“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
PROVERBS 14:12
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
2 TIMOTHY 3:16
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
PROVERBS 14:12
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
2 TIMOTHY 3:16
God’s Answers to Our Questions
God’s Answers to Our Questions
Almost everybody wants to go to heaven when they die, yet most people don’t give heaven much thought until they attend a funeral or a loved one dies. It is popular to refer to heaven as the place where “the good people go.” And of course, everyone they know and love is included in the category of “good people.”
But the Bible makes it very clear that there are no “good people” in this world. According to Romans 3:10, “there is none righteous, no not one.” No human being is holy and perfect. No one is “good enough” for heaven. The people we call “good” are not good at all compared to the sinless perfection of God. God is holy and perfect. Heaven, His dwelling place, is holy and perfect, too.
If God allowed sinful humans to enter the perfection of heaven, that place would no longer be perfect. What then is the standard used to determine who is “good enough?”
Many think that heaven is earned by our good works – attending a place of worship, saying prayers, giving to the church or poor and needy, being a good neighbour, etc. While these things are not wrong, neither are they the standard for being “good enough” for heaven. In fact the Bible states in Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses (good works) are as filthy rags..” in the sight of God.
God’s standard is the only one that counts, and He has already ruled. Romans 3:23 says that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Therefore, no one can ever meet God’s standard for heaven by themselves.
Although it seems like bad news to hear we cannot get to heaven by our own efforts, the good news of the gospel is that God has provided the way in which this problem can be overcome. When the Lord Jesus cried from the cross “it is finished”, all that was necessary for the sinner to receive eternal life was accomplished.
For anyone to enter heaven, their sin must be dealt with. Sin has to be punished or God is not just. It can never be swept under the carpet. We are told in Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” The judgment we face at death is simply God bringing our accounts up to date and passing sentence on our crimes against Him. We have no way to make our wrongs right. Our good does not outweigh our bad. Just as one drop of arsenic in a glass of water poisons the whole glass, one sin ruins perfection.
The message of the gospel is that Jesus Christ became man and took our punishment upon Himself. He had no sin, yet at the cross He took our sin and made it His own. In one of the most well-known verses of the Bible we are told, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
When we confess our sin to Him, repenting of it and put our faith and trust in Christ alone, He saves us, and makes us a new creature. It’s as if He stamps “Paid in Full” over our debt of sin.
When we stand before God one day, we cannot beg entrance to heaven based on our own merit. We have none to offer. Compared to God’s standard of holiness, not one of us is good enough. But the Lord Jesus is good enough, and it is by His merit alone we can enter heaven.
We live in a time when it is not politically correct to say there is only one way to God. Yet the claim that all religions lead to God without question confuses many who are earnestly seeking the truth.
The answer to the question of why there are so many religions is found in Romans 1:19-25. There we read that although God has revealed Himself to mankind and how He is to be worshipped, most of humanity has sought to worship themselves or a god of their own imagination. Many people do not want to believe in a God who demands righteousness and morality, so they invent a God who makes no such requirements. Others do not want to believe in a God who declares it impossible for people to earn their own way to heaven. So, they invent a God who accepts people into heaven if they have completed certain steps, followed certain rules, and/or obeyed certain laws, at least to the best of their ability.
This is the one thing that all the religions of this world have in common, they seek to approach God, or their version of God in their own way.
But the existence of so many religions is not an argument against God’s existence or an argument that truth about God is not clear. Rather, the existence of so many religions is demonstration of humanity’s rejection of the one true God.
Do all religions lead to God? No! And it does not make a difference what you want to believe, for God Himself has made it clear in His Word that there is ONLY ONE WAY to heaven. In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
The role of Mary the mother of Jesus has great significance within the Roman Catholic Church. There she has often been placed on a level with her Son, especially when it comes to approaching God the Father in prayer.
In the Bible she is described by God as “highly favoured” (Luke 1:28). The phrase highly favoured comes from a single Greek word, which essentially means “much grace.” Therefore, Mary received God’s grace. Grace is “unmerited favour”; that is, grace is a blessing we receive despite the fact that we do not deserve it. Mary needed grace from God and a Saviour, just as the rest of us do. Mary herself understood this fact, as she declared in Luke 1:47 “And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” The virgin Mary, by God’s grace, recognized that she needed the Saviour.
