Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - The Way Home - #6364

A Life That Matters - Making the Greatest Difference with Your Life
The Way Home - #6364 Print
 
A Word With You - Your Most Important Relationship
Evang3300

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Download MP3 (right click to save)

When I was in the jungles of Ecuador, I was more than happy to have a guide who knew his way. Even though the jungle was pretty jungley (is that a word?), at least we had a little path to follow. That wasn't the case for a pioneer missionary I heard about. He had a long journey through some very thick jungle ahead of him. When he came to the village on the edge of that jungle, he was happy to find a man who was willing to guide him for the rest of the trip.

He'd been following this guy now for a couple of hours. The guide was literally hacking his way through that dense growth with his machete, and the missionary asked him, "Can't we find a path somewhere?" The guide gave him a pretty simple answer, "Sir, I am the path."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You about "The Way Home."

Two thousand years ago, one of Jesus' main guys asked a spiritual question that has haunted the human race for centuries: "How can we know the way?" Now, that's an important question. How can we know the way to God in the midst of so many competing religions and spiritualities? How can we get the issue of our eternity settled? Look, we've got maybe 70 years on this earth and we've got forever in eternity, so how can we know the way to heaven?

Well, Jesus didn't answer with a set of rules to follow, or a religion to join, or rituals to observe. His answer was simple and straightforward. It's our word for today from the Word of God, John 14:6 , "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Now notice, He didn't say He'd come to show the way to God. He came to be the way. Jesus absolutely up-ends one of the most widespread misconceptions on the planet, that getting to God is about a religion. It's not about a religion; it's all about a Person. It's all about Jesus! It's not all about Christianity; it's all about Christ!

Now how could Jesus say He is the way? In short, because only Jesus did the dying for all our sin. In the Bible's words, "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8 ). Because, as the Bible says, "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23 ). Sin can only be paid for by someone dying, and someone did. But only one someone—Jesus. Again, the Bible: "Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous (that's Jesus) for the unrighteous (that's you and me) to bring you to God" (1 Peter 3:18 ). He literally took our hell so we could have His heaven. Then, three days after He died, Jesus walked out of His grave and blew away death!

Only the Man who paid for your sins can forgive your sins. And only those whose sins have been forgiven—erased from God's book—can enter the perfect home of a perfect God.

So this never has been and never will be about which religion is the right one. It's about the Rescuer, Jesus. When those Chilean miners were trapped deep underground, there was no way they could dig their way out. That's us, in a deep hole because of hijacking our life from the One who gave us our life. It took a massive effort to drill a hole and launch that miner rescue. No one complained that there was only one way out of that mine. They were celebrating that there was one! Yes, there is only one way to God, through Jesus His Son. But, thank God, there's a way!

So your eternity all comes down to what you do with Jesus; whether or not you've made the Savior your Savior. You could get that done this very day. See, it happens when you talk to Jesus something like this, "Jesus, I admit that I have run my own life. I deserve the penalty for that. I believe You paid it when you died on the cross. I believe You're alive today, and I'm pinning all my hopes on You."

Our website really is there to meet you at a moment like this and help you get the rest of the way. I hope you'll go there as soon as you can today—YoursForLife.net.

No religion, no right living is going to get you to heaven. If they could, Jesus wouldn't have died on that cross. He's your hope, and His hand is reaching your direction. Grab Him.

 

Comments 

 
-6 By marvin purser on June 2, 2011 at 5:42 am
The misconception is that sins ever had to be paid for to an unconditionally loving
God. Isaiah quotes the Lord: "I despise your sacrifices, your burnt offerings, etc."
"Jesus Paid it all" is a hymn that is dead wrong. Jesus was lifted up so that everyone might come to him. "Love lifted me when nothing else would do." Not a payment plan to God. God is still saying through Jesus: "They know not what they do!" Go figure!
Reply | Reply With Quote | Quote | Flag as Inappropriate
 
 
+6 By Gary Finney on June 2, 2011 at 6:00 am
I don't understand your point of view! The section in Isaiah that you mention is taken out of context, It refers to a violation of God's direction by the people and their efforts to circumvent His rules. Jesus did pay it all , because if he didn't then our faith is in vain...
Reply | Reply With Quote | Quote | Flag as Inappropriate
 
 
-1 By Dean Knight on June 2, 2011 at 6:11 am
One of my college classes was Religion in US. Our professor is a Methodist preacher and to his credit during instruction he showed no bias. It seems the world's five major religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism) all know that Jesus existed but have differing opinions as to His role. That is where we come in to save the world by convincing them to believe that Jesus died for their salvation. How do the Atheists state Jesus is fictional when 95% agree he lived? They know!
Reply | Reply With Quote | Quote | Flag as Inappropriate
 
 
+6 By George Nelson on June 2, 2011 at 7:48 am
Marvin Purser is wrong. Jesus did pay it all. If He didn't then why did He come? He came and died for my sins, and I'm glad He did.
Reply | Reply With Quote | Quote | Flag as Inappropriate
 
 
+1 By pkline on June 3, 2011 at 6:03 am
God does love unconditionally . However he is also a Just & Holy God. Nobody takes their baggage to Heaven with them, it must stay at the foot of the cross - or be judged by a just God. James says when sin is accomplished, it brings death (James 1:15). I'm glad I have an advocate.
Reply | Reply With Quote | Quote | Flag as Inappropriate
 
 
0 By Litton on August 26, 2011 at 9:55 pm
Jesus did pay for our sins and cleared the way for us so that in trusting Him we may have eternal life.
Reply | Reply With Quote | Quote | Flag as Inappropriate
 

Join the Discussion

Commenting Guidelines


Security code
Refresh

A Word With You - Ron Hutchcraft

Share "A Word With You" On Your Website With This Animated Widget


Creative Commons License © Ronald P. Hutchcraft • Distributed by Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
"A Word With You" by Ronald P. Hutchcraft is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Based on a work at www.Hutchcraft.com/A-Word-With-You.
 


About RHM

subscribe to devotionals

Copyright © 2008 - Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc. (Except Where Otherwise Noted)

 
 
Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability Member National Religious Broadcasters 2010 Shining Light Ministry - MinistyWatch.com