The True Way

The Symbol - Christianity has a powerful symbol of the faith. The symbol is the cross of Christ. The cross is not to be worshipped, but is to be seen as a marker on a person’s spiritual journey. At the cross the choice is made to follow the true God or to follow a substitute. Here a decision is made between the narrow path to a godly life or the wide road to deception and spiritual death. And ultimately, the cross is the turning-point for the eternal destination of heaven or else to continue on the road terminating in a hell of regret. The Apostle Paul had the correct perspective on the cross in Galatians 6:14: “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which (the desires of) the world has been crucified (that is, put to death) to me, and I to the world.”

The Master - During the Lord Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry, He identified how a person must respond to Him. “You call me ‘(Master) Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am” (John 13:13). Anyone claiming to teach the truth must submit to Jesus’ authority, otherwise that person is deceiving people. Jesus said in Matthew 23:8-10: “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi (that is, master teacher),’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘ (spiritual) father,’ for you have one Father, and He is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘(supreme) teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ.” Any other person, no matter his role, must teach that even Jesus is his Master and Teacher. This is the mark of a persons speaking the truth.

Unique Authority - Why did Jesus have the authority to speak like no other man? Because Jesus did what no other man has done: He conquered death. This unique event was predicted often by Jesus throughout His earthly ministry. “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). “He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and after three days rise again” (Mark 8:31). His resurrection was proof that His death was sufficient payment for humankind’s sins. Jesus Christ, “was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4). Since He is the Son of God, and heir of all things, He is the master over life and death, speaking with authority and power to accomplish what no other “teacher” can say or do.

The True God - What did “Master” Jesus Christ teach about God? Jesus taught that God is His Father, and that He is a spiritual Father to all those knowing Jesus as Master (John 1:12). The Living God is a personal being and not just a force or principle. But even more importantly, “God” is not an impersonal collection of apparently, contradictory notions like good and evil, or light and dark. In the Bible, light symbolizes “goodness, righteousness and truth” (Ephesians 5:9). Darkness is the opposite, symbolizing ignorance and/or deception. (Eventually, ignorance and deception leads to evil.) 1 John 1:5 states: “This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.” God is only good. This is the wonderful truth of the Bible.

Creation - As Jesus walked the earth, He did the works of God (Acts 10:38). Jesus brought things into existence by his power (John 6:5-14) and healed incurable diseases instantly (Mark 1:40-42). This was God’s method when He brought the Universe into existence instantaneously by His almighty power. “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth” (Psalm 33:6). The incredible life on Earth and the design of the Universe witness to the human intellect that there is a Creator God. “Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- His eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:19-20). When people reject the truth, their minds are then open to deception. It is taught and believed by many people that everything came about by evolution. But because of the obvious complexity of living things, some people teach that a superhuman force directed the evolutionary process, since reason mandates that mere accidents cannot cause order. However, either of these notions are just a human excuse to explain a complex and beautiful Universe without a personal Creator.

The Royal Law - Everything in the Universe requires laws to exist and function. What then is the supreme law for human existence? How should we live? Once an expert in the Old Testament Bible law asked Jesus, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the first and greatest commandment.” Worship and praise is due to the One God from Whom all creation, and especially humankind, owes its existence. Then Jesus added, “And the second (greatest law) is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:36-39; Mark 12:28-31). The second law is known as the royal law (James 2:8). Love for God and people is the purpose and goal of human existence (1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Corinthians 13:13).

Cultivating Godliness - “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8). Godliness cannot be achieved by human effort or willpower. It is only obtained by God’s gift of grace through faith in the promises of the Bible. The Lord Jesus Christ “has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:4-8). Cultivating the divine nature comes through meditation on the promises in the Bible and with prayer to its author, God. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. If you then, though you are evil (not like God), know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” (Luke 11:9-13). What a wonderful promise for those that know God as Father.

True Understanding - Why doesn’t everyone follow the truth of the Bible? The answer is simple and tragic. The world is full of deceptions promoted by false prophets. A true prophet speaks for the true God. “If anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive--if that were possible--even the elect (God’s children). So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time” (Matthew 24:23-25; Mark 13:22-23). Why do the false prophets teach partial truths mixed with human reasoning and falsehood? To ask them, no doubt, would result in a prideful or deceptive response. But the wisdom of the Bible will give true spiritual understanding. Through the Bible you will come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Master, God as your Heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit as your Helper to lead you unto all truth. In doing this you can claim the promise of Psalm 119:99-100: “I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on (God’s word). I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey (God’s commands).” May God bless your honest and sincere search for the truth, for God has said: “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13)

There are many religions in the world. Each has an identifying Symbol, a Master teacher, a claim about Authority, revelation of God’s character, the process of Creation, knowledge of the primary Law for living, and a method of pursuing Goodness. Compare the Bible way with an other worldview of your choice...