Is not a call to ‘blind faith’ …..
Jesus’ recorded words (in John 14: 6) “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” have been very lazily and misleadingly applied as follows:
- “you cannot be saved except you believe in Jesus and accept him as your personal lord and saviour; in other words become a christian”
- “your prayers cannot be heard or answered unless you are a christian and pray in jesus name”
Lazy and misleading because first of all, this point (made to his disciples) was not about ‘being saved from hell’ or ‘saved for heaven’. It was not about being ‘saved’ at all. It is about gaining privileged access to the governmental seat of all power and authority. It is about the quest into the very heart of God, His domain and His agenda. It is about the quest of a mortal man called to press into life and divinity as a joint heir with Christ.
Those words were not uttered as a means to be packaged into a neat doctrine, dogma or tradition! No. To understand, you need to take into account his message, his actions, his life and legacy. Vested within the life, testimony and revelation of Jesus Christ are the keys to death defying and death defeating union with God. I suggest that unravelling this mystery is more than simply ‘believing in jesus’ or ‘becoming a christian’. Rather, it is a life’s quest and journeying with God, following in the very steps of Jesus Christ; the way, the truth and the life.
Many Christians have been lulled into a false sense of ‘I have arrived’ by believing the lazy and misleading interpretation of John 14:6. They run the risk of finding out quite late in the day that all they inherit are the crumbs that fall off the table. Thinking themselves to be ‘rich in Christ’, they discover the truth that they are poor and bankrupt. Expecting a glorious welcome and entrance into the kingdom of God, they find fulfilled on that day, the saying that “the first shall be last and the last first”.
Some who we considered ‘disqualified for the race’ , because they haven’t spoken the name of Jesus Christ, gone to church nor signed up to the trimmings of Churchianity, will be ushered in having found to be faithful followers of He who is the way, the truth and the life. Many also who started the journey in church life will find themselves break camp and they continue walking in the path of Jesus Christ.
The clues are in the words of the man himself – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
This lazy and misleading teaching and application of Jesus’ words is just another reason why the visible church today is often powerless, irrelevant and no different to the drifting and clueless world in which she finds herself.
You, my friend, called to hear, seek and do the will of God will do well to pay attention to Jesus Christ; the way, the truth and the life.