This Sunday I’m talking about the exclusivity of Christ–the fact that there is only one way to get to heaven. Jesus made this definitive statement when telling His followers that He was going to prepare a place for them in His Father’s house: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). If it were up to me, I probably would have done it differently. It’s a hard truth to accept and an even harder truth to teach. But the creation (me) doesn’t get to set the terms of cosmic realities – the creator (God) does. And God’s Word is clear that faith in Jesus is a prerequisite for entrance to heaven.
After learning a little about what heaven is going to be like and that it is a very real place, the next question is: how do we get there? The Bible tells us exactly how – through repentance and faith. But why do we need Jesus to get to heaven? Can’t you just be a good person? Can’t you just be faithful to some religion? Won’t God be okay if we all just do our best? Jesus was adamant: “No one comes to the Father except through me.”
This is a hard truth to accept because at first it doesn’t seem fair. What about people who have never heard about Jesus? What about people who believe in other religions, babies, or the mentally handicapped? What happened to the people in the Old Testament who died before Jesus came? We’re going to consider those questions this weekend at Family Church. Thankfully we do know that Jesus wants everyone to repent and that He invites all to believe and be saved. We also know that Jesus has given each believer a role in the process – our mission is to bring as many people into heaven as we can.
At Family Church, we are compelled by the exclusivity of Jesus to tell people about the gospel. We are determined to turn everyday conversations into gospel conversations where we invite our family, friends, and neighbors to believe in Jesus and reserve their spots in heaven.