JOHN 14:6 (NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE)

Jesus said to him, “I am THE way,
and THE truth, and THE life;
NO ONE comes to the Father
but through Me. [emphasis added]

I believe that heaven is a great place to look forward to. But even if heaven wasn’t a reality, the freedom from the penalty and bondage of sin and the abundant life that God brings us into when we come into a relationship with Him … just those realities alone, make surrendering our lives to God worth it.

But we’ve got to make sure we know that Jesus Christ is the only way into this restored relationship with God, because as Jesus Christ says here in JOHN 14:6, “no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”

And as Jesus spoke these words to His disciples, He knew that the cross was just one day away. And when we think of the extreme suffering Jesus Christ endured in order to secure our freedom from sin’s penalty, our hearts should overflow with love for Him. Leslie Flynn who pastored one single church in Nanuet, NY for more than 40 years, told a story that illustrates this truth …

An orphaned boy was living with his grandmother when their house caught fire. The grandmother, trying to get upstairs to rescue the boy, died in the flames. The boy’s cries for help were finally answered by a man who climbed up an iron drainpipe and came down with the boy hanging tightly to his neck.

Many weeks later, a public hearing was held to determine who would receive custody of the child. A farmer, a teacher, and the town’s wealthiest citizen each offered the judge the reasons they felt they should be chosen to give the boy a home. But as each of them talked, the boy’s eyes remained focused on the floor.

Then a stranger walked to the front of the room and slowly took his fire-scarred hands from his pockets. As the crowd gasped at the severity of his wounds, the boy cried out in recognition. This was the man who had saved his life … the one whose hands had been burned as he climbed up the fire-hot iron drainpipe. And with a leap, the boy threw his arms around the man’s neck and held on for dear life.

The other three men walked silently out of the room, leaving the boy and his rescuer alone. The man’s scarred hands had settled the issue once and for all.

Many voices are calling for our attention. Among them is the One whose nail-pierced hands remind us that He has rescued us from sin and its deadly consequences. To Him, and to Him alone, belong our surrender, our love, and our devotion. Godspeed.

read.think.pray.live.

Gregg