The Only Way

There is salvation in no one else!  God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.  
Acts 4:12 NLT  

I grew up in a Christian home. We went to church every Sunday. My siblings and I attended Christian school and went on more mission trips than I can count. However, was that enough to convince me that Jesus was the only way to heaven? Not really.  

In fact, when life got hard, that’s when I began to question things. I finally started looking for answers instead of taking everybody’s word for it. I read the Bible for myself and sought God for myself, filtered through my own theology of what was true and what was not. And, like most people, I wondered, How can I be confident that Jesus is the only way to heaven with so many religions out there? If God is so good, why are humans allowed only one pathway to receive eternal life?  

These are all valid questions, ones that the Lord welcomes. But what if we changed our perspective and started asking questions like this:  

  • Why would God, with as horribly messed up and sinful as we are, allow any pathway at all for us to experience heaven?  
     

  • Why would God, with as flawless and holy as He is, want us to live with Him forever if we’re constantly breaking His heart?  

It’s a love I definitely don’t understand. Because if someone breaks my heart, I certainly don’t forget. But yet, God sent Jesus—His perfect Son—to take the death penalty for my shortcomings. This incredible act of love means that through Jesus, I can be forgiven and made pure, “washed white as snow.” That’s unreal!  

It’s not a matter of “Why would a good God not accept everyone into heaven?” It’s a matter of why He would choose to give sinners like us a chance in the first place. God presents us with countless, numerous, plentiful opportunities to surrender our lives to Christ throughout our lifetime. That’s grace, and to me, that proves that He is good!  

God has never stopped pursuing me, and He certainly will never stop pursuing you. Yes, there is only one way to heaven—but the fact that He gave us a way at all brings us a confidence that changes everything!  

God, I can’t believe You love me like that. Thank You for sending Your Son. I surrender my life to You, now and forever. Amen. 

 

We hope you’ve loved this month of excerpts from A Confidence That Changes Everything: Devotions to Shine Bright in This Topsy-Turvy Life, the new book by Hannah Crews! Get your copy today.