The One True God
There is a shift in our culture today that has taken many by surprise. It is a shift in our way of thinking. For instance, 74 years ago there was the basic belief in America that there was one God and that He was the God derived from the Scriptures. You either believed in this God or you did not believe in God at all. Today, the belief is that the God of the Bible is only one god among many gods, each equally valid in their claims.
Our society is actually moving away from religious pluralism – the belief that all religions are equally valid—to syncretism. That is, you can now choose a little bit from Christianity, a little bit of New Ageism, a little bit from Hinduism, a little bit of Protestant doctrine, a little bit of Catholic doctrine, mix them all together and come up with your own personal religion that fits your lifestyle and your own little god who accepts you on your terms.
What Jesus Christ says in John 14:1-6 shatters any attempt to pick and choose. What Jesus says, in the clearest terms, is the most dogmatic, exclusivistic statement that, to this day, troubles our world. In this passage, Peter’s question was, “Lord, where are you going?” Thomas’ question was, “Lord, how do we get there?” And in verse 6, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’”
Christ’s answer was not one thought; it is, rather, three distinct thoughts or predicates. Each predicate has an article which the Greeks would use for emphasis. We can also rightly understand Christ’s response to read, “I am the only way; I am the only truth; I am the only life.” Or, “I am THE way; I am THE truth; I am THE life.”
I can testify that He is the life. I can tell you that I have come to life in Him, and I know the truth of forgiveness and the joy of trust; I know the freedom of spiritual life and the freedom from guilt. There is no other path to heaven, no other way to the Father.
Jesus Christ is not one god among many—He is the only God.
Jesus Christ is not one kernel of divine truth—He is the only truth.
Jesus Christ is not one path to heaven among many—He is the only path.
So how do we follow Him today?
The same way the disciples did long ago. They heard the words of Jesus and believed them. They took His words and obeyed them. They confessed their sins to Jesus as their Lord and God. They believed that He died to take the punishment of their sins and rose from the dead to give them new life. They followed His example and command to tell others the truth about sin, righteousness, and judgment.
