Jesus Christ, the Only Way to Eternity with God!

Hello Friend,

The Bible teaches that there is no other way to salvation than through Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself says in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
He is not a way, as in one of many ways to Heaven with God. He is the Way, as in the One and Only Way to God the Father. No one, regardless of reputation, achievement, special knowledge, or personal holiness, can come to God the Father except through Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the only way to heaven for several reasons. Jesus was “chosen by God” to be the Savior (1 Peter 2:4). Jesus is the only One to have come down from heaven and returned there (John 3:13).
He is the only person to have lived a perfect human life (Hebrews 4:15). He is the only sacrifice for sin (1 John 2:2; Hebrews 10:26).

He alone fulfilled the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17). He is the only man to have conquered death forever (Hebrews 2:14–15).

He is the only Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). He is the only One whom God elevated to the highest place and He alone has a name above every other name (Philippians 2:9).
Jesus spoke of Himself as the only way to heaven in several places besides John 14:6. He presented Himself as the object of faith in Matthew 7:21–27. He said His words are life (John 6:63).

He promised that those who believe in Him will have eternal life (John 3:14–15). He is the gate of the sheep (John 10:7); the bread of life (John 6:35); and the resurrection (John 11:25). No one else can rightly claim those titles.

The apostles’ preaching focused on the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Peter, speaking to the Sanhedrin, clearly proclaimed Jesus as the only way to heaven: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Eternal life in heaven is made possible only through Christ. Jesus prayed, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3).

To receive God’s free gift of salvation, we must look to Jesus and Jesus alone. We must trust in Jesus’ death on the cross as our payment for sin and in His resurrection. “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 3:22).

At one point in Jesus’ ministry, many of the crowd were turning their backs on Him and leaving in hopes of finding another savior. Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” (John 6:67).
Peter’s reply is exactly right: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God (John 6:68–69).

A) HOW TO RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE:

 Recognize that you are a sinner and hopelessly lost without Christ (Romans 3:23) (Romans 6:23)

 Believe the good news that God sent Jesus Christ to take your place, die in your stead and paid the full price for your sin (Romans 5:8); that He not only died but was buried, was resurrected and is alive forever more to be your advocate before God (1 Corinthians 15:1-5)

 Confess to Jesus that you are a sinner, guilty before God and hopelessly lost, and ask for mercy and forgiveness. Realize that ‘if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thy heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shall be saved.
For with the heart, men believe unto righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.’’ (Romans 10:9-10) (1 John 1:8-9)

 Rely on God’s promises, not upon your own feelings and theories (Romans 1:16)

 Declare and realize that you are saved by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ and the gospel, and that you are cleansed from all sin because you have met the terms of God – proper faith and confession of sins (Ephesians 2:8-9) (1 John 1:9).

You are welcome to the family of God and are now one of the sons of God (John 1:12)

How to receive eternal life is the first part, but how to maintain the eternal life in you and not lose it till you enter into eternity with God it is the second and the most important part.

B) HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR ETERNAL LIFE AFTER RECEIVING IT:

 Believe the gospel and the entire Word of God at all times and walk in the light as you receive it (1 John 1:7).

 Walk by faith in newness of life, not by sight or by feelings (Hebrews 10:23-39)

 Read the Bible daily and search its scriptures. Meditate on it day and night to feed and nurture your spirit to grow the spiritual life (Psalm 1:1-3).

 Pray to God daily as your heavenly father in the name of Jesus Christ, casting all your cares upon Him; for He cares for you’’ (John 16:23-26)

 Claim all the benefits of the promises of God and appropriate them by faith (2 Peter 1:1-4)

 Keep your mind stayed on God and grow in grace, in all the virtues of grace and of God (Philippians 4:8).

 Recognize at all times your own weaknesses as well as God’s strength and keeping power (1 Corinthians 10:12-13) (1 Peter 1:5). Faith is the victory that overcomes the world (1 John 5:1-4). Faith is when you quit believing what you see and start seeing what you believe.

 Confess the Lord Jesus Christ frequently and daily as your Lord and personal Saviour (Matthew 10:32-33) and be busy at soul winning and other phases of Christian work.

 Avoid temptations and shun evil company and evil companions (Psalm 1); resist sin and Satan (James 4:7), make friends with God’s people and strive to be a blessing to them and others (1 Corinthians 13).
 Attend church regularly (Hebrews 10:25)

 Seek God constantly for the full anointing of the Holy Spirit, the fruit and gifts of the Spirit, and yield to and obey the Holy Spirit in all things (Luke 24:49) (Galatians 5:16-26).

8 Religious Acts that Cannot Save the Souls of Men

Ø Being a devout person:

A devout person is a pious man who is dutiful to a religion or belief. Devotion to religious rules and regulations are good but are not adequate to save and deliver the soul from eternal death which is the wage of sin. 

Mere devotion to religious rules and practices without faith in Christ for salvation is not enough. In the Bible, there are several records of devout men and women who were strong devotees to religious practices yet were unsaved men.  

