One Way

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One of the first lessons I learned while sitting in the driver’s seat of a car, besides reminding myself perpetually which pedal was the gas and which one was the brake, was to watch out for one ways.  They’re tricky, and if you don’t understand the layout of the streets, it is easy to get caught in a cycle of attempting to turn, but always finding a one way street in the opposite direction barring your way.  But you can also do some marvelous things with one ways, such as taking a free left on a red light.

One thing I knew from the very beginning of my driving career—one ways are not to be taken lightly.  We have a very long, very steep hill near our house with two lanes going up and two lanes going down and a cement median in between.  I had heard the news reports of the woman who accidentally charged down the hill on the wrong side.  Death very easily could have been the result, so I nurtured a healthy respect for one way streets. 

My belaboring of the point of one ways comes as a result of the question that Sey asked way back in February, for our “blogoversary.”  She asked, “How do you see other religions?”

My answer: through the lense of Scripture.  And with Scripture in mind, John 14:6 is highly relevant:

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'"

Jesus is a one way street.  And in fact, He is the only way.  So any religion that in any way diminishes the deity of Christ is a false religion, going the wrong way.  Any religion that says He was just a good man, or that He did not rise from the dead, or that He is not reigning in Heaven today is like that woman going the wrong way down the one way road.  Death is the certain and devastating result. 

2 Corinthians 13:14 says, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.”

Any religion that denies the Trinity, adds other gods, or claims that we too can become gods, is going the wrong way down a one way street. 

Romans 3:9-11 perfectly describes how I view those of other religions:

“What then? Are we better than they? Not at all….As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.’”

Yes, I believe that all those who do not believe on Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are on the road to Hell.  But I am no better than they, because but for the merciful grace of God, I would be on exactly the same road as they are on. 

 For Non-Christians

If you have not yet accepted Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life, I encourage you to stop and evaluate where your current road is taking you.  In all honesty, do you know where you would go if you died today?  Do you want to be released of your burden of guilt and cycles of sin that you can’t seem to shake?  Acts 16:31 says,

“So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Jesus died for you, to redeem you of sin that leads only death.  He offers you the free gift of eternal life, and all you have to do is take it!  Please click here for more information.

 For Believers

We are faced with a growing movement to blur the lines between Christianity and false religions.  In our slippery “tolerant” society it is becoming more and more difficult for Christians to grab onto the truth and communicate that truth without being labeled as judgmental or overbearing.  But I encourage you to proclaim the truth with boldness, because proclaiming the truth that a person is headed for Hell is actually the greatest, most selfless love you could ever show that person. 

Do you remember the parable of the wheat and the tares?  While a man slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among his good wheat, and they sprouted up together.  His servants asked if they should pull up the tares, but the man stopped them, saying they might pull up the wheat as well.  Then the man said,

“Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ (Matthew 13:30)”

If you are too afraid to draw the lines between Christianity and other religions and stand firmly on the side of Christ, then how will God recognize you from the tares?  Firebrands for Christ leave no question as to whether they are on fire for God or burning because of their rejection of God.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved