The Way

In John 14:6 Jesus declares that He is the way, the truth, and the life; and that no one comes to the Father except through Him.

This is a bold statement, and a statement that has made thousands of people angry over the centuries. If God were a fair and good god wouldn't He just let all ways lead to heaven? If God was actually caring He would accept any and all into heaven regardless of their religion as long as they were good people while they were alive.

This is definitely a point of contention for many, and for many a turn-off from Christianity because it's statements like this that make Christianity sound exclusive. Well . . . Christianity is exclusive. It's also inclusive. Exclusively-inclusive if you will.

("Demelza," you say, "that doesn't make sense." Well, let me try and explain what I mean).

Christianity is inclusive because anyone can follow God. Your race, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability/disability, wealth status, etc, does not exclude you from ever being able to follow God. God accepts everyone into Christianity if they earnestly wish to follow Him and worship Him and live their life in step with Him. This is where it begins to get exclusive.

Because Christ makes the bold statement that He is the only way to the Father. That in order to truly worship God, in order to come unto the Father is to believe in Jesus Christ as God's Son, the Messiah. For us in the 21st century this mean we believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to reconcile ourselves to God the Father. Not through works. Not through other religious figures. Christ only; and only those who accept this and confess this are true Christians, true Christ-followers.

("Demelza," you say again, "how can you say Christianity is in anyway inclusive when it doesn't allow homosexuals to love who they want or allows people sexual freedom outside of marriage, or who condemn unwed mothers or addicts, so on and so forth?")

First off - I apologize. I apologize to those of the LBGTQ community who have been made to feel less than human by my brothers and sisters in the faith. I apologize for those recovering from addiction and have been made to feel unworthy of God. I apologize to the women who have had abortions and have been harassed by those outside clinics. I apologize for anyone who has been made to feel less than human by any of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Christianity is about restoring the dignity and holiness of a person, not about destroying it, and I am so sorry that you have been made to feel left on the curb. Christianity is inclusive because you should ALL be allowed to come seeking God and you should be allowed to attend church and come as you are.

But, and this is where the exclusiveness comes in, because Christianity is about restoring the dignity and holiness of a person through belief in Jesus Christ that comes with the bold (and obviously controversial) idea that there are "wrong things" and "right things," and sometimes things in this world are gray and there is no "wrong" or "right" answer and sometimes there is. Sometimes that means, as Christians, we must give up things that we really like to do because these things might not be holy or dignifying.

For example, for those of us who are single (of which I am), that means abstaining from sexual relationships until marriage (if ever we get married). And that kinda sucks sometimes because I hear from friends who are in sexual relationships or who are married that sex is enjoyable and fun and sometimes I feel like I'm missing out. Yet, I don't go out and have sexual relationships with people because I believe in what the faith teaches which is that sex is a act that consecrates the holiness of marriage.

This also means that if you have sinned you're not kicked out or unable to come to Christ. It means repenting and accepting the forgiveness of Christ and deciding that (with Christ's guidance and help) that you will lead a new life of holiness whatever that looks like in your situation.

And it's ideas like this that turn people off from Christianity because no one likes being told that they're wrong. No one likes giving up enjoyable things. It also makes people thing they have to be living a holy and blameless life before being able to approach Christ which is NOT TRUE because it's Christ who makes you holy and blameless and Christ alone.

Furthermore, returning to Jesus' statement in John 14:6, this means no other religious way is going to save you. Now some people don't like this because (again) no one likes being told that they're wrong and no one likes the idea that their religious devotion to another deity is not going to get them anywhere after living a life of goodness and philanthropy.

But if there were multiple religious ways of reaching God then there would have been no need for Jesus to come at all. There would have been no need for His perfect life, His torturous death, and triumphal resurrection. It would all be based off good works and no one is good enough ON THEIR OWN to enter into the presence of God. Which is where Jesus comes in.

Jesus who, being the way, the truth, and the life, suffered horribly so that there would be one way to the Father. It's not an easy way, at times, but it is a good way and it is the only way. It's the way of love, the way of dignity, the way of holiness.

**Further Reading: John 17 which is Jesus' High Priestly Prayer which is simply astounding.