Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6 HCSB
My parents knew my friends, especially my close friends. They knew them because I brought my close friends home to meet my parents. Many of my friends spent time at my house. They got to know my parents. Likewise, I spent time at their homes and got to know their parents.
Our scripture passage tells us that no one (no exceptions) gets to God the Father without going through God the Son, or Jesus Christ. Now, I won’t take time to explain the Trinity today, but we must understand that Jesus Christ is fully God and was fully man when he walked the earth. We can’t be in relationship with God the Father unless we are in a committed relationship with Jesus Christ.
In Matthew chapter 10, Jesus commissions His 12 disciples. He sent them out after giving them instructions. In verse 14, He tells them that if they are rejected or unwelcome anywhere to shake the dust of their feet when they leave the town. He assures them that God (His Father) will deal harshly with these people. In verse 16, He tells them to be as innocent as doves and wise as serpents because He is sending them out like sheep among wolves. He predicts that they will be persecuted because of their association with Him. In verses 26-31 He tells them not to fear man, but to fear God. In verses 32-34, Jesus tells them, “Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge Me before men, I will acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My father in heaven. Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Jesus goes on to tell them that He will not bring unity, but cause divisions and that even family members will turn against us because of our relationship with Him.
My friend, I ask you today, have you established a relationship with Jesus that is strong enough and deep enough that you have gotten to know God? Do you study God’s holy word so that you can understand God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit? Do they all play active roles in your life? Or, are you denying Jesus?
We don’t have to stand on a street corner and yell that we don’t believe. We can simply stand among our friends telling dirty jokes and say nothing. We can stand by and watch our loved ones and our friends drown in sin and not say a word. We can deny Christ by doing nothing to acknowledge His presence in our lives. But, please understand this, there is only one way to God and that is through Jesus Christ. You can’t deny Christ and spend eternity with God the Father, it just doesn’t work that way. If you want to meet the parent and have a good, solid relationship with Him, you have to get to know the Son and have a deep loving relationship with Him first. You have to accept Him as your Savior. You have to believe in Him and confess your sins to Him and repent. You have to confess that He is Lord. You have to honor Him with your trust and obedience.
Understand that this might not make you the most popular person at your job. It may not win you any favors with your friends. It may even destroy familial relationships. But, it will win you favor with Christ and with God and one day that is all that will matter. This old world and everything and everyone in it is fading away. Those that are in Christ will spend eternity with God the Father in heaven. Those that are not are doomed to spend eternity in hell. Those are our only two choices.
I beg of you today to get into a close relationship with your Lord and Savior and get to know His Father. Confess that He is Lord and make your belief in Him evident to those around you. Be sure that He brings you home to meet His Father.
Have a great weekend!