“Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me.”
John 14:6
Jesus said “I am the way”, He personally is the way.
No church can bring you to God, no ceremony can bring you to God. Christ alone can bring you to God. You either have Him or you don’t. Either you trust Him, or you don’t.
“the truth”, not only does He speak the truth, but He is the truth.
“the life”, He is the origin of all life. He is God the creator.
“No man cometh to the Father but by Me.” This dogmatic statement ruins the party for all of the cults and ism’s.
The only way to the Father, the only way to salvation, and the only way to heaven is by and through Christ.
There is no way around Him.
No, Markos, the Bible says that Jesus said that. How do you know that he said that? Because the Bible says so. (circular reasoning)
But how do you know that what's in the Bible really happened? Because the Bible says so and because the Bible is the word of God? And how you you know the Bible is the word of God?
We are back on square one which you never answered (but promised you would in the morning!).
Christ alone can bring you to God
How do you know that?
“the truth”, not only does He speak the truth, but He is the truth
How do you know that?
“the life”, He is the origin of all life. He is God the creator
How do you know that?
“No man cometh to the Father but by Me.” This dogmatic statement ruins the party for all of the cults and ism’s.
Dogmatic statements are not necessarily true, they are just dogmatic. Without proving that it is true, it remains a dogmatic statement of dubious credibility. There is no proof because there is no objective knowledge. What's left is blind faith that it is true. Just because you choose to believe something is true doesn't make it true.
Other religions quote equally dogmatic statements form their holy books which they believe are from God. In fact, they claim they are from God.
So, let's go back to square one, Markos, and start again with how do you know...
“Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me.”
I am the way, truth and the life.
As kosta so well illustrated, even if we know God said them, we still have to know what the words mean.
He is the truth.
And if one seeks Truth? And Life? And the Way? Isn't it therefore Jesus he seeks?
And if Truth and Life and the Way finds him, isn't it Jesus, isn't it God? Or is there another Truth and Life and Way. And if he is poor in spirit and pure of heart? Will he see Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven?
the only way to heaven is by and through Christ
Yes.
No church can bring you to God
Who sees this distance between himself and God? Where is God not? What is Church? Where is it? How big is it?
bdeaner:
The "Church" includes ALL of the instrumental means of salvation operating in the world through Christ and the Holy Spirit, no matter where that may be occurring.
Can this Church "bring you to God?" By definition, it is God transforming us through His Church.
I think this is true: If we place limits on His Church, we place limits on God, for they are inseparable. When we reduce Jesus to a name, we lose the better part of God. The more we deny God to another, the more we deny Him to ourself.