John 14, 1 through 6, very familiar,
very famous passage of the scripture, used at almost every funeral,
though it doesn't have a lot to do with funerals, but listen
to it. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also
in me. In my father's house, or many
mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you, I go to
prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that
where I am, you may be also. And whither I go, you know, the
way you know listen to that now watch verse 5 Thomas saith unto
him Lord we know not whither thou goest and how can we know
the way Jesus said unto him I am the way and the truth and the
life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me. And that's our text. All right,
flipping to Acts chapter 4 and verse 11 and 12, though we'll
come back and look at this in its larger context later, This,
excuse me, this is the stone which was set at naught of you
builders, which has become the head of the corner. Neither is
there salvation in any other, for there is none other name
under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Now, a little bit of introduction
to get us on our way, and this will also apply to the other
message that I was talking about. I know that you are aware that
there are many voices today that are being lifted up both within
and without the churches, within and without Christianity, calling
for the so-called Christian churches to be more tolerant and to be
more diverse. Society now is in the process
of being groomed to worship at the altar of multiculturalism. And the greater the mixture,
the greater the deluding of Christianity, the better most like it. Christianity is being challenged
to be more inclusive. And they're being challenged
to reach out and to establish a dialogue with the sworn enemies
of the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and with
the despisers of Christianity and the church. And many so-called
Christian pastors are doing so. I'll tell you about that. in
the other message. And all of this reaching out
and all of this crossing over and all of this tolerance and
all of this inclusivism has resulted in such things as female pastors
and even lesbian pastors in our day, a long time ago. It led
to the ecumenical movement, the World Council of Churches, and
worse things than that in our day. So that this drift, or this
movement, if we call it, is not new. And when it first reared
its ugly head, it was hardly harshly criticized by some fundamentals. But its advocates have persevered. They have not given up, they
have not gone away. Until now, there are many who
adhere to biblical inerrancy and pure Christianity are regarded
as bigots. and hate mongers and dangerous. Have you heard that Christianity
is dangerous? In fact, a woman, former head
of the NSA, said people who read their Bible all the time and
believe it and go to church on a regular basis could be terrorists. that they are a potential threat.
You may remember a while back the president chastising us for
clinging to our gods, our religion, and our guns, if you remember
that. Now once we may have thought
our country to be basically a Christian country or nation because it
was founded upon many or a lot of Christian principles, but
now in our day has it become a Babel. Who like on Mars Hill
in Acts chapter 17, there are now devotions to many gods and
many deities and all are welcome and the people are yet seeking
for even more. It has been common for us to
hear somebody to say something along this line. One God is as
good as another, one religion as good as another, and one church
is as good as another, so long as one is sincere about it and
believes in their religion. Now, here is our subject, or
our question, and our subject, one God, one Savior, and one
way. Now, is this the Christian view? Is this the Christian position,
that there is one God, that there is one Savior, and that there
is one way? Is this what God declared? Is this what we learn from our
scripture and from Christianity? And by the way, is this what
our Lord Jesus Christ taught? One way, one salvation, and one
God. What about the Apostle Paul,
the most famous Christian in the New Testament? Was Paul an
ecumenist as to his view of the world? Did he try, for example,
to establish a common ground between Judaism and Christianity
so that they might come together? or between Christianity and the
heathen, or make them either a friend of Christianity. Now, our premise today is we
believe that the Christian religion stands thusly. There is one true
and living God. There is one and only one Savior
of sinners. There is one and only one mediator
between God and men. There is one and only one great
sacrifice for sin. There is one and only one that
can forgive sin. There is only one ground of forgiveness. There is only one inspired, inerrant,
