Does it really make a difference what a person believes? Do all people end up in Heaven in the end? What could be any more important than knowing where you are going to spend eternity? Perhaps the thought of what will happen to your soul after you die has crossed your mind over the years but somehow you manage to squash the thought whenever that happens. In this article here, I will be showing you that the Bible is very clear that Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to Heaven. In this article here I want to absolutely squash the idea, that there are many ways to get to Heaven. As you read this article, I want you to ask yourself the question. If I were to die tonight, then where would I spend eternity? What about your loved ones? I encourage you to take the time to read this article, because you do have an enemy of your soul, who will try to distract you from reading this, because he knows that the truth shall set you free. Be Blessed my friend!
OUTLINE
1] JESUS CHRIST SAID THAT HE WAS THE ONLY WAY – TO THE FATHER (John 14:6) – his Father is in heaven (Matthew 7:21, 10:32-33) so He was telling us that He was the only way to heaven. Jesus also said that some who called Him Lord were not truly His children (Matthew 7:21) but only those who do the will of the Father. Jesus asked His disciples who they thought He was, and Peter acknowledged Jesus to be the Christ (Messiah) (Matthew 16:13-17). Either Jesus Christ is the Messiah or He is not! That means that every person on the planet, whether Jewish or Gentile, has a choice to make concerning the Messiah.
2] THE DISCIPLES FOUND THE MESSIAH – Andrew declared unto Simon Peter that “we have found the Messias (Messiah) (John 1:40-42) which is another confirmation that Jesus is indeed the Messiah.
3] JESUS REVEALED HIMSELF AS MESSIAH – TO A GENTILE WOMAN – who was a Samaritan. (John 4:21-26). This woman believed in Jesus Christ, along with many others from her village, which shows us that Gentiles were getting saved before Christ died on the cross. Jesus also told this woman that God must be worshiped in “spirit and in truth” showing her that spiritual worship (from the heart) is not and cannot be limited to a physical place, including Jerusalem.
4] JESUS THE MESSIAH IS ALSO THE SAVIOUR – Having proven the case that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah) it can be easily shown that Jesus is the Saviour also, and therefore the only way to heaven for anyone.
1] Jesus Christ Said That He Was the Only Way
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)
This is a very well-known verse of scripture, and this is the verse where Jesus makes the claim that He is the only way to the Father. I would like to go to some other scriptures in the Bible where Jesus mentions the Father, and heaven, in the same breath so that you can see the point that I am trying to make. I am doing this because Jesus did not mention heaven in John 14:6 and I know that there will be some that will try to twist the scriptures to say something that they do not say. I want to emphasize the point that Jesus Christ is absolutely the only way to heaven and that there is NOT an alternate route to get there.
Not every one that saith unto me, LORD, LORD, shall ENTER into the kingdom of HEAVEN; but he that doeth the will of my Father which IS IN HEAVEN. (Matthew 7:21)
Whosoever therefore shall CONFESS ME before men, him will I CONFESS also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever SHALL DENY ME before men, him will I ALSO DENY before my Father which IS IN HEAVEN. (Matthew 10:32-33)
In the verses above we can see that the Father is in heaven. Given the fact that Jesus said that He was the only way to the Father, then it can also be said that Jesus is also the only way to heaven where His Father resides.
2] The Disciples Found the Messiah
One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the MESSIAS (MESSIAH), which is, being interpreted, the CHRIST. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. (John 1:40-42)
Here is a very clear verse in the scriptures which show us that Jesus Christ was recognized early on to be the Messiah. Please do not believe those who tell you that there is a different plan for the Jewish people and the Gentile people. There is only ONE Messiah and ONE Saviour according to the scriptures, and His name is Jesus Christ. I would like to look at some other scriptures from the Word of God just to prove the point that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and that He came at a certain prophesied moment in time. The one thing we must remember is that Christ became the sacrifice for sin, so I am moving through the scriptures with that in mind.
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias (Jeremiah), or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ (MESSIAH), the SON of the LIVING GOD. And JESUS answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath NOT revealed it unto thee, but my FATHER which IS IN HEAVEN. (Matthew 16:13-17)
Who Do You Say That “I AM”?
