by Ann Johnstone

Created on: July 26, 2008   Last Updated: October 13, 2008

A Christian is one who believes that Jesus' words are true, and has placed his trust in those words. Jesus himself stated quite categorically, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me " (John 14:6). He spoke these words to one of his disciples who had just asked him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going so how can we know the way?" In other words, Jesus was telling his disciples that the only path leading to eternal life with God was Jesus himself.

Let's think of a practical example in everyday life. You are lost. You've been driving for several hours and just can't find the town you're looking for. What do you do? Well, along comes a local man, walking by the roadside. You call out to him, "Excuse me, but I'm lost. How do I get to Smallville?" (No, you're not looking for Superman!) Our local guide replies, "There's only one way. You'll have to go back to the last intersection and then go down that small road on your right. The other three roads are dead-ends." So you have a choice. You can either keep driving around getting nowhere or you can take this guy's advice and actually reach your destination.

Another good illustration is in the Bible. Moses had been leading the grumbling Israelites out of captivity in Egypt. They should have been glad that they'd escaped from Pharaoh and the forced labour they had endured there, making bricks for buildings to store the greedy king's treasures. Instead they were grumbling away to Moses about what they were missing out on. All of a sudden they really did have something to worry about. Pharaoh's army was following them and, unlike the Israelites, the army was coming up fast in chariots. Men, women and children on foot are no match for galloping horses!

So now the Israelites had a dilemma. A huge army was advancing behind them, there were mountains on either side, and in front, well, there was the Red Sea. Moses was telling them they had to go forward. If God wasn't going to help them then they'd all be drowned. Fortunately Moses had friends in high places. God wasn't going to let them down. He took them on a dry path straight through the sea, and then proceeded to direct the waves back again so that the Egyptian army was drowned. Because Moses led them through the sea (the only way of escape, as it turned out) they were all saved. Any of the other routes would have been, literally, dead-ends!

We live in an age where many are saying "All paths lead to God". That's only true

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>