‘I Am’ Sayings Of Jesus
#6, I Am The Way, The Truth, And The Life[i]
(John 14:1-6)
I invite you to open your Bibles to the gospel of John chap 14. We have been looking at Jesus’ seven I AM statements. Today we will consider His sixth statement in v11 where He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through me.
As we begin this morning I would like for you to take out the study guide. I want you to write down 2 of your basic fears. They might have to do with economic issues, political issues, family issues, or even an insecurity you wrestle with. I believe we’ll fine in the verses before us some principles that will help us as we wrestle with the fears around us.
Let’s begin with prayer. -- Heavenly Father open our minds that we may grasp that Jesus is Your exclusive way to our arrival in heaven. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Well, in v6 Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. In that statement He makes it clear that He is the exclusive way to God. But Oprah Winfrey and others disagree, proclaiming that there are many ways to God, so pick your truth and follow it.[ii] That’s true in one sense, all roads indeed lead to God; but the God of heaven is not just a God of love, He is also the God of judgement.[iii]
As a point of reference, in Daniel 7, vs 9-11(GW) we read these words: 8While I was pondering a vision from God about what is to come . . . 9I watched ‘as’ thrones were set up and the Ancient One, who has lived for endless years, sat down. His clothes were as white as snow and the hair on his head was like pure wool. His throne was fiery flames, and its wheels were burning fire. Now I don’t what you to miss these words: 10A river of fire flowed out before Him . . . The court convened, and the books were opened. 11I continued to watch because of the impressive words of the false-Christ. I watched as he was destroyed and thrown into the river of fire.[iv] That river of fire feeds the lake of fire in Revelation 19 and 20, which is the end for everyone who ignores the gospel of Jesus Christ.[v] V28 of Hebrews 9, Jesus was sacrificed once to take away the sins of humanity, and after that He will appear a second time. (When He comes the second) time he will not deal with sin, … but will save those from judgment who eagerly wait for him.[vi]
If you have not had a serious ‘come-to-Jesus’ moment, your destination is the lake of fire, and there is no ointment to lessen the fiery pain, only worms, tears, and grinding teeth.[vii] 2 Corinthians 6:2 (NASB95) . . . now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. The point that I want us to wrap our minds around, is that there is only one way to experience the saving love of God, and that is through Jesus. [viii] As Acts 4:12 (ESV) states it, there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” We come to God by faith in the Savior Jesus alone.[ix] Any other path, whether it be religion, philosophy, or miscalculation as to the person of Jesus leads to an eternity in the lake of fire.[x]
A. Context
Let’s take a closer look at chap 14. You might be interested in knowing that the teaching Jesus gives here takes place just hours before His crucifixion, making it a Thursday night teaching moment. In a few hours Judas would bring an armed crowd to arrest Him. So these are Jesus’ final words to His disciples before His death designed to carry them through the coming chaos.
The Passover super has ended. Satan now controls Judas.[xi] In V33 of chap 13, Jesus told His disciples that He is leaving. Gnawing gut wrenching fear has begun to grip them. In Vs36-37(MSG) of chap 13 Peter picks up on Jesus’ words and asks, 36 “Master, just where are you going?” Jesus replies, “You can’t now follow me as to where I’m going. You will follow later.” 37“(Peter responds), but “why can’t I follow now? I’ll lay down my life for you!” It is at this point Jesus tells Peter that he will deny Him. Then in v5(MSG) of chap 14, Thomas picks up Peter’s question “Master, we have no idea where you’re going. How do you expect us to know the road?”
B. Be at ease
The disciples are in a swirl of bewilderment and fear, dreams of their idea of kingdom ministry vanishes, Judas’ betrayal is soon, then comes a sharp rebuke to Peter in front of his buds about his betrayal, on top of it all is the mounting antagonism by Jewish leadership. It is in that context that Jesus announces that He is leaving and they can’t come. To say the least, these guys are on edge. It is in that context Jesus tells them in v1, “Don’t let your heart be troubled,” ie., set your hearts at ease! How’s that for a word of comfort? “Their world is crumbling, and Jesus says to them in essence, “don’t let your heart get tide up in knots!” Do you feel their dilemma?