book, and that is the Bible. And there is no salvation outside
of or apart from Jesus Christ. Now, I know our critics will
say that we base all things, we Christians, base all things
upon the Bible. And they might point out that
the Bible was written by men, and that we, therefore, are taking
the scriptures witness or testimony concerning itself and concerning
all other things. The Jews said to the Lord Jesus
Christ, John 8 and verse 13, you bear record of yourself,
your record is not true. Of course, the Lord told them,
and showed that he had others that bore witness of him. But
we hold the scripture to be infallible because they are inspired by
the Holy Spirit. They are God-breathed, as we
read in 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16, all scripture is given by
inspiration of God or literally is God-breathed. Abraham Kuyper
called the scripture an infallible document of for the church of
God," unquote. And it is a sure and an accurate
guide for the people of God on the way to worship, the guide
of life, the constitution for the Christian churches to follow,
so that we may say in that all we preach Thus saith the Lord,
or the word of God says thus and so and so. It is written
that we might preach that as did our Lord the Apostle Paul
and others. Now, one of the very first things
that apostates and liberals and so-called higher critics do is
they attack the infallibility of the scripture, to question
the authority and the inerrancy of the Bible, denying that all
scriptures are literally inspired, divinely inspired, denying that
certain things recorded in the scripture are true, denying some
of them that there is only one God, and denying that salvation
is to be had only in Jesus Christ. And, rather than being sympathetic
with Christianity, they are tolerant to those religions that compete
against Christianity and even are antagonistic to the Christian
way of worship, its religion, and its Bible. As we read in
such text as 2 Peter 3 and verse 16, there are some who rest the
scripture under their own destruction, W-R-E-S-T. rest the scripture
under their own destruction. And might we not add, also under
the destruction of others that hear them and believe them and
follow them. Same ones who in 2 Corinthians
2 and 17 corrupt the Word of God, 2 Corinthians 4, and verse
2, handling the Word of God deceitfully. And nor is the Book of Mormon
or the Koran equal with the Scripture, our Bible, the Word of God. A fundamental teaching of our
holy scripture is the belief that there is but one true and
living God. One and only one. And that that
God is not Allah or some other, but that he is Jehovah. He is the eternal one. The one
without beginning and the one without end. the Creator of heaven
and of earth and all things therein, the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that God is one, is a fundamental truth held before
the eyes and the ears of Israel of old. Deuteronomy 6 and verse
4. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our
God is one Lord. Again, in the giving of the law,
in Exodus 20 and verse 3. Again, in Deuteronomy 5 and verse
7. Thou shalt have no other gods
before me. Now this was the creed of Israel,
that God is one and only one, that there is none beside him
who might be called upon or worshiped or served. No other is God, and
I think that even here we must be discerning. As we look at
that here, O Israel the Lord, our God is one Lord. A, this
is not a recognition or acknowledgement that there are other existing
gods. They are only gods in the vain
imagination of the superstitious mind that conceived them. They are what I call invented
deities and nothing more. Isaiah 45 and verse 5. I am the Lord. There is none
else. There is no God beside me. Trace out that chapter. You'll
see it again in verse 18, verse 21, and verse 22 of that chapter. The gods of the heathen were
not real gods and to worship them or to serve them, pray to
them, venerate them, to offer sacrifice unto them was and is
an act of idolatry. Sad to say, many in physical
or carnal or national Israel, if you prefer, went a whoring
after them, the gods of the people around about them. And in a lot
of cases, they accepted their idol alongside of the ordinances
of God, in effect mingling them together. Not casting off God
completely, but bringing them, as it were, together. This they
did time after time and they suffered the consequences and
they paid the cost. But then B, also to be very careful,
the doctrine of monotheism, that is, that there is one and only
one God is certainly not fatal to the doctrine of the Trinity,
so that it is unreasonable to use Deuteronomy 6 and verse 4
as an anti-Trinitarian proof text. or the three persons that
are in the Godhead are clearly manifested and revealed, particularly