The Bible never says that Mary was anyone but an ordinary human whom God chose to use in an extraordinary way. Yes, Mary was a righteous woman and favoured (graced) by God (Luke 1:27-28). At the same time, Mary was a sinful human being who needed Jesus Christ as her Saviour, just like everyone else (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
The virgin Mary did not have an “immaculate conception.” The Bible doesn’t suggest Mary’s birth was anything but a normal human birth. Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus (Luke 1:34-38), but she was not a virgin permanently. The idea of the perpetual virginity of Mary is unbiblical. Matthew 1:25 speaking of Joseph, declares, “And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” The words ‘not till’ clearly indicates that Mary remained a virgin until the Saviour’s birth, but later Joseph and Mary had several children together. Jesus had four half-brothers: James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas and half- sisters (Matthew 13:55-56). God blessed and graced Mary by giving her several children, which in that culture was accepted as the clearest indication of God’s blessing on a woman.
Nowhere in Scripture does Jesus or anyone else direct any praise, glory, or adoration toward Mary. Elizabeth, Mary’s relative, praised Mary in Luke 1:42-44, but her praise is based on the blessing of giving birth to the Messiah. It was not based on any inherent glory in Mary.
Neither did the apostles give Mary a prominent role. Mary’s death is not recorded in the Bible. Nothing is said about Mary ascending to heaven or having an exalted role there. As the earthly mother of Jesus, Mary should be respected, but she is not worthy of our worship or adoration.
The Bible nowhere indicates that Mary can hear our prayers or that she can mediate for us with God. Jesus Christ is our only advocate and mediator in heaven (1 Timothy 2:5). Again Mary herself sets the example for us, directing her worship, adoration, and praise to God alone: “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.” (Luke 1:46-49).
The concept of confession of sin to a priest is nowhere taught in Scripture.
The New Testament does not teach that there are to be priests in the New Covenant. Instead, the New Testament teaches that all believers are priests. In 1 Peter 2:5-9 believers are described as a “holy priesthood” and a “royal priesthood.” Revelation 1:6 and 5:10 both describe believers as “kings and priests” unto God. In the Old Covenant, the faithful had to approach God through the priests. The priests were mediators between the people and God. The priests offered sacrifices to God on behalf of the people.
That is no longer necessary. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we can now approach God’s throne with boldness (Hebrews 4:16). The temple veil tearing in two at Jesus’ death was symbolic of the dividing wall between God and humanity being destroyed.
We can approach God directly, ourselves, without the use of a human mediator. Why? Because Jesus Christ is our great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-15; 10:21) and the only mediator between us and God, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5).
When it comes to confession of sin, we are told in 1 John 4:9 to confess their sins to God. God is faithful and just to forgive our sins as we confess them to Him.
The ability to forgive sins is God’s and His alone. “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” (Isaiah 43:25)
Almost everybody wants to go to heaven when they die, yet most people don’t give heaven much thought until they attend a funeral or a loved one dies. It is popular to refer to heaven as the place where “the good people go.” And of course, everyone they know and love is included in the category of “good people.”
But the Bible makes it very clear that there are no “good people” in this world. According to Romans 3:10, “there is none righteous, no not one.” No human being is holy and perfect. No one is “good enough” for heaven. The people we call “good” are not good at all compared to the sinless perfection of God. God is holy and perfect. Heaven, His dwelling place, is holy and perfect, too.
If God allowed sinful humans to enter the perfection of heaven, that place would no longer be perfect. What then is the standard used to determine who is “good enough?”
Many think that heaven is earned by our good works – attending a place of worship, saying prayers, giving to the church or poor and needy, being a good neighbour, etc. While these things are not wrong, neither are they the standard for being “good enough” for heaven. In fact the Bible states in Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses (good works) are as filthy rags..” in the sight of God.
God’s standard is the only one that counts, and He has already ruled. Romans 3:23 says that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Therefore, no one can ever meet God’s standard for heaven by themselves.
Although it seems like bad news to hear we cannot get to heaven by our own efforts, the good news of the gospel is that God has provided the way in which this problem can be overcome. When the Lord Jesus cried from the cross “it is finished”, all that was necessary for the sinner to receive eternal life was accomplished.
For anyone to enter heaven, their sin must be dealt with. Sin has to be punished or God is not just. It can never be swept under the carpet. We are told in Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” The judgment we face at death is simply God bringing our accounts up to date and passing sentence on our crimes against Him. We have no way to make our wrongs right. Our good does not outweigh our bad. Just as one drop of arsenic in a glass of water poisons the whole glass, one sin ruins perfection.
The message of the gospel is that Jesus Christ became man and took our punishment upon Himself. He had no sin, yet at the cross He took our sin and made it His own. In one of the most well-known verses of the Bible we are told, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
When we confess our sin to Him, repenting of it and put our faith and trust in Christ alone, He saves us, and makes us a new creature. It’s as if He stamps “Paid in Full” over our debt of sin.