In John 20:31 John writes: I have recorded the life of Jesus, so that you may believe (that is, trust Him, be confident, treasure this truth) Jesus is the promised Messiah/Savior, the Son of the Living God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. By life, He means the very life of God,[xii] which, by the way, includes peace in the midst of chaos.[xiii] Jesus knows that shortly they will be running for their very lives. And He interjects, “don’t let chaos bury you.” Basically He was applying Hebrews 12:2–3 (MSG), 2Keep your eyes on Me, who will finish this race your in. Study My life. 3When you find yourselves fading in your faith, remember how I lived, so that you don’t become tired and give up, because His life’s story will pump adrenaline into your soul! We can face any fear when our eyes are fixed on Jesus.
C.Four Reasons To Stay Focused In The Midst Of Life’s Storms
Well, let’s take a closer look at vs1-6. In these verses Jesus gives four key principles on how to stay the course when the pressure to run presses in on us in the midst of chaos, confusion and fear.
1. Our first principle comes in V1: Do not let your heart be troubled; you believe in God, you believe also in Me.
Jesus was telling them, that in the flow of life, you are going to have to exercise a new level of trust in God and Myself.
Jesus tells them, “I’m going to the Father,” and they were deeply troubled. Not because He was going to the Father, but because He was leaving them. In that setting Jesus says to His disciples, “It’s time that you come to the place where you trust my Father and Myself, even though you cannot see me with your physical eyes.
Until now they had lived by sight. Jesus had been their source of instruction, source of their wisdom, source of their strength, source of their protection, and the source of their hope for their future. And now He tells them “I’m leaving”! Keep in mind, for 3 ½ yrs they had lived in the physical shade of the glory of God.[xiv] Jesus was absolutely everything to them. Until this moment they had lived by sight. From their perspective their world was about to collapse. There were real adornment issues now on the table. Remember, Judas has mysteriously disappeared, Jesus has just told Peter he is going to betray Him, and Jewish leadership were clamoring for Jesus’ death. Their minds swirling, and Jesus says, “Listen up! Stay the course and trust God ‘my Father’, and Me also.”
They did not understand that the swirling uncertainty, chaos and fear was actually producing in them eternal glory. That’s what Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:17–18 (GW) 17Our suffering is light and temporary and is producing for us an eternal glory that is greater than anything we can imagine. 18We don’t look for things that can be seen but for things that can’t be seen. Things that can be seen are only temporary. But things that can’t be seen last forever.
Make a note of this: our transformation to eternal glory is tied directly to our struggles in this chaotic world. When our world crumbles around us, the temptation is to take our eyes off of the glory to come. But it is in the midst of uncertainty, fear and chaos that transformation is taking place. The glory of our future is interwoven into the struggles of our present.[xv]
So Jesus tells them, your world may appear to be going mad, but keep trusting that God is sovereign, and keep trusting that I am the Messiah, the Savior of the world. It is kind of faith demonstrated by Abraham—“who against all hope, in hope believed”[xvi] that prevails in a world going mad. So that is why they are exhorted to “stay the course, keep on believing in me.”[xvii]
Is your world crumbling? Are you finding yourselves anxious? Is the weight of disconnect overwhelming? Trust God, trust Jesus, because the difficulties are producing in you an eternal glory that is greater than anything you can imagine.
2. Our second principle comes in Vs2, My Father’s house has many rooms. If that were not true, would I have told you that I’m going to prepare a place for you?
Jesus was telling them, all is not as it seems, there is a definable future for you. He was not saying, “heaven is under construction and chaotic. I have to go clean it up and get it ready for you.”
In saying that He was going to prepare a place has nothing to do with building buildings, but with making the way for relational fellowship. Heaven is settled. Jesus was leaving to provide the way for them and us to live and know God the Father.[xviii] Remember, Jesus is headed to the cross, and in so doing He will break down the obstacles: Satan’s agenda, sins condemnation, and the coming fiery judgment of God. John 3:36 (GW) Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, he will experience God’s constant anger.”
In effect Jesus was saying, “I need to leave so I can remove every obstacle standing in the way of our finally being together. Sin will be atoned, the wrath of God will be satisfied, and Satan will be judged.” It’s not that Jesus is building physical mansions, it’s that He is paving the way for us to get to the Father. Hebrews 2:10 (NASB95) it was fitting for Him . . . in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.
