There are many famous passages out of the bible that are used for witnessing Christ to others. One of those favorite passages that I often used was John chapter 14 and verse 6. However, it wasn't until I began to understand the grace of God that the verse made sense to me, and I was able to explain it and communicate it with others more effectively.
Many at times we quote a verse, a chapter or a book out of the bible and pretty much repeat what we have heard in church, learned from a pastor or have read out of a book. So the tendency is to explain the verse in light of how we were taught the meaning of that verse. We've all heard and read about how Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth and the life". But have you ever asked yourself what Jesus really meant when He said this?
Friends, Jesus is the Way out from under the law and the Way into a new life of grace. Jesus is the truth that set us all free from the lie ...that in order to be right with God one had to do it by the works of the law. Jesus said that He was the life because He was the only one who was able to raise us all up out of the death grip of sin which came through the law.
When Jesus said that He was the way, the truth and the life He wasn't talking about pointing us in a direction of doing right so that we come out from the direction of doing wrong. Jesus showed us the way out from ever thinking that we can earn God's love, God's grace, and God's mercy by what we do or don't do. Jesus closed every avenue of self-righteousness that had been leading us to think that it was our way that kept us in good relationship with God.
Jesus pretty much said: "Hey, I am the way. There's no other way. It is not your way, nor man's way, nor religion's way. Religion doesn't have the truth, and being that I am the Truth, anything else other than Me is a lie. I am the Truth that came to set you free from the lie that you can earn God's righteousness by the works of the law. I am the Life that brought you out of the law of sin and death."
This is the reason why Jesus Himself said in John 10:1... "He that entereth not by the door (Jesus) into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other WAY, the same is a thief and a robber." Friends, the Evangelical Pulpit has been leading us in the wrong direction for many years, by leading us to believe that we can find the way by doing it our way. They have been teaching us to climb up to God through our own self-righteous performance.
Religion has for years been leading us to do things for God according to their way. Religion's way is a way of works, rules, laws and regulations. It steals from the finished work of the cross. It only leads to more misery, more demands and holier than thou expectations. It continues to teach the lie that we can save ourselves by the good that we do. It continues to keep us from the Life that came through Jesus to bring us freedom.
Freedom from sin, the law, the prophets, the psalms, death, the grave, satan and self-righteous performance. Friends, religion preaches a "Have It Your Way" Burger King sermon. Thank God that Jesus came to show us the Way to live by grace, and teach us the Truth about how impossible it was to live by the law the which no one could keep, thus leading us all to live a lie. Jesus is the life that now lives in us all.
It is not about man's way, religion's lies, nor about our life. It is all about His Way, His Truth, His Life. We are all complete in Him because God had it His Way, according to His Truth, and all done by His Life. If we climb it by any other way other than by Jesus then we become thieves. So we can't have it two ways, there aren't two truth's, nor two life's. So we can either have it His Way, by His Truth and His Life, or continue to live a "Burger King" life.
Grace N Peace
Eddie Narvaez