You probably have already heard someone say that “all paths lead to God”. Well, not according to the Bible, no, they don’t.
Photo by: ell brown (Creative Commons)
When it comes to God, there is always right and wrong, good and bad, light and darkness. So you should expect that there is a way that leads to God and at least another way that doesn’t.
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)
So there it is. Indeed, not all paths lead to God. Not only that, but the right path is harder to find and most people don’t go through it.
So what is the right way? How can you identify the correct path to follow?
According to the Bible, there is only one way that leads to God:
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
Jesus is emphatic in saying that He is the only way to get to God. He then repeats the idea by saying that there is no other way to get to the Father except through Him.
This concept was clear to the New Testament authors:
It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:10-12, emphasis added by me)
For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5)
Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-22, emphasis added by me)
You may think that Jesus was a high spirit or a special prophet, but he is much more: He is God with us (Matthew 1:21-23)! He is the one that takes us to the Father, and the only one who can do that.
If you want to get to God, now you know how to do it. If you want to know you’re on the right path, just make sure you’re following Jesus. There is no other path, no other way, no other person that can take you to God.
In our present world, it is very observant that many people think the road is WIDE. They don’t understand the narrow issue. They see God as a kind and merciful and gracious Father Who doesn’t call any shots at them. And they think it doesn’t make any difference what/who they worship as long as they are nice people. And those of us who seem to be too picky aren’t too popular. And I think tougher time is coming. I often tell the younger generations [that would include you] that you are the ones that will be facing what we didn’t even imagine. You all are on my heart.
Yes, God is kind and merciful and gracious but He is also just. And justice will be done, He promised that. And if He was able to send His only Son to die for us, so we could live with Him, what else people will want?