Jesus had to become a man, He had to suffer, and He had to die in order to be the perfect provider of salvation. His suffering opened the way for His eternal glory greater than anything we could imagine. Philippians 2:9 (NASB95) For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name.[xix] Listen to these powerful words: In Jesus there is victorious triumphant.[xx] John 16:33 (NASB95) Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
Perhaps you sense your world crumbling, your children are wayward, your marriage is fragile and unaffectionate, your health is failing, your career is unfulfilling, you are struggling with abandonment issues. Here is where Jesus comes. 2 Corinthians 2:14–16 (GW) Paul writes: 14I thank God, who always leads us in victory because of Christ. Wherever we go, God uses us to make clear what it means to know Christ. It’s like a fragrance that fills the air.
3. Our third principle comes in V3, If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again. Then I will bring you into my presence so that you will be where I am.
Not only is Jesus removing every obstacle standing in the way of our final destination, He will return and receive us to Himself, that where He is, there we will be also. Jesus said, I’m coming back and I will receive you to Myself. Chew on those words for a moment. Now we move from occupying a place (Father’s house) to a personal relationship with Jesus. Notice, He does not say, when I come back I’ll take you to heaven. He says, I’ll take you to myself. That is, intimate access is coming.
I don’t know if you know this, but heaven is not our final destination. 2 Peter 3:13 (NASB95) according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Revelation 21:2–3 (NASB95) John writes: 2And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them. Our final destination will be here on earth, living in perfect fellowship with God and each other.
Is your world is crumbling? Your house underwater? Are your dreams fading? Here is real tangible hope from the King of glory. There is coming a kind of knowing that only love knows; where we will be truly known without ridicule; where God dwells tangibly with us personally. Where no one will be feeling or saying, ‘Unsafe’.
4. Our fourth principle comes in V6, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.
In V4 Jesus said to them, And you know the way where I am going!. Thomas jump in, saying, 5“Lord, we don’t know where you’re going. So how can we know the way?” Basically he was saying, “We have no idea where you’re going and we don’t know the way.”
Then comes v6, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me. Jesus is telling them and us that if we follow Him, there is indescribable sureness along the path to His Father
a. Notice Jesus said I AM THE WAY . . . to the Father. No one gets to Him but through Me. By saying that, Jesus was telling them to keep their eyes fixed on Him. Hebrews 12:2, by faith fix your eyes on Jesus, who is the author and perfecter of faith, the one who leads the way for I’m taking you to the Father.
The disciples wanted to know the next step, the next turn to the Father. They wanted surety. Jesus told them He leads the way, He provides surety, so follow Me. But, there was this foreboding sense of lostness. Michael Bond, a search and rescue leader writes:
- To be lost is a mental state. Your internal map becomes detached from what you can see.
- To be lost is also an emotional double whammy: when a mountain of fear and a loss of one’s ability to reason come together.[xxi]
Jesus makes it clear that as followers, the way will not always be clear. So He calls them and us to lean into Him daily in faith, for He is leading us to the Father. He is the only one that can do that.[xxii] Only He knows the way.
Jesus speaks to the disciple’s confusion. In their uncertainty. In their anxiety and in their fears. He brings stability by saying, in essence, “I AM enough for you.” I AM sufficient for you. You don’t need to look elsewhere; you don’t need to supplement me with anything else.
b. Not only is Jesus the WAY, notice He also said “I Am the TRUTH. That is, He is the full embodiment of God’s truth, the ultimate objectivity of reality.[xxiii]
We need to be clear, truth is not defined by our own subjective standards; Truth is determined by the source of truth Himself.[xxiv] When it comes to spiritual warfare, we’re told to wrap our waist with truth.[xxv] That is, surround yourself with truth.[xxvi] To follow Jesus is to wrap our souls in the objective truth of Scripture designed to shape our subjective heart against the deceits of war.”[xxvii] For the Jesus-follower who wraps his soul in the objective truth of Scripture, the truth of Scripture shapes his/her subjective heart against the deceits of war.[xxviii] Such a person takes the divine word deep into his/her human center which in turn gives stability and confidence in our growing chaotic world.[xxix]
By internalizing the truth, we embody it; when truth is embodied it flows freely from our lives. Saturated with truth, we then can face every crises with truth, and not be overpowered by the lies that flow out of a given crises.[xxx]
c. Not only is Jesus the way to the Father, and not only is He the embodiment of God’s truth, He is THE LIFE.[xxxi]
That is, He brings real deliverance from a life of bondage to sin and death. “In him was life,” means spiritual life, eternal life, life that saves from the coming judgment. In order to live forever and not “come into judgment,” we need the gift of life. That life is in Jesus. Knowing Jesus is enough, for He is Life. As followers of Jesus, who is our Messiah Savior, our future is secure; and our names are written in the book of life,[xxxii] because He is the creator and sustainer of all things, Colossians 1:16-17.
