Jesus Christ, the Only way to heaven?
How
will we correct, rebuke, and encourage someone who asks “Why do you believe
that Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life and heaven?”
Before we can answer that question, we need to ask the person asking, do you
believe in an afterlife? You see, the first reason for believing in Jesus
Christ is to accept the fact that we need an answer to what happens when we
die. One of man’s greatest problem is they will all eventually die and what
happens after death is unknown!
And
so, when someone ask you “Why do you believe that Jesus Christ is the only way
to eternal life and heaven?” our first answer should be,
1. We want to know what happens when we die and Jesus KNOWS!
Jesus Christ knows exactly what happens to people when they die! How do we know
this? Jesus Christ is the only person who lived on earth, died, experienced
life after death, and came back to life to tell people how they too can live
again! There is no question, Jesus Christ was a man who died on a cross and was
buried for 3 days and rose again!
The Roman Empire and the Jewish Leaders at the time made sure Jesus was dead
and stayed buried! But the Great Roman Empire with Caesar’s seal on the stone
that closed Jesus’ grave along with powerful Roman soldiers guarding it and the
influential Jewish Leaders watching with eagle eyes, could not hold back the
power of Jesus rising from the grave! There were over 500 people who witnessed
Jesus’ resurrected body! Simple ordinary men died testifying that Jesus
conquered the grave!!
To those who do not believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven, ask them to
disprove the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If they seriously take that
challenge, they will be faced with the reality that Jesus Christ is the only
way to eternal life!
And by the way, here's something to share to those who don't believe in an
afterlife. If they are right, a Christian has lived a good life and did not
lose much. If a Christian is right about the afterlife, the nonChristian will
lose everything and will be judged forever!
Now, there are plenty of people who will tell you they died and came back to
life, BUT, can they tell you how you can come back to life again yourself? You
see,
2. Only Jesus Christ died and came back to life to tell us how WE TOO can come
back to life for eternity!
Buddha may tell you how to get to heaven but he’s still dead! Mohammed may tell
you how to get to heaven but he’s still dead! Hindu Gurus and Swamis may tell
you how to get to heaven but they’re all still dead! Taoists don’t even know
who wrote what they are being told about heaven; but whoever those Tao writers
were, they’re all still dead! And do you really want to follow a rat or a pig
or a cow or any other animal when you die?
It is your choice! Religion or Jesus Christ? Will you believe in Jesus Christ
who knows the way to heaven because He is now in heaven OR believe dead people
or creatures who are actually subordinate to you?
Why else believe Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven?
Jesus Christ is alive and is in heaven and the only one who has the power to
bring people to heaven and made a promise to do so! You see, only Jesus Christ
can assure you of heaven! There are many religions out there which talks about
heaven, but
3. Only Jesus Christ gives a GUARANTEE of going to heaven.
Belief in Jesus Christ gives you assurance. Religions will tell you maybe you
can go to heaven because you did certain things.
From the Gospel of John Chapter 6, verses 35-40, Jesus said, “Everyone who
looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise
him up at the last day.”
Will you a follow a religion which only gives you a possibility of going to
heaven?
Believe in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and God and be assured of
heaven!
Now, if believing Jesus only leads you to heaven, you will only believe in
Jesus if you really want to go to heaven. Not only do we need to have an
understanding that there is a heaven, we must be able to tell people what
heaven is and what it is not! Golfers will tell you, in heaven you will play
golf all day on the most manicured courses and play with Tiger Woods. Musicians
will tell you, heaven is where all the great musicians will be playing. Packer
fans will tell you, heaven is like Lambeau Field where all the great players
play and the Packers always wins!
Everyone can imagine a heaven to their liking; but the bottom line is this,
HEAVEN is where God is! Therefore, where God is, makes heaven!
God is the source of everything! God is Creator God who brings harmony, order,
and wonderful design! God is more complex than the universe! God is perfect and
Holy! God is love! And so what is heaven like and do you want to go there?
Almighty God rules in heaven! Heaven is more complex than the universe! Heaven
is in perfect order and beautifully designed! Heaven is perfect and holy
because God is perfect and holy! Heaven is love because God is love!
And so, when someone asks why you believe in Jesus, we need to tell them
4. Creator God exists and He is in HEAVEN and I want to be there!
Ask people who question your Christian faith, do you believe in God? You see,
if people don’t believe in God, they will make up whatever they want about life
and afterlife. But sadly, no matter how convinced they are, they will have to
face the judgment of their Creator when they die. We can not help people who
refuse to bow down to God. How confident are you in defending your belief in
God? Think about this for a moment, can you give at least 3 evidences of the
existence of God?
It is crucial to defend your faith in God!
One more reason why believe Jesus is the only way to eternal life and heaven.
5. Jesus is the only One who can PERFECT us to a perfect eternal place called
heaven.
If we believe in God who is perfect and holy, we need to be perfect and holy to
be with Him in heaven. What makes a person imperfect? Turn to Mark 7:20-23 in
your Bibles…..
Anyone of us never did those things Jesus listed??
Do you know anyone on earth who never did any of those things??
And so, there is a major problem: God is perfect and holy and we who lived on
earth are imperfect and unholy, how can we be associated with God and have
entrance to His Holy eternal place?
Can caterpillars, the way they are, fly??
Will caterpillars be able to fly??
Caterpillars will be able to fly once they are transformed to a butterfly!
An imperfect person, this is everyone who has lived on earth, can not go to the
perfect place of God until they are transformed! How can we be transformed?
We are transformed when we claim Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for our
imperfections. Jesus Christ is God, became a man on earth but lived a perfect
sinless life, and allowed the world to kill him on a cross. His death on a
cross paid for all the penalty of man’s sins.
We do not and cannot attain a right relationship with God in our own
righteousness because our self-righteousness is as filthy rags. We are guilty
sinners in the need of a perfect righteousness. Let us read Romans 3:21-26……..
God is just! God can only accept payment for sins against Him if someone
perfect paid for those sins! 2 Corinthians 5:21 states, God made him who had no
sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Only Jesus was and is perfect and only Jesus can pay for our sins which allows
us to enter holy heaven.
We can certainly say more about Jesus Christ as the only way to heaven. If
these 5 reasons can not convince you or convince others, God is speaking loud
and clear to everyone person in this world through His Creation and through the
Bible which is God’s Word sufficient to testify about Jesus. God has done His
job. No person will have an excuse when they face God when they die. God has
revealed Himself plain and simple to every person.
God has done His job! If you’re not a believer of Jesus Christ, your job right
now is to consider what Jesus Christ did for you and receive Him as your
personal Savior and Lord!
What’s our job as Believers of God and Jesus Christ? Yes, we are to rest in
Him. But remember what we noted at the beginning? God tells us in 2 Timothy
4:2, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke
and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.”
Do you believe in God? Great! What truths do you have?
Do you believe in the Bible? Awesome! But what truths do you have to support
your belief?
Are you a Believer of Jesus Christ? Are you doing what He has told you to do?
Think about the following:
Do you know for sure what will happen to you when you die?
Are you ready to give the reasons for your belief in Jesus Christ to anyone who
asks?
In : Theology
Tags: jesus christ heaven salvation eternity judgment