I was recently doing some pondering…questioning actually:
An opinion or a witness? Which is more reliable?
I thought of our own judicial system and how truth is established by witnesses: questions are presented, and witnesses bring clarity… to establish “the real truth” from the various individual truths presented. I thought of how many “opinions” there are out there in the world, on every subject under the sun, but few are actual “witnesses to the truth”. Then the Holy Spirit took over my random thoughts and began to speak:
God is a greater witness than a person, wouldn’t you say? …whether that man or woman is expressing his or her thoughts, opinions, beliefs, reasonings, or interpretations on religious matters?
“Certainly”, I responded within.
I realized, then, a question, that looms in the minds of many people in the modern day, does have “a witness”!
This is that question:
Is Jesus the ONLY Way to God and Eternal Life?
Jesus says that He IS The Way… The Truth… The Life… and that no man can come unto the Father but by Him.
(See John 14:6)
Is He telling the truth?
Well, Let’s Hear a Witness… That’s how we expose a lie or an opinion when in court, right?
Let’s hear what God the Father, Himself, has to say:
Let’s look at this passage of I John 5:9-13, which is powerful to dispel the lie that there are many ways to God and eternal life. Feel free to look it up in your bible, yet because we are a society of bullet points, I have broken up this passage using them for emphasis, while keeping the text and punctuation totally intact, so that you may see more clearly its truth. Seriously ponder each line:
Here is the scripture, I John 5:9-13:
• If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater:
• for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son:
• he that believes on the Son of God hath the witness in himself:
• he that believes not God hath made Him a liar; because he believes not the record that God gave of his Son.
• And this is the record: that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
• He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
• These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
One of the biggest lies in the world is that there is more than one way to God and more than one way to eternal life. This “lie” is really antichrist (against Christ). This lie has everyone around us questioning… the true God.
Do you “really hear” what God, as a witness, is saying in the above scripture verses?
Do you believe God?
Doubting that Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed One, and that the only way to God is through His shed blood and abiding in His Name, causes people to try this and try that, and to investigate this religion and that one, and they become more and more confused as to what is the truth.
They exchange the witness of the true God himself for the opinion of man, especially if this or that person or argument or perspective has “impressed” him. But I repeat the scripture Romans 3:4, “Let God be true, but every man a liar.” That is, let us believe all men’s words and opinions are fallible, rather than God to speak what is not true! The word tells us God cannot lie. (See Titus 1:2) Therefore, He is indeed a reliable witness, is He not?
Do not doubt what God has spoken, though you may see hypocritical speech or behavior around you. Or do you happen to “like someone” who is impressing upon you their Anti-Christ philosophies… meaning they are against Christ as God’s only way to eternal life? Are their logic and reasoning causing you to side with “an opinion” and not “God’s witness”? Are you already aligning yourself with the antichrist spirit, which is upon the world, rather than siding with God?
I John 2:22-23 says:
“I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”
I John 4:3 says:
“…and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.”
The first-given, bulleted passage of 1 John 5 is written for those believers who will call on the name of Jesus to be saved and to be answered in their prayers of faith… And my prayer is that unbelievers will also become believers by reading The Truth… And the confidence and assurance of a true believer can be theirs too, upon receiving Christ as Lord.
God’s main emphasis? He tells us we, as believers, can know… we are His…and that eternal life… is indeed Ours! Scripture’s exact words of verse 13 read, “that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
Did you see the “know” references? …in the scripture I just revealed to you. This means you and I can be confident in what we believe!
Now look at I John 5:20, just a few verses down in the chapter from the previous scripture:
“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”
Can you see that God, who bears witness in this passage, is trying to get you to understand that Jesus is TRUE? and we are in Him, who is the true God? and is Eternal Life?
How many times can one verse say this? Answer: enough so that we will “know”, I suppose, as believers, that ours is the true God.
We ought not to entertain the ideas of other religions, alternative lifestyles, new age experimentation, or questioning continuously our own faith. We can stand on solid ground and establish ourselves in our faith.
We can simply BELIEVE WHAT GOD HAS SAID in the Holy Scriptures concerning His Son, and the only way to Him, the Father!” He is the greatest “witness” to his own Son, for God is the greatest “being” of all! Again, I repeat, God cannot lie. He should know what His Son has purchased for us in dying on the cross and shedding his blood…don’t you think?
The word says concerning Jesus, His Son, in Acts 4:12:
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
I want to share also what Peter testifies that “he witnessed” regarding God himself honoring Jesus, His Son.
Friends, this is even a witness to The Witness of God…
Let’s look at 2 Peter 1:16-18:
“For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.”
Now… with the words of God’s testimony embraced… Believers, you can REST in your salvation. Put on that helmet of Salvation and protect your mind from “incoming” lies and doubts and questionings that you as a believer in
Christ Jesus have somehow “missed it”. You do not need to know more about “the world and its philosophies”!
Quit seeking other gods when you now have the answer! …And, if you have already once believed in Christ, Believe in Him again!
What you need to know more of is “the Word and God’s statements” about His own creation and plan, including the detail of His plan and purpose for each of us… so you can stand…against the lies… and be a witness too, speaking to others of Christ Jesus. The Bible contains his words to mankind and He says in II Peter 1:3-4, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”Â
I encourage you…Go after God and stand firm! To Go after God means you honor His Son, Jesus Christ! Amen!
Believe and be made strong if you are already a Believer. Pray, believing God hears! Speak, believing others will hear! Stand in your conviction, as the Spirit empowers you.
And if you are not yet a believer in Christ, TODAY is the day!
Simply Believe the above passage, and what God says, and you can know too… that Christ is The Lord, and Eternal Life is yours, in Him. It is quite simply a choice to Believe God and what He himself declares of His Son, and that you have eternal life. Yet, you will then grow in grace and knowledge of God and his Son Jesus Christ.
Sin leaves your life as you yield to His workings within your heart, and His Grace gives you righteousness, joy, and peace…the kingdom of God within you.
Being confident, and “knowing” for certain of your salvation, and eternal security, you will then have the power to walk the walk of Being HIS…for Christ’s Spirit dwells within you, that you may Know Him.
I will close with this confirmation…. from another scripture, John 17:3. I absolute love this verse!
“Now this is Eternal Life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
Let’s not heed man’s opinion but rather embrace God’s witness.