So when Jesus refers to Himself as the way, the truth, and the life, He is giving us a better way to live our lives through him. He is showing us that by following Him daily in faith, He will lead us to a better, richer, more meaningful life than we could ever find on our own. In a crumbling world it is easy to get lost, but to be spiritually lost is the worst kind of lostness. To be spiritual lost is to be bound by sin’s grip, sin’s condemnation and sin’s damnation—an eternity of hell fire.[xxxiii] Jesus came to save the spiritually lost from sins condemnation, and from God’s fiery judgment, and bring us into His family, and to shows us the way to the Father.[xxxiv]
Let’s pause here, and try to capitalize on what we have learned.
John began his Gospel by saying, “In him [that would be Jesus] was life, and the life was the light of men”.[xxxv] He ends his Gospel with these words: “Now Jesus did many other signs . . . which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name”.[xxxvi] In between he summarized his Gospel with these well-known words from John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”. So let’s reflect for a moment on what Jesus said in light of our fears and the instability of our days:
Jesus said: I go to prepare a place for you. And as I go I become the way that you get there. I am the truth that you hold onto to get there. And I am the life — the eternal life that you will enjoy when you get there. When I say, “I go to prepare a place for you,” I mean: I open the way. I make the way possible. I confirm the truth, for I am the truth. I purchase life for you. And I give that life for I am that life.[xxxvii] So Keep your eyes on Jesus, who began and finished this race we’re in. Because He never lost sight of where He was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God He could put up with anything along the way . . . Study how he did it.[xxxviii]
Therefore, you who trust the Lord Jesus:
- Let not your heart be troubled, because God and Jesus are sovereignly in control
- Let not your heart be troubled, because there’s a place for you in my Father’s house no matter how unstable life may be
- Let not your heart be troubled, fix your eyes on Him, the author and perfecter of our faith.
- Let not your heart be troubled, because Jesus himself will come again and take us to Himself.
- Let not your heart be troubled because our faith in Jesus is the victory that overcomes the world. Anyone who believes in Jesus for salvation and trusts in Christ’s atoning work on the cross His death and resurrection[xxxix]—shares in His victory over sin, His victory over death, and His victory over the forces of evil at work in the world.[xl]
- Let not your heart be troubled when you are assured of the way, wrapped in truth, and when your future is secure
In our disorientedness, Jesus says, I am the way, not a way
In our confusion, Jesus says, I am the truth, not atruth
In our fears, Jesus says I am the life, not a life
Knowing me is enough.
Where do you hope your eternal destination will be?
If you want to dwell with the Lord God Almighty for all eternity, basking in His love, worshiping Him in joy and truth, redeemed and restored, then there is a way—only one way—and His name is Jesus. Believe in Him and live. If you would like help in making such a commitment, please feel free to talk with Pastor Ricardo, myself, Judy, or Josefina.