in the New Testament, as the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit, all of them being divine, all of them possessing deity
and such. Thus, as Owen wrote, one of the
first articles of the faith of God's elect is the belief that
God is one, yet that he exists in three persons. And this is
vital to the Christian profession. Since we recently studied the
Trinity, we'll say no more about it at this time. Now, one God
and only one. Now, our second premise is, just
as there is one God and only one God, so there is one and
only one Savior of sinners. There is one and only one that
can bring the sons and the daughters of Adam unto heaven. John 14
and 6, we read it. I am the way, the truth, and
the life. No man comes unto the Father
but by me. Neither, let's turn to that passage
in Acts that we read, verse 12. Neither is there salvation in
any other, for there is none other name under heaven given
among men whereby we must be saved. Now we want to spend a
little time here on this verse, on this passage, and on this
context. So let's look around a moment
if we might. Let's look at the verse first
of all. And the first thing for us to
consider is the immediate context. And I emphasize the immediate
context. This is a hard, fast rule of
interpreting the scripture, the context, if you will, and then
the immediate, the overall or the immediate context of the
scripture. And when we talk about context,
we mean such thing as the original or the historical setting of
a passage, we raise the question, who is the speaker? Then we want
to know, who is the hearer? Then we want to know, what is
the subject? And then we want to know, why
was it said and so forth. Now, I've had preacher friends
over the years, they didn't like these guidelines, they didn't
like them at all, as it constricts the liberty that they might want
to take with the scripture in expanding or using a scripture
out of its context. I was reading this week, the
Puritan Thomas Goodwin said, how I agreed with his spirit
and mine, that the scripture in its right context is half
of the interpretation." Unquote. The scripture in its context
is half of the interpretation to which we say, Amen. And here in Acts chapter 4, as
to context, let's look at it. It is part of that continued
fallout over the healing of the lame man at the temple, chapter
3, by Peter and by John. And in the interim, their bold
preaching in the name of the resurrected Jesus, by that name
was this man healed. That the Jesus whom they crucified
was indeed the Messiah, the one spoken of by the prophets, and
what's more, that one having been raised from the dead, he
is made Lord and Christ. He has been exalted to the right
hand of God. And Peter and John, in preaching,
press upon the Jew, and especially the leaders, rulers, and spokesmen
and Sanhedrin council, their guilt in the death of God's darling,
the Prince of Light. And that this exalted Jesus was
the source of the man's healing. Then beginning at Acts 4 and
verse 5 and following, we see that Peter and John have been
arrested and have been kept in custody overnight. The next morning they're brought
before the muckety-mucks the high officials of Jewry that
are gathered here in this assembly. If we look at verse 5, rulers,
elders, and scribes. Then we look at verse 6, Annas,
Caiaphas, who served in the office of high priest, and two men whom
I know not of, of John and Alexander. And in verse 7, they interrogate
Peter and John as to how they affected the cure of the man. After all, This healing of a
longtime cripple was well known to those in Jerusalem, especially
those who frequented the temple, for there this man sat and begged
for alms. Plus, in Acts 4, 14, and 16,
these men could not deny that the man had been healed. They
could not deny that a notable miracle and an undeniable sign
had been done on the man. Seems that the question in verse
7 is important to this hearing or inquiring of the matter. And that for both sides. the
council and Peter and John. By what power or by what name
have you done this? Now, there are some that say,
that the word by here actually has the meaning of in or could
have the meaning of in. In what power? In what name? Or as Linsky renders it, in connection
with what power? In connection with what name? There seems to be here a slur
against the apostle in the words, this thing. By what power, in
connection with what power, have you done this thing? The implication
being, you, men like you, no account common men Doing a thing
like this, how have you done it? James A. Alexander phrased
the question this way, quote, in the use of what mysterious
power and as whose representative or by the invocation of whose
name have you affected this extraordinary cure, unquote. men like you doing
such a great and wonderful thing. You will note in verse 13 that