Acts 2:5 is a record of many devout men who witnessed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Disciples of Christ on the Day of Pentecost and yet were no partakers in it. They were devoted to Judaism, circumcised men and strict adherents to the Laws of Moses, yet they were unsaved men as far as the Gospel of salvation is concerned.

Acts 13:50 is another account of devout Jews who raised a persecution against Paul and Barnabbas, expelling them out of Antioch where they were preaching the gospel that emphasizes belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the key to salvation. Also in Acts 17:17, is another group of devout Jews who doubted and disputed the message of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Ø Fearing God:

The Bible teaches that the fear of God is the beginning of all wisdom (Proverbs 4:7) and that to fear God is to depart from evil (Proverbs 16:6). The Bible also teaches that the whole duty of a man is to fear God and obey all his commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13). However, fearing God does not guarantee one’s salvation.

Demons also fear God but their fear avails nothing as they have been condemned and are hopelessly and eternally lost (James 2:19). 2 Kings 17:32-34 refers to a nation who feared the Lord, yet served other gods after the manner of other nations. Also in Jonah 1:16, the pagan sailors in whose ship Jonah travelled also feared God and made vows but lacked the full light that saves men.

Ø Giving alms:

The Pharisees in Jesus’ days did much in alms giving but they rejected salvation and were Christ’s bitterest enemies. The Bible tells us that one can give all that he has but without love, can be lost eternally (1 Corinthians 13:3).

Ø Praying always:

The Bible commands us to pray without ceasing and without fainting. But the Bible also condemns certain kinds of prayers as unacceptable before God. Many hypocrites whose hearts are not right with God pray to be seen and praised by men.

In Hell, some are praying and an example is the rich man in Luke 16:23-31 praying prayers that cannot work. Another prominent example was the Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14 whose prayer was condemned on grounds of self-righteousness, pride and hypocrisy.

Ø Seeing visions:

Ability to see visions is not an evidence of salvation or right standing with God. Ability to see visions is a gift from God and one can live in flagrant sin and continue to manifest this gift because the Lord does not usually withdraw His gifts once given (Romans 11:29).

There are men who saw visions which could not save them. Nebuchadnezzar, a pagan and King of Babylon saw visions from God more than once (Daniel 2:1-9). Acts chapter 10 is the story of Cornelius, who was a pagan who also received visions from God before his conversion. There are false prophets who use magical arts to see visions too.

Ø Fasting:

Matthew 6:16-18 condemns a fasting system where men wear a sad countenance, disfiguring their faces before men and announcing to others that they are fasting in order to be praised by men.

Ø Having a good report among men:

Saul of Tarsus had an excellent report among men before his conversion. He was a Pharisee, was circumcised on the eighth day; of the stock of Israel and from the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of the Hebrews and an authority in the Laws of Moses.

He had a good reputation among men but not before God. At a time, he was the greatest persecutor of the Church of Christ who murdered many saints thinking he was fighting for God until he was arrested by the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus leading to his conversion.

Ø Knowledge of the Scriptures:

Having knowledge of the Scriptures and an ability to memorize and quote it offhand are good qualities. But it is one thing to have the knowledge of a thing and another thing to believe what one knows. It is one thing to have knowledge of a thing and yet another thing to do and practice what one knows.

One may know the truth but harden his heart against it and speak evil of it (Matthew 13:15). Mere head knowledge of a thing is different from believing in it with the heart. Men will not be judged on the basis of what they know only but also by what was done with what they knew. 

The hearers of the law alone shall not be justified but the doers shall be. In Luke 6:46 Jesus asked ‘why do you call me Lord, Lord, yet do not the things which I say?

One may be teaching what he knows but what he knows or claims to know may be imperfect doctrine and he may not have a teachable spirit that accepts correction. What one teaches may fall short of the true gospel and be in error of the Bible’s claims.

In Acts 18:24-28 is the record of Apollonius who was thoroughly acquainted with the teachings of the Law and the Prophets (the Old Testament) and skilled in interpreting them. He was also zealous of the knowledge he had, but it was limited and imperfect falling short of the full light of the gospel.

He had a teachable spirit and was receptive to the full gospel which God led him into through Acquilla and Priscilla who taught him. The problem is not with knowing and teaching what one knows but is he open to correction when his doctrines are imperfect and falling short of the true and full gospel?

Many stick to what they know or claim to know and do not want to come into the full light because they do not have a teachable spirit and are not open to correction and do not accept to be corrected.

Romans 10:9-10 says:

‘If thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shall be saved. For with the heart men believe unto righteousness and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.’’

Therefore the key to salvation is belief in the Lord Jesus: faith in his death, burial and resurrection. Mere religious practices without belief in Jesus Christ avail nothing. These practices amount to self-righteousness and reliance on carnal works of the Law which can prevent no one from facing eternal judgment for sin.

John 14:6 says:

 ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes unto the Father but by me.’’

Ayodele Adegbulugbe

www.xtianrace.blogspot.com