Are there multiple paths to heaven?

I’ve heard it quoted some 79% of all Americans believe you will go to heaven if you are a “good” person.  Likewise, in the same polling some 68% of Evangelical Protestant Christians believe in multiple ways to heavens even though Jesus did not preach multiple ways.  These polls may be correct. I have not verified the polls myself, but believing that being good enough will get you to heaven is troubling enough no matter what the numbers.  All of this sounds good and maybe it will be true for those who believe in a just and forgiving God. My Bible does not read that way and Jesus certainly did not preach another way.

You can be a great American and not believe in Jesus Christ.  However, you cannot be a true follower of Jesus Christ and believe Jesus is only one way to heaven.  If you read and study the Bible there is only one path to heaven and that path is through Jesus Christ.  Who provides the better answer; Jesus himself or someone else?  If Jesus is quoted as saying he is the only way to heaven how can someone claim there is another way.  The Bible does not present other ways.

Is Jesus a liar?  If Jesus said he was the only path to heaven but there are other paths available you would have to assume that Jesus was a liar and should not be followed. He was a fraud.  Find for yourself the scriptures that tell of other ways to heaven.  There are none.

You can debate the lost tribe in Indonesia or Brazil that may have never heard of Jesus, but I believe God reveals himself to them in a supernatural way that we do not understand, see Romans 1:18-23, NIV Bible.  Not so for the radio and television audiences in today’s world.  The message of Jesus has been preached to all nations so no one can claim they have not heard.

So, just how do you plan on getting to heaven?  Being good or doing good works is not the answer if you truly believe the Bible is the inspired word of God.

Let’s complicate the picture a little more.  Jesus said in John 14:6-7, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well.  From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”  Jesus followed this in John 14:9, “… Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father…”

Do you get it?  Jesus is the only path to heaven and he told you so.  But, you can’t come to Jesus unless God draws you to him.  Jesus says in John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…” and again in John 6:65, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.”

In John 10:30, Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.”   Do you believe this?  If not, why not is the question I would ask?  Not to be judgmental but only to understand what literature or source you use to support your position. 

You must first believe there is a God (Reference Romans 1:18-23 again if you still do not believe there is a God) for you to be drawn to Jesus. Once you accept there is a God, the Holy Spirit of God will lead you to salvation through the redemptive works of Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection.  When you submit to Jesus and ask him to be your savior, you will be saved and become a child of God.  God’s Holy Spirit will come into your life and provide directions for your new life in Christ.  In 1 John 4:4 we read,  “… The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

You must know Jesus in your “heart.”  It is not just “knowing about Jesus.”  It is “knowing Jesus” and following him through the lead of the Holy Spirit that will dwell within you.  The large percentages of people who profess there are multiple ways to heaven know about Jesus but do not truly know Jesus.  Which camp do you fall in?

Continue to ponder on “the way” to heaven while development of this Blog continues in its beginning phase.

This entry was posted on 5. May 2009 at 22:20 and is filed under Is there a God. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.