JESUS, THE WAY OF SALVATION

The Way of Salvation as Opposed to the Many Ways of Man

by Michael Golwitzer

“The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation” (King James Version, Acts 16:17). The demon possessed young slave girl made a great deal of money in soothsaying. It is much like the palm readers or fortunetellers of our day that make money off those that are naïve (Mic. 5:12). Paul cast out the spirit of divination. Even though many deny His deity demons know He is the Son of God. Demons acknowledge Jesus as the way of salvation yet denominations and the greater part of the religious world deny that Jesus Christ teaches the specific way of salvation. The demons identified the work of Jesus Christ (Mark 1:34; 3:11-12; Matt. 8:28-29). The Bible teaches “the way of salvation.” It is our desire to find and know it. Therefore, we give attention to JESUS, the WAY, and SALVATION as opposed to the MANY WAYS of man.

“JESUS, the Way of Salvation”

If anyone has the right to determine the way of salvation it is the one that demonstrated selfless love, paid the ultimate price, and suffered as a martyr to forgive the sins of the world. Alan E. Highers writes:

I heard a story many years ago of a man who was working in the field with two small children nearby. A rabid dog appeared and the man was able to lift the children to safety upon a wagon bed, but he himself was bitten. He latter died, whispering the words, “There was no other way.” So it was with the death of Jesus; there was no other way. He prayed, Father if thou art willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done” (Luke 22:42). The Father did not ignore that plea, but it was necessary that Jesus should suffer, and rise again the third day, that repentance and remission of sins might be preached in his name among all nations (Luke 24:46-47)¹

The hope rests upon Jesus as the evidence of things not seen that produces faith (Heb. 11:1,6), and truth that shall make us free (John 8:32). Jesus came into this world, left this world to rule as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and rules in heaven above. Inspired writers affirm the Lordship of Jesus Christ. “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-11). They also affirm Jesus Christ to be the Son of God. “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea” (2 Cor. 1:19). “She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world” (John 11:27). The scriptures affirm Jesus Christ as everlasting or eternal (Ps. 103:17; 1 Tim. 1:17). “But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children” (Ps. 103:17).

Since Jesus Christ affirmed to us the way of salvation in the inspired scriptures we look in them for the glorious and marvelous way. If the way of Christ is exact we are to be as exacting. If the directions are lenient we are to be as lenient. Therefore, we embrace the right direction from them. The heavenly Father gave Jesus Christ the authority (Matt. 17:5 and Acts 2:36; Matt. 28:18). Jesus offered no slackness concerning His directions. He encourages us to obey them. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). One is not to add nor subtract from Jesus instructions (Rev. 22:18-19). God almighty approved Jesus Christ. He is the way of salvation by that divine approval.

“Jesus, THE WAY of Salvation”

The men of Athens always wanted to hear some new thing (Acts 17:19-21). Man has not changed. He still seeks a different, new, or another way, as a man shopping for a new car or a woman for a new dress. We do seek truth as a woman would search for a lost coin (Luke 15:7-9) and as a man would dig for a treasure (Matt. 13:34). We are not to shop in matters of faith. The way is clearly found in the gospel and any other way is condemned (Gal. 1:6-8; John 14:6). Man does not have the ability within himself to determine the way he should go (Jer. 10:23). Therefore, we cannot and must not, tamper, change, or alter the way, but embrace it.

Jesus way is characterized as singular, the only, one-way, “And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:” (Jer. 32:39), and never as more than one-way. It is wise to know the one way that Jesus approves. The way is new and living as compared to the Old Testament way. “By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh” (Heb. 10:20). We seek it diligently (Heb. 11:6; 12:15).

It is possible to forsake the right way (2 Pet. 2:15), not know the right way (2 Pet. 2:21), and speak evil of the right way (Acts 19:8-9) but we can know the way (Acts 24:22) and be instructed in the way (Acts 18:25-26).

Much of the religious world will say we cannot know the way, but the scriptures teach that we know the way. It is cleared up for us forever by the inspired pen of John, “And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:4-6). Jesus chose to show us the right way to eternal life. Why would a savior die on the cross and confirm it with miracles, signs and wonders, verify it with prophecy and prepare us a way without defining it for us? Jesus Christ defined the way in great detail.

