As Easter approaches, it would be good to be reminded of why the message of Jesus is so pivotal to all humanity. Without the price He paid for our sin, none of us would have any hope of salvation. I want to offer a stroll through Scripture to provide clarity about the exclusive nature of the salvation offered by Jesus.
Jesus spoke of that salvation when speaking to His disciples just hours before His arrest, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
When Jesus addressed the unbelieving religious leaders of His day He said, “Unless you believe that I am who I claim to be you will die in your sins” (John 8:24).
As Peter preached the council of rulers, elders, and teachers of religious law in Jerusalem he said, “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Paul was trying to help the Galatians see the need for faith in Christ alone free from the law, “But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ” (Galatians 3:22).
Paul spoke of the conflict that will come to those who preach that only Jesus can save, “They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save” (Galatians 6:12).
For the last 2,000 years, the uncompromising truth of Jesus as the only way to God has caused men and women to lay down their lives to bring others to Christ. It is not about our opinions or preferences. None of those will matter or stand the test of truth in the end. Only Jesus, no other religious figure, no meticulously crafted religious system, and no pop-culture version of a personally created way of salvation can offer us redemption if we read and trust the truth Scripture.
A repeated wording takes place in the New Testament regarding our part in the invitation God has extended to all humanity through His Son Jesus Christ. Words like “believe”, “receive”, “trust” and “accept” are involved in that invitation. It doesn’t just happen. We must exercise our will to receive.
As Easter approaches, many will be listening to the message we preach. Invite them to begin a journey of faith by accepting the same invitation Jesus gave to His first disciples, “Come, follow Me.” In the following, all their questions will be answered and their soul will be redeemed. It is a worthy message.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Garris Elkins
Featured Image by congerdesign from Pixabay