Let’s close in prayer. Heavenly Father, we live in troubling times. Our communities are struggling. Darkness seems to be closing in, and we are losing our way. Help us to lean into Your caring hand. We worry about the future and what lies ahead, and it’s getting harder to shake off our worries. Still, we know this is all a part of Your plan for us. We know these fears are mere trials of faith, and they well pass in due time. We pray that whatever we might be feeling, let it not define the truth of Your faithfulness. Purify our perceptions with Your words and change our feelings so that they are in sync with Your truth. Though the future may seem bleak, may lean into Your grace. If there is anyone here who has lost their way spiritually, we ask that they would hear that inner voice, calling them to trust You, that they would accept the life of our Savior, and follow Him. May we be eager not only to understand and believe but to proclaim this good news to a needy, lost, broken world. For Jesus sake. All Glory to Him forever and ever. Amen.[xli]
[i] I try to thoroughly cite all sources in my written sermon notes. But due to the extemporaneous nature of oral communication, delivery may occasionally contain material not fully cited or original with me. In such situations, the church nor I assert ownership to such material. The footnotes contain most of the resources that were used to prepare this sermon. John Piper, I Am The Way The Truth and The Life. https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/i-am-the-way-the-truth-and-the-life. Ray Stedman, The Cure For Heart Trouble https://www.raystedman.org/new-testament/john/the-cure-for-heart-trouble. Courtnery Doctor, What Does John 14:6 Mean? https://www.crossway.org/articles/what-does-john-146-mean/ Jason Soroski "I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life" - What Jesus Really Meant https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/i-am-the-way-the-truth-and-the-life-what-jesus-really-meant.html
[ii] Cf., https://www.ligonier.org/posts/are-there-many-ways-to-god-most-evangelicals-say-yesTragically, the2022 State of Theology surveyreveals that the majority of American evangelicals seem to reject this teaching from Christ. See also https://thestateoftheology.com/ https://www.christiantoday.com/article/why-jesus-is-no-longer-the-one-way-to-heaven-for-many-american-christians/129348.htm In 2008, aPew Research Center Studyfound that more than half of all American Christians believe that at least some non-Christian faiths can lead to salvation. Nearly a decade later, anew studyhas shown that even among the most traditional Christian groups, significant minorities are also rejecting God as described in the Bible.
[iii] Hebrews 9:27 (GW) People die once, and after that they are judged. John 3:36 (GW) Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, he will see God’s constant anger.”
[iv] Hebrews 12:28–29 (NASB95) 28Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; 29for our God is a consuming fire.
[v] https://www.gotquestions.org/consuming-fire.html. God is first identified as a “consuming fire” inDeuteronomy 4:24and9:3. In both Deuteronomy passages in which God is called a consuming fire, Moses is speaking first to warn the Israelites against idolatry (Deuteronomy 4:23-25) because God is a “jealous God” and will not share His glory with worthless idols. Idolatry provokes Him to a righteous anger which is justified when His holiness is disrespected. God's holiness is the reason for His being a consuming fire, and it burns up anything unholy. Learn how God's wrath, judgment, holiness or power are displayed by fire from heaven in the Bible and how Jesus Christ mitigates God's wrath for believers. Isaiah 64:6 (NASB95) 6For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
[vi] Hebrews 9:27 (NASB95) inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,
[vii] Mark 9:44 (NASB95) 44where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED. Matthew 24:51 (NASB95) 51and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
[viii] Alistair Beggs, Jesus, the Only Way (John 14:1-6), https://www.truthforlife.org/resources/sermon/jesus-the-only-way/ Alistair Begg tells of the time he listened in on the ordination process of one of his friends. The ordination committee drilled heavily on Christian doctrine, then moved to what we generally call the practical applications. One of the men posed this question “Imagine an individual came to you concerning their dog who had died. Their question, will my dog be in heaven? How do you answer? Silence hovered over the ordination council for a time. … Then Alistar’s friend chimed in: … I would tell them if their dog had trusted Jesus Christ as its personal Savior, it would be in heaven. … That answer highlights the impossibility of heaven without Christ
[ix] Hebrews 12:2–3 (NASB95) 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
[x] Leonardo Blair, Why Jesus is no longer the one way to heaven for many American Christians, https://www.christiantoday.com/article/why-jesus-is-no-longer-the-one-way-to-heaven-for-many-american-christians/129348.htm
[xi] John 13:27 (NASB95) 27After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”
[xii] John 17:3 (NASB95)“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 1:4 (NASB95)4In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. ; John 5:26 (NASB95)26“For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; ; John 6:39–40 (NASB95) 39“This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” ; Revelation 1:18 (NASB95) 18and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
[xiii] John 14:27 (NASB95) 27“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 16:33 (NASB95) 33“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” Philippians 4:7 NASB95) 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Colossians 3:15 (NASB95) 15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
[xiv] John 1:14 (NASB95) 14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 2:11 (NASB95) 11This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
[xv] James 1:2–4 (NASB95) 2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
[xvi] Romans 4:18 (NASB95) 18In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.”
[xvii] George R. Beasley-Murray, John, vol. 36, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1999), 249.