Here we are getting to the very root of the question as to whether Jesus is the only way to heaven. Here Jesus was asking His very own disciples (followers) what the rest of the people were saying about Him. They responded by telling Jesus that some of the people thought that He was John the Baptist, (resurrected) while others thought that Jesus was the prophet Elijah, or Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets of the past. At this time Jesus put the very same question to them “But whom say ye that I AM?” And Peter responded by telling Jesus that He was the Christ, the Son of the living God. By the way that word Christ means Messiah, so Peter was in fact telling Jesus that He was the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Now Jesus makes a very important statement here in telling Peter (Simon Barjona) that he was a blessed man because that spiritual revelation did not come from flesh and blood (meaning another human being) but from His (Jesus) Father in heaven. Keep in mind that the disciples were hearing the Word of God directly from the mouth of the Lord, which later became part of the book that we now know as the Bible. The Word of God, which is the truth, came directly into the heart of Peter. His “spiritual light” was turned on to the truth that Jesus was in fact the Messiah.
3] Jesus Revealed Himself as The Messiah
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, NOR YET AT JERUSALEM, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the JEWS. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the TRUE WORSHIPPERS shall worship the Father in SPIRIT and in TRUTH: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that MESSIAS (MESSIAH) cometh, which is called CHRIST: when he is come, he will tell us all things. JESUS saith unto her, I that speak unto thee AM HE. (John 4:21-26)
In this passage of scripture, the Lord meets a Samaritan woman by divine appointment. This woman was surprised by the fact that Jesus was even conversing with her because the Jews and the Samaritans did not get along with each other. The woman got a glimpse into the prophetic realm when Jesus revealed her sinful past and the fact that she had five husbands, and that she was currently living with a man that was not her husband. (John 4:16-18) The conversation then turned to spiritual things. The Lord made it clear to the woman that God must be worshiped “in spirit and in truth” stressing the importance of worship from the heart. It had nothing to do with a geographical location. After a while the Lord revealed to this woman that He was the Messiah. (John 4:26)
Do not miss the fact that the Lord specifically mentioned Jerusalem here when He was speaking on the topic of true worship. Jerusalem in Israel is a city much like many other big cities around the world. In that city there are some who worship the Lord Jesus Christ, but for the most part, He is still rejected, as He was when He walked in Jerusalem back then.
Jesus told us that God must be worshiped in Spirit and truth.
Jesus told the woman that a geographical place, including the earthly city of Jerusalem, did not matter because true worship in Spirit and truth precluded that.
Jesus was able to see into the sinful lifestyle of the woman.
Jesus revealed Himself as the Messiah to this same Gentile woman.
When the Lord’s disciples showed up, they were just as perplexed as she was, that Jesus was speaking with a Samaritan woman. The woman then decided to go back and testify to the people from her village.
And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. (John 4:39-42)
LESSONS LEARNED
The Samaritan woman got saved.
The Lord can save anybody in the whole wide world, Jewish or Gentile.
The Lord knew the Samaritan woman’s past but still offered her mercy.
The Samaritan woman became an instant evangelist for Jesus.
Other Samaritans testified that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah).
Other Samaritans testified that Jesus was the Saviour of the world.
Jesus the Messiah was saving Gentiles even before the cross
4] Jesus the Messiah Is Also the Saviour
We have learned through the most recent passage of scripture that many of the Samaritans came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ calling Him the “Saviour of the world”. Given the fact that the Lord revealed Himself to the “woman at the well” as the Messiah, we can naturally conclude that Jesus is both Messiah and Saviour. We can also conclude that Jesus is offering salvation to both Jew and Gentile. I would like to look at just a few scriptures in the Bible that contain the word Saviour to further prove that Jesus is the only Saviour.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a SAVIOUR, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11)
This verse tells us clearly that the Saviour is Jesus Christ, and it mentions the city of David, which is Bethlehem, where Christ (Messiah) was born. That was the very place where Micah the prophet said that He would be born. (Micah 5:2)
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a SAVIOUR, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. (Acts 5:29-32)
In the passage above we see that Peter confronted the Jewish religious leaders, including the High Priest, and told them that obedience to God was more important than obedience to men. He told them the “God of our fathers” (meaning the God of Israel) was the one who raised up Jesus (from the dead)! Jesus, the one that they killed! Peter then went on to say that Jesus was exalted to be a prince and a Saviour offering forgiveness to Israel. Peter then includes the Holy Ghost in his list of witnesses. The main thing that I want you to get is that the people of Israel were given the same opportunity that the Gentiles were given to accept this person of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Paul himself said that the gospel was for the Jew first:
For I am not ashamed of the GOSPEL OF CHRIST: for it is the POWER OF GOD unto SALVATION to every one that believeth; to the JEW first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)
In this next passage of scripture Titus mentions “God our Saviour” and “The Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour” within the span of two verses. This not only proves Jesus to be the Saviour, but it also proves Jesus is God.
