Jesus is the way, not
churches or temples
Jesus said, “Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye
shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father… But
the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father
in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.” (John
4:21-23)
With these words, Jesus is taking spirituality “out of the
box” so to speak. Before Jesus, the way to get to God was through a system of
laws and rituals called ordinances, and it was rooted in a particular place and
a particular institution. But when Jesus came into the picture, he said that HE
is the way to God (John 14:6; John 10:1, 7).
So be careful when
someone says that there is a different way to God. Maybe they will say that it
is through a list of rules and good deeds, a set of rituals, or through membership
in a church. Not so! Of course, people who trust in a church or rituals say
that they are only doing so because Jesus told them to. Please consult your
Bible!
Don’t I have to DO
something? Good works?
No. Jesus did all the works required for your salvation!
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
(Eph. 2:8-9)
After you are born again, you will be led to do good works
and bring forth good fruit for God. You will also leave behind sinful habits
from your old life. But these things do not earn you eternal life! You will
never be worthy of God through your actions – only through the mercy of Jesus.
For further discussion on this topic, see this previous blog post.
Ordinances?
No. Jesus did the only ordinance necessary for your
salvation!
“And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering
oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man
[Jesus], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the
right hand of God.” (Hebrews 10:11-12)
“Blotting out the handwriting of
ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of
the way, nailing it to his cross.” (Colossians 2:14)
What about baptism or the sacrament of the
Lord’s Supper? These are not ordinances in the sense that they get you closer
to salvation. They are out outward actions which are merely symbolic of the
real works accomplished by Jesus! Baptism represents Jesus’ death, burial, and
resurrection, and likewise the death of your old life and resurrection to a new
life in Jesus – it is a public profession of faith in Jesus. The Lord’s Supper
is a reminder of his sacrifice for us.
What about all the ordinances in the Old
Testament? The Jewish temple ritual was only meant to happen for a short
time, to point to Jesus, to teach us about Jesus: “Wherefore the law was our
schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But
after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.” (Galatians
3:24-25; see also Hebrews 10:1)
Membership in a
church? Jesus did found a church, didn’t he?
Jesus does have a church, of which every true believer
becomes part by virtue of their adoption into the family of God. But please understand
what that means! It doesn’t mean you have to be a card-carrying member of a
modern 501c-3 organization, or have been baptized in just the right building by
just the right person. The church is the body of true believers, and they could
be in any number of places or denominations around the world. In fact, Jesus said
that the saved (read: his true church) and unsaved would be all mixed together
until he returns. See Matthew 13:24-30.
The church is meant to celebrate, defend, and proclaim the
gospel – but it is not the gospel itself!
Do not box God into a denomination or
a building. “God that made the world and all things
therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples
made with hands.” (Acts 17:24)
Which will you trust:
Jesus or a church?
A word of warning to you. If you stand before God on
judgement day and try to tell him that you should go to heaven because you were
a member of a certain church or performed certain ordinances, he will refuse
you: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in
thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many
wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart
from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:22-23)
Paul issued an equally chilling warning: “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are
justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” (Galatians 5:4)
Be careful who you trust for your salvation. Are you
trusting yourself? Your ability to keep the law? The ordinances you’ve done?
The church you’re part of?
Or will you trust Jesus alone?
You can’t have it both ways. If salvation is by grace then
it is no more of works (Romans 11:6). If you are justified by the law, then
Jesus is OF NO EFFECT UNTO YOU. You either have to trust yourself or trust
Jesus – it’s very simple. Jesus illustrates this concept in parable form here.
Don’t miss what God is telling you in his Word. You must be born again.
Please pray about this. Go to the Bible and ask God to open
your eyes to his true gospel. The stakes are too high to be comfortable where
you are currently sitting. Forget what’s on TV. Forget the nice tie you’re
wearing or the façade you put on for the world. Forget your day-to-day cares
for a minute and just think about what Jesus is saying here.
Feel free to ask me any questions and I would love to explore
God’s Word together with you. God bless you!
