May 7, 2023

He Lives To Be the Only Way to Heaven

The gospel is the most inclusive message in the world. the benefits of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are meant for every man, woman, and child who ever lived. The gospel is also the most exclusive message in the world, for it maintains that salvation can only be found in one place, the person of Jesus Christ.


Just listen to how Jesus speaks, "I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14.6). Jesus doesn't say, "I will show you the true way to eternal life." The prophets and apostles could say that. But Jesus says, "I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life you crave." And note that definite article: "the," not "a"! Jesus is not a way into heaven. He is the way. There is no other way than through faith in the One who died and rose again. The unbelieving world finds this claim, that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven, to be the most offensive teaching in all of Scripture. Yet this is the very truth upon which Christ builds his church.

By Pastor Quinn June 28, 2026
Not all love is good. It is self-destructive to love bad things. It is just as harmful to love good things in a bad order. For example, it would seem to be a good thing for a man to love his dog. But if he loves his dog more than he loves his wife, his “love” for both is disordered. For love to be healthy, it needs to be properly ordered. Christians love the people whom God has placed into their lives. But when those people desire something that God does not desire, Christians love and serve God above all. Properly ordered love leads us to be faithful to God and his Word. We love God above all because he first loved us.
By Pastor Quinn June 21, 2026
Without the resurrection of Jesus, I would have to choose my own direction in life. I would be terrible at it, because, like a sheep, I can generally see only what’s in front of me at the moment, and I get myself into trouble. It is especially difficult for me to look far into my future as planned by Jesus. If he had not risen from the dead, I would be on my own. But he lives, and it makes a difference. I have the reliable direction of the Good Shepherd. He feeds us with his Word. He protects us from the roaring lion, Satan. He is leading us into the green pastures of eternal life. For centuries, the Church has observed this Fourth Sunday of Easter to celebrate that Jesus lives to be our Good Shepherd.
By Pastor Quinn June 7, 2026
They never forgot their past. Moses never forgot how he killed a man in a fit of anger. Paul never forgot how he had savaged the Church of God. Matthew never forgot how, as a tax collector for the Roman Empire, he was considered a traitor to his people. But God forgot their past. He forgave all their sins and called them to proclaim his mercy. Christians are sinners whom God has mercifully called. Only mercy can explain why Jesus brings people to faith and promises them salvation. Only grace can explain how he calls them to serve as they are able, even in the ministry of the gospel. God loves sinners.
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