salvation' (1 Cor. 1:18,23).

The key thing both Paul and Peter understood was that Christianity was more than just a 'truth' encounter. It was a 'Way' encounter. Undoubtedly every world religion possesses truth - otherwise no one would follow them. But there is a big difference between a truth and the truth, for the truth also declares how you can get there. Jesus not only spoke the truth, He pointed the way back to God!

The apostle Paul said, 'For even if there are so called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many 'gods' and many 'lords'), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things come and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things come and through whom we live' (1 Cor. 8:5-6).

Here lies the essential difference between Christianity and all other religions. Where all other religions primarily express views , Christianity primarily expresses news , and only secondarily expresses views. Its prime purpose is to proclaim the Good News, which is summed up as, 'This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us' (1 Jn. 4:10).

Whereas all other religions could be spelt DO, Christianity is spelt DONE! In religion man strives to reach God, whether it's through self denial (such as in Buddhism) or through the observance of rituals and laws (such as in Islam). All religions express human effort and desire to connect with the divine. The frustrating thing is that knowing God remains like the proverbial carrot dangling out in front of people - forever knowing about God, but never really knowing Him. Whether it's as in Hindu thought, progressing through various karmas till finally, through the 'cycles of life', in some future reincarnation you meld with 'God' as an ascended master, or as in Buddhism when you finally reach Nirvana through progressive life times, and merge with the great 'nothingness' as nothing yourself, the issue is you never know God; you never arrive!

So religious life is about striving, doing , that somehow you might attain to God.

By contrast, Christianity simply declares '...for all fall short of the glory of God' (Rom. 3:23). We just can't make it to God.

So God in His great mercy and grace reached out to us. 'For God so loved the world that he sent his only son, Jesus' (John 3:16). Christianity as such has a unique proclamation. It is the only religion that talks of a Saviour - a rescuer who came to find lost humanity. The carrot no longer dangles! It's been given to humankind! '...The free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ' (Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8).

So what man could not achieve through religion or self effort, God did through His own self revelation. He came to us! Philippians 2:7 says, God 'made himself nothing, and took on himself the nature of a servant, being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!'

So now a second unique concept to Christianity is introduced that sets it apart from other religions. It's the cross, or a way of dealing with sin. All religions seem to share a similar notion that there is a barrier between man and God. Something stands between us. Christianity calls this sin. Other religions deal with it by trying to get over the hurdle or barrier so as to connect with God. The trouble is that the barrier's been set too high - no one is 'righteous' enough to get over it. 'There is none righteous, no, not one! ' (Rom. 5:10).

So God, in Christ ,solved the problem - God put out His hand and lifted us over the hurdle! Again Christianity is about what has been DONE rather than doing! 'You were dead in your sins and transgressions. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions. It is by grace you have been saved!' (Eph. 2:4-5).

The cross of Jesus bridged the gap between God and man. When Jesus died for humanity it was so that He might deal with the barrier of our sin, by taking it upon Himself (1 Pet. 2:24; 3:18). In one atoning act, God dealt with sin, and gave us the means by which to bridge the gap or jump the hurdle! He died on a cross so that we might know Him. All you have to do is, as the song said, 'Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water.'

No other religion can give assurance of salvation (i.e. dealing with the sin barrier), or give the means whereby we can come into God's presence with confidence. Yet Jesus' work on Calvary has DONE. it for me! We can '....approach the throne of grace boldly and with confidence, so that we might receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need' (Heb. 4:16). There's nothing we have to DO! What a unique salvation! (2 Cor. 5:17; 1 Jn. 5:10-13; Rom. 8:9,16; 1 Jn. 1:9).

When comparing other religions, it is often useful to see what they have to say, how they equate or deal with the central issues Christianity addresses. There are probably seven key concepts to consider. These are, what do they say about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, sin, redemption, salvation, and retribution. Space doesn't allow any discussion of these concepts but when you examine them, it becomes glaringly obvious how unique Christianity is. This is just as true when looking at major world religions such as Buddhism, Taoism etc, as it is for 'Christian' sects, such as Jehovah Witnesses, Mormonism and Christian Science.

CONCLUSION

Christianity is unique! It is the only way for the 'lost' to be 'found'. It stands apart in its orientation. It's about God reaching man, not man reaching God. It's about a life preserver and not a set of swimming instructions!

Christianity admits we need help. It's about God responding to our cries for help. Yet God waits for us to cry out for help first ! Why? Fundamentally, because then we've overcome the major barrier between us and God - our sin, which most universally and observably displays itself in self conceit. 'We can do it alone! We can do it in our own strength!'

When we finally admit we can't, God can reach out to us. 'Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, he has crossed over from death to life.' (John 5:24)

When Jesus so sweepingly declared, 'I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but by me' (Jn. 14:6), it was meant in every sense of the word to be a 'one way' message. The wondrous thing is that across the last two millennia, millions of people have proven it to be true in their own lives. Where other religions continue to live in hope, and grope around in the dark, Christianity lives in assurance and switches on the light!

'Today salvation HAS come - the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost' (Luke 19:9-10).

'For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness, and brought us into the kingdom of light in the Son whom he loves' (Col. 1:13).