Jesus said it: “I Am the Way” ( John 14:6 ). So simple. So profound. So thrilling! If it is righteousness that we need, we must remember two things. First, our soy-milk-drinking, tofu-eating, TV-rejecting, church-office-holding, literature-distributing, Bible-studies-giving, abstinent righteousness will never cut it with God. The best righteousness we could ever develop on our own would be only ‘filthy rags’ righteousness. Second, Jeremiah 23:6 speaks of “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” ( emphasis added ). This means that He Is the Way.
What about perfect obedience to the law of God? Heaven could never open its gates to sometimes obedience or occasional obedience or quite often obedience or even mostly obedience. Perfect obedience to God’s law is what it takes. The psalmist directs our attention to the way in words prophetic of Jesus: “I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.” ( Psalms 40:8 ).
Jesus Christ never once disobeyed. He never once broke God’s law. He never once broke His Father’s heart. He never once sinned. An all of His obedience is a gift to me when I accept Him, so this makes Jesus the Way.
All of us, myself included, desperately need acceptance by the Father. Paul wrote: “He has made us accepted in the Beloved” ( Ephesians 1:6 ). Thank God, trembling soul, that Jesus says, “Because I am the Way, you can gain acceptance with the Father. Trust Me.”
And what of our need for maturity, for finishing, for completeness in the Christian life? Colossians 2:20 trumpets, “You are complete in Him.”
The answer is the same for whatever need one might have. Cleansing. Victory. The fruit of the Spirit. Justification. Sanctification.
So, the “I am the Way” of John 14:6 isn’t an oversimplification. And it certainly isn’t ‘cheap grace’. Rather, it’s the most expensive grace imaginable, because we haven’t been purchased with money “but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” ( 1 Peter 1:19 ).
By the way, this isn’t ‘new theology’. It’s the Gospel ( Good News ).
After having seven studies about Jesus, one young Buddhist woman was asked how she felt about what she had heard. Her answer, “It’s too good to be true.” But it is the truth. He is the Way and the Truth.
Seventh-day Adventists who have emphasized behavior, performance, obedience, law, standards, rules, and requirements need to know this truth.
Seventh-day Adventists who don’t have any joy or assurance in their Christian life need to know this truth.
Seventh-day Adventists who are trusting in their level of achievement or sanctification need to know this truth.
Seventh-day Adventists who are guilty, burdened, condemned, and who are worn out from trying need to know this truth.
And Seventh-day Adventists who just don’t see how they can ever measure up need to know the rich, powerful, saving meaning of these four words, “I am the Way”.
I’ll tell you what they mean to me. I can be accepted while He is making me acceptable. I can be perfect while He is perfecting me. I can be justified while He is sanctifying me. I can be ready while He is getting me ready. I can be complete while He is completing His work in me.
I can be saved while He is saving me. Is this not what Martin Luther meant when he said, “When I look at myself, I don’t see how I can be saved. But when I look at Jesus, I don’t see how I can be lost?”
On 21 May 1946, Louis Slotin and seven other men were carrying out a dangerous experiment near Los Alamos, New Mexico. They were working with pieces of plutonium, which produces deadly radioactivity when enough of it is brought together. During the experiment, the pieces were accidentally nudged a little too close together, and a great upsurge of radioactivity filled the room. Slotin moved at once. With his bare hands, he pulled the radioactive pieces apart. But in so doing, he exposed himself to an overwhelming dosage of radiation. Several days later he died. The seven other men recovered.
Jesus came down to this dangerous, deadly earth laboratory where we live. On the cross, He threw Himself on the explosive, destructive force of sin, covering it with His own body so we could escape and live.
There has to be a way to be saved; there just has to be–and, praise God, there is ! Jesus’ life instead of yours. Jesus’ righteousness instead of yours. Jesus’ perfection instead of yours. Jesus’ sinlessness instead of yours. Jesus’ death instead of yours. Offer this to the Father by faith, and see where it gets you.
These are the notes from Linda who gave our Wednesday night Bible Study devotional message recently. The following books by Ellen White were researched to put this message together.
1. Child Guidance
2. Education
3. The Desire of Ages