The Only Road to Glory - CA Rice

The Only Road to Glory Opening Prayer What would you give up to spend eternity with Jesus? What would you be willing to lose for His sake here on earth? What do you think the cost of entering heaven really is? Pause to think about these questions for a moment. Today, I want to give you a clear and concise answer to the question, “How do I get to heaven.” According to Wikipedia, there are anywhere between 4,000 and 10,000 distinct religions around the world. Most of the global population follows one of the “Big 4” religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Every single religion makes absolute claims about the nature of God, the nature of mankind, and how to live a good life. By an absolute claim, I mean that each religion claims to possess unique and authoritative truth. Most religions believe in some form of afterlife as well, though it can look radically different between faiths. Each person must commit in their mind and heart to what they believe regarding God, life, and death. We experience life like a journey. Each one of us walks down the winding path of life, experiencing the valleys and the mountain top experiences. I firmly believe there is only one road that truly leads to glory in heaven. Christianity is the only true religion that explains who God is and how to enter heaven. Every other religion preaches some form of works-based salvation. This means that God is a being that must be appeased by the works or worship that we give him. Christianity doesn’t teach that we must do something for God, but rather it reveals what God has done for us. Here’s my point: confident trust in the completed work of Jesus Christ is the only way to enter heaven. Jesus says this to one of His disciples the night before He was crucified: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 This absolute claim is radically different from any other truth claim religions make. It should shake us to our core when we understand what Jesus is truly saying here. In two sweeping statements, Jesus declares that all other religions are false, misleading, and destructive.