Peter and John were known to be men unlearned and ignorant,
meaning that they were not trained in the rabbinical school of the
day. They'd not studied under any
of the doctors. They'd not had any what they
might call formal education, and much more, they were ignorant. Now, my Marshall's interlinear
renders the word ignorant, not like we think of the word ignorant
today, but as layman. In other words, a private person,
not an office holder, not being recognized as being or belonging
to the sect of the rabbi. And at this point, in verse 13,
they, meaning the council, remembered or It was brought to their attention
that these two had accompanied with the Lord Jesus Christ, who,
by the way, the Lord himself also was not an alumni of the
school of the rabbis either. You'll find that in John 7 and
verse 15. Now, tis a point to make. Did
the council not know, this council examining the two apostles, did
this council not know that the two apostles would attribute
the miracle to Jesus of Nazareth, whom they preach to the power
of God? They'd already done so as soon
as the miracle occurred in Acts 3, 12 through 16. Even then, they would spring
a trap for the apostle as the council, most of the scribes,
rulers, elders, considered Jesus of Nazareth a blasphemer worthy
of death. for calling himself the son of
God, making himself out to be equal with God, they considered
him a blasphemer worthy of death. Still, it gave the apostle an
opening. And Peter was filled with the
Holy Spirit and he began very boldly to proclaim Jesus as the
author of the miracle on the lame man. Now again, he charges
the Jews in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and
attributes the miracle to the resurrected Christ whom they
had crucified. And coming to verse 11 and verse
12, Acts 4. Look at verse 11. The Apostle
Peter cites and applies an Old Testament prophecy that is applied
to the Lord Jesus Christ. It's from Psalm 118 and verse
22, and it is the stone which was set at naught of you builders
is made the head and the corner. One commentator that I was reading
counted this to be at least the sixth prophecy that Peter had
referred to in the book of Acts. Six times now, Peter has called
forth the prophets as a witness, showing how the purpose of God
was fulfilled in the events surrounding the death of the Lord's Christ. He said, this is the stone which
the builders set aside and it's become the head of the corner. Now in the original text, Some
do not think that it refers to Messiah, but the Lord made reference
to it in the end of the parable of the vineyard in Matthew 21,
42 through 44. And now in verse 12, he draws
a conclusion. He shuts them up to the very
one that they had killed, and he ties the knot very, very tight. This is the stone, that is Jesus,
set aside of you builders, is the way he does it, which God
has made the head of the corner, and then verse 12 comes in very
naturally. And neither is there salvation
in any other, for there is none other name, under heaven given
among men. Now something that the name could
be synonymous with one or other one, no other person. In other words, there is no salvation
available. There is no God beside Jehovah. None exists. So there is no salvation
apart from His Son Christ. None. And I emphasize the word
none. will be saved in any other way
than by and through Christ. And before we pursue this further,
let's acknowledge that the apostle is saying, he is saying this
to what kind of an audience? Who is speaking? Who is he speaking
to? He is speaking to an audience
that is exclusively Jewish. In verse 5 and 6, to the leaders,
called in verse 11, you builders and in verse 10 unto you and
to all the people of israel no jew not even one and that includes
modern day jew will ever be saved apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. And the we, in verse 12, is most
likely a decided reference under the Jew. The people of Israel,
we, us, we Jews, there is not another way of salvation other
than in this stone that has been made the head of the corner. Add to that the fact that they
put Messiah to death as a blasphemer and as an imposter. They killed the very prince of
life. They took him and by wicked hands
have crucified and slain. Acts 2, 22 and 23. God must grant them repentance
for this, and they must repent of it, or they will perish. Now, you know, I guess, that
some modern day evangelists have gotten in a lot of trouble for
preaching that the Jew can only be saved by and through Christ. Those that are on the air, those
that how many outlets have gotten in trouble for saying that Jesus
only is the Savior of a Jew. Now, we hasten ahead. The same
holds true of the Gentiles for the whole world, sinners in any
and every nation. There is no other Savior from
sin of all of the religions in the world. None can save but
Christ, even if they practice Islam or Hindu or if they are
