Sunday, April 15, 2012

Conclusion and Response


Conclusion

Jesus followed up on His statement. His disciples did not fully comprehend what He was saying. In their midst was the One who is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the risen one in whom we can find life. We can trust His word for His word is truth. He comforted His disciples, who were anxious about what He was telling them. He told them that He is the way we can not only know God, but through whom we may have access to God. Paul tells us, “Therefore, brothers, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies having been washed with clean water” (Heb 10:19-22 [EMTV]). The exclusive claim of Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life means that there is no way apart from Him by which one may be saved, nothing true contradicts Him, and that only through Him may eternal life be found.

Response

In light of the claim of Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, what will you do? Each of us must decide whether we will humble ourselves and accept what God has said to us in His Word. We can choose in our pride to reject Christ. In doing so, we would reject the only way we have of approaching a holy God. We can humble ourselves and accept that Christ is the truth, or we can persist in thinking that we in our human weakness can become the arbiters of truth. But by doing so, we wander about with no way to tell what is true and what is false. We can look to Christ, the first-fruits of the dead in the hope of being raised or we can go on in a way that will lead to death. Each of us has a choice. Will we, like Frank Sinatra, insist on doing it our own way, or will we repent of our rebellious pride, humble ourselves, and submit to the One who is the way, the truth, and the life? Consider carefully your response. Your eternal destiny depends on how you respond to Christ. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matt 11:28-30 [EMTV]). Come to Him. Place your hope and trust in what Christ has done.