Salvation
Before I was saved, I often found myself questioning how Jesus is the only way to salvation. I asked myself, can I have a relationship with God and not know who Jesus is? In John chapter 10, Jesus is telling the Pharisees a story about the Good Shepherd and His Sheep. He tells them that “there is only one way to enter the sheep pen.” He says that the one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. This part really sticks out to me: “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” The Pharisees still did not understand what Jesus was telling them, and He goes on to say that He is the gate for the sheep.
“Whoever enters through Him will be saved.” Whoever is to enter the kingdom must enter through Jesus. He is the only way to eternal salvation! He is also the good shepherd. He knows His sheep by name, and He laid down His life for His sheep.
John 14:6 says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus does not simply say there is a way. He says He IS THE way. Jesus does not simply say there is a truth. He says He IS THE truth. Jesus does not say you can have a life. He says that He is our SOURCE OF LIFE. In the next verse, He says, “If you know Me, you will know My Father as well.” Through Jesus, we know the character of God and the love that He holds for us. However, Jesus plainly states that “He is the way, the truth, and the life.” We are only saved by the grace of God. That grace is Him entering this world in human form to bear the sin of the world on the cross, to free us and break the chains of sin as His gift to us.
It is a big misconception that being a good person and having good works automatically gives you the pass to Heaven. Titus 3:5 says, “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.” Our works are not what declares our salvation. Having a relationship with Jesus, surrendering our life to Him, and knowing that He died on the cross to bear our sin and save us does. However, when we are saved and continue to grow our relationship with the Lord, a process called sanctification happens. When we continue to grow our relationship with the Lord, He changes our hearts to look more like His. Therefore, our good works do not declare us saved, but when we are saved, He changes our hearts for us to provide good works.
When you gain salvation, you not only have a way to Heaven, but you also have a relationship with a Father that loves you so much that He sent His one and only Son to die on the cross for you. You gain someone that is with you all the time to talk to about anything, to give all your burdens to, and that continues to bless you every day. You have eternal life with the God of the universe, the same God that knows you by name, the number of hairs on your head, and everything that goes through your mind. He knows everything about us, including what is best for us. There will never be a love on this earth that will equal the love that the Lord has for us, and we have proof of that love through the cross.
This post was written by Kyla Dula, Worship Intern (Summer 2024)
I Want To Follow Jesus