When we stand before God one day, we cannot beg entrance to heaven based on our own merit. We have none to offer. Compared to God’s standard of holiness, not one of us is good enough. But the Lord Jesus is good enough, and it is by His merit alone we can enter heaven.
We live in a time when it is not politically correct to say there is only one way to God. Yet the claim that all religions lead to God without question confuses many who are earnestly seeking the truth.
The answer to the question of why there are so many religions is found in Romans 1:19-25. There we read that although God has revealed Himself to mankind and how He is to be worshipped, most of humanity has sought to worship themselves or a god of their own imagination. Many people do not want to believe in a God who demands righteousness and morality, so they invent a God who makes no such requirements. Others do not want to believe in a God who declares it impossible for people to earn their own way to heaven. So, they invent a God who accepts people into heaven if they have completed certain steps, followed certain rules, and/or obeyed certain laws, at least to the best of their ability.
This is the one thing that all the religions of this world have in common, they seek to approach God, or their version of God in their own way.
But the existence of so many religions is not an argument against God’s existence or an argument that truth about God is not clear. Rather, the existence of so many religions is demonstration of humanity’s rejection of the one true God.
Do all religions lead to God? No! And it does not make a difference what you want to believe, for God Himself has made it clear in His Word that there is ONLY ONE WAY to heaven. In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
The role of Mary the mother of Jesus has great significance within the Roman Catholic Church. There she has often been placed on a level with her Son, especially when it comes to approaching God the Father in prayer.
In the Bible she is described by God as “highly favoured” (Luke 1:28). The phrase highly favoured comes from a single Greek word, which essentially means “much grace.” Therefore, Mary received God’s grace. Grace is “unmerited favour”; that is, grace is a blessing we receive despite the fact that we do not deserve it. Mary needed grace from God and a Saviour, just as the rest of us do. Mary herself understood this fact, as she declared in Luke 1:47 “And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” The virgin Mary, by God’s grace, recognized that she needed the Saviour.
The Bible never says that Mary was anyone but an ordinary human whom God chose to use in an extraordinary way. Yes, Mary was a righteous woman and favoured (graced) by God (Luke 1:27-28). At the same time, Mary was a sinful human being who needed Jesus Christ as her Saviour, just like everyone else (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
The virgin Mary did not have an “immaculate conception.” The Bible doesn’t suggest Mary’s birth was anything but a normal human birth. Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus (Luke 1:34-38), but she was not a virgin permanently. The idea of the perpetual virginity of Mary is unbiblical. Matthew 1:25 speaking of Joseph, declares, “And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” The words ‘not till’ clearly indicates that Mary remained a virgin until the Saviour’s birth, but later Joseph and Mary had several children together. Jesus had four half-brothers: James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas and half- sisters (Matthew 13:55-56). God blessed and graced Mary by giving her several children, which in that culture was accepted as the clearest indication of God’s blessing on a woman.
Nowhere in Scripture does Jesus or anyone else direct any praise, glory, or adoration toward Mary. Elizabeth, Mary’s relative, praised Mary in Luke 1:42-44, but her praise is based on the blessing of giving birth to the Messiah. It was not based on any inherent glory in Mary.
Neither did the apostles give Mary a prominent role. Mary’s death is not recorded in the Bible. Nothing is said about Mary ascending to heaven or having an exalted role there. As the earthly mother of Jesus, Mary should be respected, but she is not worthy of our worship or adoration.
The Bible nowhere indicates that Mary can hear our prayers or that she can mediate for us with God. Jesus Christ is our only advocate and mediator in heaven (1 Timothy 2:5). Again Mary herself sets the example for us, directing her worship, adoration, and praise to God alone: “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.” (Luke 1:46-49).
The concept of confession of sin to a priest is nowhere taught in Scripture.
The New Testament does not teach that there are to be priests in the New Covenant. Instead, the New Testament teaches that all believers are priests. In 1 Peter 2:5-9 believers are described as a “holy priesthood” and a “royal priesthood.” Revelation 1:6 and 5:10 both describe believers as “kings and priests” unto God. In the Old Covenant, the faithful had to approach God through the priests. The priests were mediators between the people and God. The priests offered sacrifices to God on behalf of the people.
That is no longer necessary. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we can now approach God’s throne with boldness (Hebrews 4:16). The temple veil tearing in two at Jesus’ death was symbolic of the dividing wall between God and humanity being destroyed.
We can approach God directly, ourselves, without the use of a human mediator. Why? Because Jesus Christ is our great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-15; 10:21) and the only mediator between us and God, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5).
When it comes to confession of sin, we are told in 1 John 4:9 to confess their sins to God. God is faithful and just to forgive our sins as we confess them to Him.
The ability to forgive sins is God’s and His alone. “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” (Isaiah 43:25)