“I am the [W]ay, the [T]ruth, and the [L]ife, no man cometh unto the Father but by [M]e.”                                                                                                                                                (John 14)

 

The above passage from Scripture is a very well known passage and truth. Many young children that are brought up in Church probably know this verse by heart. John 14:6 is most likely (2nd) second to John 3:16 interms of familiarity. Both these passages are good to know and must be believed if one is to be saved. Is knowing these verses verbatim enough to be saved or must one know and understand the Who, the why, and the how?

In the days of Ezra, the Word of God had been found and God sent forth a revival. Ezra would take to the pulpit, he would be above all the people in a physical sense and he would read from the Word of God. With Ezra and the reading would be men that would cause those present to understand what they are hearing and the why and the how of it all. Understanding was essential to the knowing, to know something without understanding why and how is meaningless.

An analogy: Someone goes to a cooking class, the instructor puts a prepared dish in front of the students and tells them the name of the dish and tells them to prepare the same dish within one hour and leaves. The students know the name of the dish and they might recognise some of the ingredients but the how is not known. The same is true with Scripture. We might know Christ is the only Way but do we understand why and how?

Another analogy: Someone knocks at your door or calls you on the telephone. This person tells you they are collecting donations for a very important cause. They tell you the goal is ($5,000.00) Five thousand dollars and if you donate you would be supporting a very worth while cause. They then ask you if you would please donate.
What really do you know about this cause? Nothing except the goal is ($5,000.00) Five thousand dollars and in some stranger’s opinion it is important and worth while. What is missing is the what and the why. What is the cause and why is it important and worth while?

This dynamic is seen in many heretical “Christ-ian” television programs and in some churches. These preachers will give a Christ-less lecture and then at the very end, with only seconds remaining they ask the watchers, if you wanna be saved, ask Jesus into you heart and many do because they want to say they were saved at X church.

If we were to ask you the question, “If you consider yourself to be saved, what have you been saved from?” What would you answer be? I believe you would answer like many others, “I have been saved from an eternity in hell.” Are we right? Is this your answer?

Would you be surprised to hear you are only partly correct and that with this answer you are probably not living the life that pleases God? Reader, while it is true, you have been saved from eternal damnation, that is only a benefit of your salvation. In other words it is similar to health insurance being a benefit of your job but not the cause.

When a sinner is saved by the grace of God through God’s gifting of faith, said sinner is saved from:
1. Sin
2. Sin’s power
3. The pleasure of sin’s pleasure
4. Someday sin’s presence
5. And yes, sin’s penalty of eternal damnation.

Also salvation has made us free from:
1. Sin’s power
2. Sin’s curse
3.Serving sin
4. And free to serve God in righteousness.

Reader, Christ did not die in our stead so that we might continue in habitual, unrepentant, and unconfessed sin, God forbid. Christ died and rose again so that we might be free from the service to sin and be made free to serve righteousness. Christ died not and rose not again so that we might befriends with the world but, instead so that we might crucify the world and be citizens of God’s Kingdom where His will is done.

Another reason why we have been saved…We have been saved to serve God’s purposes and pleasures. We have been saved so that we might show forth God’s glory to a blinded world. We have been saved so that we may increase the sounds of praise and worship. We have been saved to be made like unto Christ for this is out predestined end, to be made Christ-like. This is the purpose of the Spirit’s fruit (Galatian 2),  All spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1), the divine nature and the recipients of precious promises (Peters Epistles chapters 1). All that we have been given, all that has been taken away, all that has been changed and made new is in the concerted effort of making us like our Lord Jesus in our thoughts, ways, words, feelings, and complete persons.

Do you think God has made us His children so that we could remain our sinful selves and not to become Holy because he is Holy?  Do you think Christ lived righteously, died without mercy and rose again victoriously so you could live lives of unrighteous defeat never showing God’s mercy to others? God forbid!!!

 

Readers,
I hope and trust you know the why’s and the how’s as well as the what’s. If not, crack open the Bible and begin seeking understanding.