This week’s devotions are based on the Week 4 “Explore God” – Is Christianity too narrow? (WATCH HERE)
Is Christianity too narrow?
This is the time of year that people find apple orchards and pumpkin patches to enjoy some fall fun. One of the fun fall activities that some farmer’s create are corn mazes. These mazes are intricate trails that farmers carve out of their corn fields to let people wander to find their way out once they enter. A good corn maze can lead a person on a challenging trek, often interrupted by a dead end that looked promising, but does not lead toward or out the exit. Finally amidst the maze of paths is the way out. There is only one way out…even though there are many paths within.
Perhaps the religious landscape sometimes feels like a fall corn maze. We enter the fray of religion only to find ourselves overcome by many different ideas and many different theologies. In the frustration of the complexity, we settle that what we believe or in whom we believe are not as important as just believing in something. We’d like to think that every pathway in the corn maze of religion lead to the same ending.
However, here’s the truth:
Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
The corn maze only has one way out.
Sometimes people get lost in a corn maze and one of the staff have to go in and lead them out. It would be nice to say, “Just take any path. They all lead to the same place.” However, the truth is very different. They don’t lead to the same end. So, when a staff comes in to direct a lost participant out to safety, that is a loving thing.
So it is with faith. The truth is their is only one way to heaven. All the others lead to death, spiritual death.
So it is a loving thing to lead people to know THE way to heaven. This was Jesus’ heart for each of us that we would know the way to where he was going. Here’s what Jesus said:
John 14:1-6 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
The way is through Jesus, but there is no limit to those who can follow Jesus to eternal life. This week we will unpack more how and why we can make the claim, but also have the confidence that Christianity is the ONLY way to heaven!
Apply: What makes it challenging for you to share why Jesus is the only way to heaven? What makes you question this statement?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for showing me the way through the maze of life to heaven through Jesus. AMEN.