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by Charlie Wolcott

The answer to this question is perhaps one of the most important questions we can ask ever in our lives. “Is Jesus the only way?” The Apostles got in trouble as they began to bring the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire in Asia Minor and into Europe. Why? It wasn’t because they proclaimed Jesus as God. It was primarily because they proclaimed Him as the ONLY God. If they proclaimed Jesus as just “a” god, the crowds would not have been enticed to riot in Ephesus. In Acts 19, so many people were turning to Christ, but in that process, they destroyed all the idols and ceased buying from the idol makers, fortune tellers, etc. Why? Because they realized all those idols were false and had no power or value. The Gospel was literally running the occult businesses out of business by removing their customers and the demand for their goods and services. Take note: when you preach the true Gospel and people repent, those who make money doing evil deeds will come after you and draw in as many as they can with them to take you out. Imagine the bars and sex clubs and drug/sex trafficking coming to a stop because the demand for those ‘services’ ceased. That’s what happens when the Gospel is preached and received on a wide scale.

Jesus declared Himself to be the only way. He was the only option to save mankind. His statements on the matter include: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father except through Me.” When Jesus addresses the Jewish crowds, He made several statements: “I am the Bread of Life.” “Unless you eat of My flesh and drink of My blood, you can have no part of Me.” What is He saying? He is saying the only way we can have hope and sustenance is to make Jesus our actual diet. Jesus’ very life has to be taken in and become the very source of life for us. And He made this statement to the people who had the strictest food diets in the world. The entire purpose was that the people of God were to only get their source of life from God. And believe me when I say that this is the most difficult thing for any person to do. This is why the True Gospel is so offensive to most people, especially those who are nominal Christians, wearing the label but were never born again.

The knee-jerk reaction to this kind of claim is: “Who are you to say that?” “How cruel!” “What about those who don’t believe Jesus?” “Why should I serve a God like that?” “How can you be so dogmatic?” “How can you be so sure that your interpretation is right?” What is interesting is that I get these kinds of reactions from other Christians, not just the unbelievers. What are they really saying with these questions and statements? “Why can’t I believe what I want to believe and still get in?” “Why can’t I get to heaven and still enjoy the things I enjoy doing?” That’s really what they are asking.

Now I am going to open up a can of worms that I am certain will get some very difficult reactions. But I ask those who will give that reaction to hear out the argument BEFORE you react. Respond to that. The questions that are being asked about Jesus being the only way are the same questions being asked about whether God created the heavens and the earth in 6 days with only about 6000 years passing since He finished. Before you tune me out, hear why I say this and for the clarification about what I mean by this.

The Young Earth Creationists believe that their “interpretation,” if you can call it that, is the only possible correct model of origins because that is what the Bible describes. That is the claim YEC’s make. The Bible does not describe anything resembling any of the models that call for “millions of years” to be involved. The typical response I get when I proclaim such origins model is along these lines: “What makes sure you are right?” “Do you have to believe that to be saved?” “That’s just your interpretation.” It’s the same argument on origins as it is with Jesus.

Now, I am not putting one’s position on origins on the same level of “requirements” for salvation as belief in the resurrection of Jesus. But if you are going to claim belief in the resurrection, you need more than just the fact that Jesus rose. You need all that comes with it. When Jesus said, “Follow Me,” He also said, “Count the cost.” If you want to claim the name of Jesus, you need to take what comes with it. It includes forsaking of self, denying self of your rights and your dreams and your wishes, and laying them at the feet of Jesus, for Him to direct and guide and dictate. What comes with the cross and the resurrection? The need for the cross and the resurrection which is laid out in Genesis 1-3. You cannot separate the solution from the problem, or the treasure from the map, and yet most people want the treasure with no cost to themselves, no the key to the chest or no map to follow.

I am not declaring here that the Young Earth position cannot be questioned, but I am saying that if the argument against the Young Earth position is “Is that really the only possible option?” then would not the same person ask the same question about Jesus himself? Behind the argument is: “I still want to believe what I want to believe.” If this is the argument, and the person making it claims to be a Christian, that person is inconsistent. You either believe Jesus is the only way or you don’t. You either believe the ENTIRE Scripture is inspired and God-breathed and sufficient, or you don’t. You don’t get to pick and choose which parts you need to believe or you don’t. If someone does not believe that salvation does not depend upon origins, they need to ask a different question than this. Because it reeks of, “I want to do this my way.”

If salvation itself cannot be done any other way besides what God said, why should origins be any different? Why should any area of life be any different? Jesus didn’t die for you so you can get to heaven and live your life however you want and think however you want to think. He died and His resurrection is in part to save you FROM yourself. There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to death. The only way that leads to life is through Christ, and that way starts out in Genesis. It will end through the events described in Revelation. Jesus is the only way. The origins that the Bible describes is the only correct origins model. The requirements of the Gospel – repentance and faith – are the only response acceptable to God. And the world is going to end as God described in the Bible. It’s the ONLY way. Call it dogmatic if you want; truth is dogmatic and exclusive. I only seek to speak it, and while it sounds harsh and while it sounds exclusive, it is liberating. I’ve noticed that people who used to believe in God and left it tend to describe their account in terms of education and enlightenment. I can see a fog coming over their heads, blinding them to the truth. But those who escaped from that don’t come to God in terms of education or enlightenment, but in terms of deliverance. Know the truth and the truth will set you free. It is the only way to be free. Let us surrender ALL of ourselves so that Christ might reign actively today, instead of living in rebellion against His rule. His rule is sovereign over everything, and anything not submitting to it will be judged as sin. Anything submitting to His rule will be judged as righteous. Which one are you? The one who does things God’s way, or does things your own way?

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