THE WAY
John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
There are two ways (paths) we may take in this life. The broad way leads to total destruction. The narrow way (by Jesus) leads to everlasting life. The Scripture for this is in Matthew 7:13-14.
Matthew 7:13 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:” Matthew 7:14 “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
Jesus is not only the way but He is the door (gate) we enter in through. He opened the way for us when the veil of the temple was torn in the temple opening the way for us to enter heaven. Reference for this is found in Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38, and Luke 23:45.
Matthew 27:51 “And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;”
You see we really had no part in the temple veil being opened so that we might go boldly to the throne of God. Jesus made the way for us through the veil (symbolic of His flesh) when His flesh died on the cross.
In Matthew 3:3, John the Baptist tells us to “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”
In Acts chapter 26, Paul was on his way to Damascus when the Light of Jesus shone down on the way. Paul was blinded by that Light and gave his life to Jesus. Jesus lit up the way for Paul to follow in for the rest of his life.
THE TRUTH
There is a correct way to worship and we are commanded by Jesus how that is in John 4:24 “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
You see, there are those who worship who are not careful enough of the way they worship. We must not believe everything we hear. We must worship the Truth (Jesus Christ). We must search diligently for the Truth and then believe on that Truth.
We are instructed to think on good things that are the true value in this world in Philippians 4:8---“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”.
In Colossians chapter one, we read that the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ brings hope to those who have faith and believe.
Colossians 1:2 “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Colossians 1:3 “We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,” Colossians 1:4 “Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,” Colossians 1:5 “For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;” Colossians 1:6 “Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:”
1 Thessalonians 2:13 “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” The Word of God and Truth is speaking of Jesus.
We read in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 what happens to those who follow Satan and not Jesus (who is the Truth).
2 Thessalonians 2:9 “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,” 2 Thessalonians 2:10 “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” 2 Thessalonians 2:11 “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:” 2 Thessalonians 2:12 “That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
1 Timothy 2:3 “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior;” 1 Timothy 2:4 “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” You see, Truth and Jesus are the same. It takes both to be saved. The next verses settle it. 1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” 1 Timothy 2:6 “Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” 1 Timothy 2:7 “Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not,) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.”
In James we read that our Creator and our Savior reached us with His Truth. James 1:18 “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”
We must be careful in saying we are a Christian. A Christian is a “follower of” and a “believer in” the Lord Jesus Christ. If we are not walking in His Truth, we are lying if we say we are a Christian. 1 John 1:5 “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:6 “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:” 1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:8 “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
It gets a little stronger statement in 1 John 2:4 “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
Here we see a direct connection between Jesus, the Spirit, and the Truth. 1 John 5:6 “This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.”
It cannot be denied that Jesus is the Truth.
THE LIFE
If we believe that the Word of God (Jesus) created all things, we have to believe that He is Life. The reference to Him being Life and being Creator is found in John chapter 1. The next Scriptures to read would be found in Genesis chapter 1. You can easily see the Spoken Word (Jesus) was Creator.
The breath of life that was breathed into Adam and Eve gave them life. They were just forms made from clay until the breath of life from Creator God (Jesus) gave them life. You and I really had no worthwhile life until Jesus took up residence in us. Our life eternal life came from Jesus.
The following Scriptures leave no doubt that the life we receive from Jesus is greater than all of this earthly life. Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” Matthew 7:14 “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
We find interesting Scriptures in Jesus’ own words in Matthew 10:38 “And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:39 “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”
Two more similar Scriptures also in Matthew extend the meaning a little further. Matthew 16:25 “For whosever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” Matthew 16:26 “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
One of the most used Scriptures in all the Bible pertaining to salvation is in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
We are all familiar with the rich young ruler coming to Jesus for salvation. He asks Jesus what he must do to be saved. We read Jesus’ answer in Matthew 19:17 “And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” You see, Jesus and life eternal cannot be separated.
Matthew 25:46 “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”
In John we read of Jesus giving spiritual water that leads to eternal life. John 4:14 “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
In the fifth chapter of John in Jesus’ own words He says He not only is Life but shares that Life with the believers.
John 5:25 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.” John 5:26 “For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;”
We see that it is up to us to receive the life Jesus offers us to have eternal life. John 5:39 “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” John 5:40 “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”
When Lazarus died, Jesus went with Martha to the tomb and He told her the following in His own words: John 11:25 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” John 11:26 “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” John 10:28 “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”
We read two very powerful Scriptures on Jesus being our Everlasting Life in Romans. Romans 6:22 “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
There are hundreds more Scriptures on Jesus as Life, but I believe we have made the point sufficiently here.
THE SAVIOUR
We will find out in this very first verse why He was named Jesus. Matthew 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
We see in the next Scripture why Jesus came to this earth. Matthew 18:11 “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.”
In the following Scripture there is no doubt at all who the Saviour is. Luke 2:11”For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
In John 3:16 we see love so great it is hard to comprehend. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
In Acts 15:11 we read: “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.”
We read that even our house will be saved in Acts 16:31 “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house”.
Many a mother and dad have stood on this Scripture believing their children will be saved.
In Romans 5:1 we see the word justified. It means just as if I had never sinned. Romans 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”
We read exactly what we must do to be saved in Romans 10:9-10. Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Romans 10:10 “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Colossians 1:13 “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:” Colossians 1:14 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”
1 Thessalonians 5:9 lets us know that Jesus purchased our salvation for us. All we must do is believe. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,”
1 Timothy 1:15 “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”
In the next Scripture, we see that Jesus not only saved us, but gave us immortality.
2 Timothy 1:10 “But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:”
Here are some more Scriptures that leave no doubt that Jesus is our Saviour.
Titus 1:4 “To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.” Titus 2:13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;” 1 John 5:11 “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” 1 John 5:12 “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” 1 John 5:13 “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” 1 John 5:20 “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”
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