One way

Sarah Haben

“There couldn’t possibly be just one way to God. There are billions of people in the world!”

“What about Jesus?”

“What about Jesus?”

So went a 2008 interview with Oprah, who feels every religion beats a path to the same bliss. Heaven is for anyone who lives with love and generosity. Jesus is optional.

But Oprah doesn’t get to make the rules for heaven. God has his own rules for reaching his heaven—Option A: through Jesus. Option B: be perfect.

Heaven is accessible if we show perfect love and generosity toward every person (telemarketers and tailgaters included), in every thought, at every moment.

Are you perfect? Me neither.

I can’t earn heaven by my own innocence. But what about Jesus? As a man who is also God, he lived under God’s law without ever sinning.

I can’t pay for my own sins, let alone someone else’s. What about Jesus? As God who is also man, Jesus’ holy death paid for the sins of all people of all time. His resurrection is proof of that.

I can’t reach heaven by following the Way of Good Deeds. That just puts me on a collision course with Satan and hell because I’m not good enough. What about Jesus? He says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Billions of people. Billions of lifestyles. Billions of ways to hell. Only one way to God and eternal life in heaven.

Option A: through Jesus.

Devotional used by permission of Time of Grace®. For more information, visit www.timeofgrace.org