atheist or whatever. None will ever be saved except
by Christ. I remember, it came to my mind,
Here in Oprah Winfrey on a video that I saw saying there can't
be just one way because there's so many people and so many religions
in the world. Said Jesus, no man comes to the
Father except by me. declaring himself the Way, the
Truth, and the Light. He presents himself as the Great
I Am. I am the Light. I am the Bread
of Life. I am the Resurrection. I am the
Vine, such things our Lord said. Now, that passage in John chapter
14 is a part of the Upper Room Discourse in which the Lord gives,
as it were, his farewell address to his apostle and disciple,
preparing them for his departure. Now, not surprisingly, it unsettled
them. Their hearts were disturbed as
they could little understand the full meaning of the Lord's
words. For they had dancing in their
head visions and hopes of Him on an earthly throne, not upon
a Roman cross. And after all, they had left
all, they had forsaken all family, vocation, and all and had followed
him. And now he speaks of leaving
them and of going away. And as they heard these words,
there were two of them that spoke out on this occasion to our Lord. When the Lord said, I am going
away, and where I go you know, and the way you know, well, Thomas
responded, we know not where you're going, and how can we
know the way? This shows not contradiction,
I think, but spiritual dullness. Would Jesus go to another location? Would he go and then come back
and retrieve them? Where would he go? And the Lord
replies, I'm the way. None comes to the Father but
by me. I am the way. That is, I am the
way. unto the Father, to spiritual
life, to everlasting life, and to heaven, in my Father's house,
or many dwelling places. And furthermore, in verse 7 and
following, Philip then responds to the words of the Lord, saying,
I am the only way to the Father, and that knowledge of God corresponds
to their knowledge of Christ, or vice versa. And is a reason
why, in verse 1, John 14, if they believed in God, they should
also believe in God the Father. Thus the words of verse 7. If you know me, you know the
Father. You know him and have seen him. Now the carnal Jews, many of
them, took Jesus to be what John Brown, the commentator, called,
quote, nothing but a low-born, uneducated man of Nazareth, unquote. That's how so many Jews looked
at him. The disciples had seen and had
heard evidences of him being sent from God. Hence to Philip,
he that has seen me has seen the Father. He that knows me
Knows the father and when Philip said show us the father and it
Suffices or it is enough. It is sufficient. It is will
it will content us the Lord's answer is Marvelous and look
what he said he that sees me Sees the father for Christ was
and is incarnate deity God manifests in the flesh, the brightness
of His glory and the express image of His person. Hebrews
1, 3, in Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead. Colossians 1,
19 and 2 and 9. He is one with the Father, John
10 and verse 30. He is the only begotten Son. He that knows me knows the Father. He that has seen me has seen
the Father. So there's no other way to heaven. are to God, to eternal life,
than by and through the Lord Jesus Christ. I know you know
this, but in some way, in many ways, far too many ways, Christendom
has repeated these like eras of Judaism. But there are many
today who think of Jesus only as an ordinary man. And would
you believe that so many of them think him to have been a man?
capable of sinning, not a mighty sovereign. That's not how they
look at him. And the churches have been turned
into social institutions to reform and better society and to right
the wrongs and the injustices of the world. Churches take that
to be their mission today. But others, thank God, see Christ
as the Incarnate Deity, Son of the Father, Eternal One, having
put on, assumed, being made flesh, being made in the likeness of
a man, and giving Himself even to the death of the cross. We come back to say, in closing,
as the Lord said, No one will ever be saved apart from Christ. That makes no difference what
part of the world, what nationality, what country they are from, what
religion they have been brought up in or espoused. None will
ever be saved apart from Christ. And Christianity is the only
true religion. ordained of God, established
of God, raised up by God. God is God, Christ is the Savior,
Christianity is the true religion, and the Bible is the inspired
word of our God. Now, that's how narrow-minded
we are. We're not all-inclusive, therefore. Do not worship at the altar of
multiculturalism like many today. Thank God. The Lord Jesus is
the only way, and he has given himself for us and has sent his
spirit into our heart, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.