Only One Way

Daily Reading: John 14

Scripture Focus: I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14.6)

Devotional Thought: There are times at the office when I need to be alone, and I tell Elaine, my assistant, "It's a DND [Do Not Disturb] morning. Unless it's an emergency, take a message." Nobody gets to me unless they come through her. Jesus said something similar about himself. "No one comes to the Father except through me." How is Jesus the way to God? Surprisingly, there are several answers...

The first and most obvious answer, is that we must have a personal faith in a personal Savior in order to be saved. Having heard the story of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, we have believed it for ourselves. Repenting of our sins, receiving Jesus as our Savior, and confessing him as our Lord, we are born again. We have come to God through Christ.

But, what of worshipers before Christ? What about Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David? Were they lost? Of course not. But, their sacrifices alone did not atone for their sins. "For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins" (Hebrews 10.4). Those sacrifices were only effective through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus.

What of children who die in innocence? Like David's child who went to heaven in 2 Samuel 12, those incapable of moral choice come to the Father through Jesus' sacrifice.

Is there room for others - who are walking in all the light that they have - to be saved, even if they don't know the name of Jesus? Didn't Jesus say, "I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also" (John 10.16)?

Jesus is the only way. He is a Savior of mercy.

Prayer: In the words of the Psalmist I pray, "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!" Lord, how great is the mystery of your love. It is higher, wider, broader, and deeper than I could ever understand, but with faith I receive it! Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 37.1-6

1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! 2 For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. 6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.