in Christ alone
November 2nd, 2006 by Scott Andreas
I have got to admit something to you. This semester has really challenged my thought, faith, theology, and the very core of my belief. I’ve tried to take a different approach to the message series. Instead of a refresher course on who Christ is, I decided to listen as if I have never heard the truth before. I have approached the matter of Jesus Christ, His Deity, His Uniqueness, and His God-ness as if it has been the first time I have heard anything about Him. It has been good; it has brought back a shock and awe factor to my faith that seemed to be stagnant for so long. Let me explain…
I have been a Christian all my life, and you see I get in these funks, they aren’t bad, it’s just they’re the same. It’s routine, habit; it’s what I’m supposed to do. It’s as if I walk with Jesus everyday that I forget the essence of who He really is. There are people in my life that I have crossed paths with who some would consider, “famous,” in the sports or entertainment industries. They happen to be good friends of mine. However, to me, they’re just a friend and I forget how other people perceive them. I sometimes forget that they are famous. Then I see them in a crowd with people asking them for autographs and shaking their hands and that’s when it hits me, oh yeah, this person is famous.
I feel for much of my life I can say the same about my relationship with Christ. Trust me, it’s not bad to walk with Him and see Him as a friend, but sometimes, I forget how awesome He really is. It takes a walk through a crowd, or maybe a difficult time to look and say, oh yeah, You are the Christ. It’s in those moments that I look to Him and say, “You truly are an amazing God.”
Last night we realized that there is a power in the name of Jesus Christ, but more importantly we realized that there is only One Jesus. He is unique and no person, religion, statue can match is greatness. There are no other faiths that match Christianity and we believe in Jesus because He is the only way to Heaven. Jesus makes an extraordinary claim in John 14.
“I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
What a claim. When everyone around us is telling us that there are other answers, Jesus comes out and boldly claims, that there is no other solution in this life except Him. Only Jesus can save.
It seems like a harsh claim, but when you realize that this path is available to everyone and anyone, you realize again the awesomeness of Christ. There’s no song and dance that comes with this, it’s just a willingness to believe that Christ is the only way we can make it to God. And again, we realize that Christianity is the MOST inclusive religion there is. It’s for anyone and everyone, we are called to just come.
