And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
When meeting with my international friends at Bible Study certain questions soon rise to the surface. “You are Christians and believe in Jesus. Maybe God has given other people a path to know Him? Why do you think Jesus is the only way to God? Perhaps other major religions are right also? What happens to the people who have not heard about Jesus?
We have been given great freedom to choose and have opinions. The pathway to a right relationship to God is not open for debate as long as the Bible is the standard for determining that path. We submit our opinions to God’s word as true revelation from Him.
The exclusivity of our message is one of the reasons for hatred of Christians. Our message declares that Jesus is THE only savior. This means that ALL will have a day of accounting for the actions that we have chosen to live. Because of Acts 4:12, we are saying to the world – There is only one way to God and that is through the life of Jesus.
If we truly believe that Jesus is the only way to Father God, then we have several questions that would be good to contemplate.
- Have I shared this message plainly with my friends and family?
- Is there someone that I have resisted sharing and could make a decision to share with them soon?
- Does my giving reflect the priority of this message?
- Do I support my church?
- Is the sharing of the gospel of Jesus the Key message of my church?
- Do I support missionaries and others who have chosen to give their lives to this message? Do you know them by name?
- Do I support Bible translation groups who are trying to share the message to others in their own native language?
- How does the structuring of my free time reflect the priority of this message?
- Do I spend time in prayer for God to reach others in this world with the message of Jesus love for them? What people group are you praying for?
- Do I have a consistent time that I regularly join with others to share this message? Jail, shut-ins, nursing homes, on the street?
- Am I spending any time in preparing to share this good news?
- Do I know how to share my testimony effectively?
- Do I have a clear gospel presentation that is memorized and easy for me to share?
- Do I have key bible verses memorized? God’s word has power that goes beyond our own abilities.
There is power in the name of Jesus. Others, that do not know Him, also do not know this power for salvation and freedom. How will they hear unless someone tells them? You have been privileged to share the good news of Jesus. Let’s make this the priority it deserves.
Blessings Love y’all