[xviii] John 17:3 (NASB95) “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
[xix] Hebrews 1:9 (NASB95) 9“YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS.”, Matthew 28:18 (NASB95) 18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ; Acts 2:33 (NASB95) 33“Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. ; Hebrews 2:9 (NASB95) 9But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.
[xx] 1 John 3:1–3 (NASB95) 1See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
[xxi] Michael Bond, Why Humans Totally Freak Out When They Get Lost. https://www.wired.com/story/why-humans-totally-freak-out-when-they-get-lost/ ONE DAY INOctober 2015, a forest surveyor working in an area of dense woodland near Mount Redington in Maine came across a collapsed tent hidden in the undergrowth. He noticed a backpack, some clothes, a sleeping bag, and inside the sleeping bag what he assumed was a human skull. He took a photograph, then hurried out of the woods and called his boss. The news soon reached Kevin Adam, the search and rescue coordinator for the Maine Warden Service, who immediately guessed what the surveyor had found. He wrote later, "From what I could see of the location on the map and what I saw in the picture, I was almost certain it would be Gerry Largay. "Geraldine Largay, a 66-year-old retired nurse from Tennessee, had gone missing near Redington in July 2013 while attempting to walk the length of the Appalachian Trail, a national hiking route that stretches more than 2,100 miles from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in central Maine. Her disappearance triggered one of the biggest search and rescue operations in the state’s history. Over two years, it failed to uncover a single clue. Until the surveyor stumbled on her camp, no one had any idea what had become of her.
[xxii] John 1:18 (GW) No one has ever seen God. God’s only Son, the one who is closest to the Father’s heart, has made him known.
[xxiii] John 17:17 (NASB95) Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
[xxiv] R.C. Sproul, God Is Truth, https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/god-truth. In the face of postmodern relativism, we must emphatically resist any suggestion that ultimate, objective truths do not exist. Though we may not accurately perceive or understand the real world at times, the same does not apply to the Almighty.Therefore, truth is that which conforms to reality as it is perceived by God. He knows all things exhaustively, and so we can trust anything He reveals in Scripture.
[xxv] Isaiah 11:5 (NASB95) 5Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist.
[xxvi] Philippians 4:8 (NASB95) 8Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
[xxvii] David Mathis, Wrap Your Soul in ‘the’ Truth (Ephesians 6:14) https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/wrap-your-soul-in-truth
[xxviii] Proverbs 4:20–27 (NASB95) 20My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. 22For they are life to those who find them And health to all their body. 23Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. 24Put away from you a deceitful mouth And put devious speech far from you. 25Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. 26Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established. 27Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil.
[xxix] David Mathis, Wrap Your Soul in ‘the’ Truth (Ephesians 6:14) https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/wrap-your-soul-in-truth
[xxx] https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/275099-my-religious-beliefs-teach-me-to-feel-as-safe-in. Stonewall Jackson, “My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me. That is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave.”
[xxxi] John 1:4 (NASB95) 4In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
[xxxii] Revelation 20:12 (NASB95) 12And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. Revelation 20:15 (NASB95) 15And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 3:5 (NASB95) 5‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
[xxxiii] Romans 6:23 (NASB95) 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. https://www.gotquestions.org/spiritually-lost.html Religion is man’s attempt to find God on his own. Religion creates a goal, which may be a deity or a higher plane of existence, and then declares certain steps necessary to reach that goal. Because of religion, lost people consider themselves not lost. Imagine a hiker who has lost his way. After hours of fruitless searching for the right path, he decides to set up camp in an unknown forest and declare that he is now home. He will no longer try to be rescued. Although he still does not know where he is, familiarity with his immediate surroundings gives him the illusion of being found.
[xxxiv] Psalm 23 (NASB95) A Psalm of David. 1The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
[xxxv] John 1:4 (NASB95) 4In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
[xxxvi] John 20:30–31 (NASB95) 30Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
[xxxvii]John Piper, I Am The Way The Truth and The Life. https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/i-am-the-way-the-truth-and-the-life.
[xxxviii] Hebrews 12:2 (MSG)
[xxxix] Romans 10:9–11 (NASB95) 9that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”
[xl] Hebrews 12:28–29 (NASB95) 28Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken . . .
[xli] Hebrews 13:20–21 (NASB95) 20Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, 21equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
