DAY 28- 3/28/17 SOLUS CHRISTUS
“I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” John 14:6
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction , and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Mt. 7:13,14
There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 16:25
Thoughts: For some Jesus is only one among many ways, one among many truths. Jesus was not saying, “Follow me and I will lead you to the truth” rather- “I am the truth.” Many do not have a problem adding Jesus to their spirituality- or having Jesus as one god among many. But the “solus” or “only” claim of Jesus is what not only rubs them the wrong way but frustrates them. For them, all roads lead to the mountaintop, however winding. But, despite what post-moderns think, Jesus was saying that truth matters. To say that truth matters means that lying and deceiving is not okay.
At the time of the Reformation (and still today), people were trying to get around the idea that salvation comes through faith in Christ and trust in the cross as a sacrifice for our forgiveness. So the idea of purgatory- that we may somehow pray for others to have their sins burned off in time with punishment; or as some Catholic sects believed- transfer the righteousness of one saint over onto us was followed. Luther and the Reformation leaders called people back to the idea of Christ as our Savior.
Once a baby had jaundice and her parents were told that if they put the baby underneath a special light for so many hours, the baby would get better. But suppose the parents quarreled- “That’s too easy! How about if we scrub her, warm her, put a little skin coloring on her, and drops in her eyes? If we work hard enough at it, I’m sure we could get her normal coloring back.” The doctor would have insisted, No, there’s only one way to handle this.” If the parents had said, “No, we will just ignore this and maybe it will go away.” The doctor would remind them that things can get better if they do not follow his simple but important steps. Believing in Christ is simple but it is also important. Jesus opens the door to belief to whosoever will. It is not exclusive in its invitation it is exclusive in its solution.
Lee Strobel asks, if there were two country clubs- one of which had an exclusive membership for those who earn it and do a multitude of tasks; and the other invited everyone- no matter what they looked like or what they had to join. For the second, entry was not based on qualifications or earning it but on accepting the invitation. Christianity is like the latter. All are invited and we do not earn our way. Rather we depend on one who has paid the way for us.
“I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” John 14:6
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction , and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Mt. 7:13,14
There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 16:25
Thoughts: For some Jesus is only one among many ways, one among many truths. Jesus was not saying, “Follow me and I will lead you to the truth” rather- “I am the truth.” Many do not have a problem adding Jesus to their spirituality- or having Jesus as one god among many. But the “solus” or “only” claim of Jesus is what not only rubs them the wrong way but frustrates them. For them, all roads lead to the mountaintop, however winding. But, despite what post-moderns think, Jesus was saying that truth matters. To say that truth matters means that lying and deceiving is not okay.
At the time of the Reformation (and still today), people were trying to get around the idea that salvation comes through faith in Christ and trust in the cross as a sacrifice for our forgiveness. So the idea of purgatory- that we may somehow pray for others to have their sins burned off in time with punishment; or as some Catholic sects believed- transfer the righteousness of one saint over onto us was followed. Luther and the Reformation leaders called people back to the idea of Christ as our Savior.
Once a baby had jaundice and her parents were told that if they put the baby underneath a special light for so many hours, the baby would get better. But suppose the parents quarreled- “That’s too easy! How about if we scrub her, warm her, put a little skin coloring on her, and drops in her eyes? If we work hard enough at it, I’m sure we could get her normal coloring back.” The doctor would have insisted, No, there’s only one way to handle this.” If the parents had said, “No, we will just ignore this and maybe it will go away.” The doctor would remind them that things can get better if they do not follow his simple but important steps. Believing in Christ is simple but it is also important. Jesus opens the door to belief to whosoever will. It is not exclusive in its invitation it is exclusive in its solution.
Lee Strobel asks, if there were two country clubs- one of which had an exclusive membership for those who earn it and do a multitude of tasks; and the other invited everyone- no matter what they looked like or what they had to join. For the second, entry was not based on qualifications or earning it but on accepting the invitation. Christianity is like the latter. All are invited and we do not earn our way. Rather we depend on one who has paid the way for us.
Song: "In Christ Alone"
No comments:
Post a Comment