But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our SAVIOUR; To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our SAVIOUR. (Titus 1:3-4)
In the next two verses of scripture, we learn that there is no other God beside the one who is the just God and Saviour:
I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no SAVIOUR. (Isaiah 43:11)
Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and THERE IS NO GOD ELSE BESIDE ME; a just GOD and a SAVIOUR; there is NONE BESIDE ME. (Isaiah 45:21)
In the New Testament book of Acts the same theme is followed, telling us that Jesus Christ is the only name by which a person can be saved:
Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of ISRAEL, that by the name of JESUS CHRIST of Nazareth, WHOM YE CRUCIFIED, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is NONE OTHER NAME under heaven given among men, whereby we must be SAVED. (Acts 4:10-12)
Because all people on planet earth have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and that there are none righteous (Romans 3:10-11) there can be no other way for anyone to be saved apart from the Saviour whom God has provided for us. The blood is the only thing that will atone for the soul (Leviticus 17:11) and the blood that Jesus shed on the cross is the blood that was shed for all mankind.
But GOD commendeth his LOVE toward us, in that, while WE were yet SINNERS, CHRIST died for us. Much more then, being now JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD, we shall be SAVED from WRATH through HIM. (Romans 5:8-9)
We have proven through the scriptures that there is only ONE Messiah who also is the ONE Saviour. Jesus Christ is still the “way, the truth and the life” and there is NOT a single person who will enter heaven unless they come through Him.
The Ethiopian Eunuch Who Got Saved
And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and PREACHED THE GOSPEL in many villages of the Samaritans. And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias (ISAIAH), and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the SCRIPTURE which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, OF WHOM SPEAKETH THE PROPHET THIS? of HIMSELF, or of SOME OTHER MAN? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the SAME SCRIPTURE, and PREACHED unto him JESUS. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that JESUS CHRIST is the SON OF GOD. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the SPIRIT of the LORD caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. (Acts 8:25-39)
LESSONS LEARNED
1] The angel of the Lord sent Philip to witness to this man.
2] The angel saw the man studying the book of Isaiah (53:7-8).
3] The Ethoipian man inquired as to whom Isaiah was speaking about.
4] Philip immediately preached Jesus unto this man.
5] The man was baptized and made a public profession
6] This is the choice for you today, SALVATION in Jesus Christ or DAMNATION without Him.
7] That is what Jesus taught.
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. For GOD sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world THROUGH HIM might be SAVED. He that BELIEVETH ON HIM is not condemned: but he that believeth not IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, because he hath NOT BELIEVED in the NAME of the only begotten SON OF GOD. (John 3:16-18)
Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and PREACH THE GOSPEL to every creature. He that BELIEVETH and is baptized shall be SAVED; but he that BELIEVETH NOT shall be DAMNED. (Mark 16:14-16)
SUMMARY
JESUS DECLARED that He was the ONLY WAY to the Father. (John 14:6)
The FATHER is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21,10:32-33)
The disciples found the MESSIAH. (John 1:41-42)
Peter recognized JESUS to be the Christ, the MESSIAH. (Matthew 16:13-17)
JESUS revealed HIMSELF as the MESSIAH to a Gentile woman. (John 4:21-26)
The Samaritans recognized Christ (MESSIAH) to be the SAVIOUR. (John 4:39-42)
Titus told us that GOD was the SAVIOUR. (Titus 1:3)
Titus told us that JESUS CHRIST was the SAVIOUR. (Titus 1:4)
ISAIAH declared that there is ONLY ONE SAVIOUR. (Isaiah 43:11, 45:21)
There is NONE other name to be SAVED by but that of JESUS CHRIST. (Acts 4:10-12)
The BLOOD of Jesus Christ was shed for YOU. (Romans 5:8-9)
BELIEVERS in JESUS CHRIST are NOT CONDEMNED. (John 3:16-18)
Those who do NOT believe in JESUS CHRIST are CONDEMNED ALREADY. (John 3:16-18)
SALVATION in JESUS CHRIST or DAMNATION outside of JESUS CHRIST. (Mark 16:14-16)