“Jesus, the Way of SALVATION”

Gary McDade writes:

God’s planning (Eph. 3:8-11), Christ’s performing (Heb. 10:7), and the Holy Spirit’s revealing (1 Cor. 2:9-10) have brought about “the salvation in Christ.” The entire human family can know about it because it stands unassailably codified in the eternal word of the living Lord (Ps. 119:89; Matt. 24:35). James wrote, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls” (Jas. 1:21).²

We have several examples of people asking what they should do to be saved: “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30; emphasis MAG). “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). “And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do (Acts 9:6).

Think about this question carefully, “what must I do to be saved?” “WHAT” calls for a logical, spiritual, response that singles out a way of direction. “MUST” calls for a response and requirement. “I” calls for each individual to take action. “DO” calls for a specific action. Note: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt. 7:21-23). Many sincere religious people follow a way that leads to iniquity. God wants us in the right way “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Luke 6:46) and “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Rev. 22:14). “TO BE SAVED,” in every case, they were told what they must do to be saved. God would not disappoint them, or us, in supplying an answer to the question. In each case they were told and that is exactly how the way of salvation is imparted today.

Hearing the Word of God gains a faith that saves. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). We please God hearing the Word of God. Consider for example Crispus and the Corinthians, “And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized” (Acts 18:8).

The natural consequence of the honest hearer is to believe. The words Faith and belief (sometimes “pricked”) mean the same thing. The Bible clearly says that without faith we will not please God. If what we do is not according to faith it is not the WAY of salvation. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6).

All must confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. “And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:11). “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Rom. 10:9-10).

Repentance and baptism are required for salvation. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16).

Seek diligently Jesus Christ and His saving blood to receive things that are “good.” “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Rom. 5:8-9). “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).

Hearing, believing, repenting, confessing, and being baptized are required for salvation. The way of salvation is clear and distinct from other ways. Examples are given in God’s Word.

The Many Ways

“Way” is rendered hodos in the Greek Lexicon (Strongs #3598) one hundred and two times. It is rendered eighty-three times as “way,” eight times as “way side,” six times as “journey,” three times as “highway,” and miscellaneously two times. Six hundred and eight verses contain the word “way,” which is a great study but too exhaustive for the purposes of this discourse. Therefore, for the sake of brevity thirty-seven verses are considered to describe “THE WAY” in its various uses. The two obvious uses are the ways of men and the way of Jesus Christ.

The meaning is very clear in the Greek that the “way” means a traveled way, road, a course of conduct, and a way (i.e. manner) of thinking, feeling, deciding.³ Man’s ways are numerous. There are a myriad of ways (thinking, courses of conduct, and journeys) that man travels in his pursuit of life. God describes the ways as pernicious (2 Pet. 2:2), the way of Balaam and Cain (2 Pet. 2:15; Jude 1:11), the way of error (Jas. 5:20), heresy (Acts 24:14), evil (Jer. 25:5), perverted (Prov. 19:3), man’s way or his way (Jas. 1:24; Jer. 10:23), and the wide, broad, destructive way of the many (Matt. 7:13-14). All such ways are characterized by God as foolish (Prov. 12:15), gone out of the way that is unprofitable and not good (Rom. 3:12), and slothful (Prov. 15:19). Man thinks he is right in his own eyes (Prov. 21:2). All “other ways” than what God has approved are characterized as a thief and robber (John 10:1). God has approved the only way, the right way.

When we follow an unauthorized way we sin. All sin is against God. One of the great prayers of the Bible by King David who was mourning over his sins of murder and adultery said he sinned against God. “Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest” (Ps. 51:2-4). Since sins are against God and all have sinned (Rom. 3:10-12,23) we have to go to God to find the way to return. God has not disappointed us. However, man has devised, fashioned, created, invented, circumvented, added and deleted from the way of God.

Some of the more prominent ways of man are creeds, doctrines, traditions, complex organizations of man and man’s traditions practiced as religion in addition to and often contrary to the scriptures. We will briefly look at the Catholic Religion, teaching of Calvin, Mohammad, Buddha, and those teaching Faith Only.

1. Catholic Religion. The writing of the Catholic Religion clearly teaches they follow the traditions of man. They have created a WAY that is condemned by God in the Bible (Mark 7:13; Col. 2:8; 1 Pet. 1:18). Instead of one they follow three standards: 1) Tradition, 2) Sacred Scripture, and 3) Magisterium (Pope). God has only authorized one way – Sacred Scripture (Rom. 10:17; 2 Cor. 2:17; 1 Thess. 2:13). Mr. Vennari wrote:

To be Catholic is essentially to uphold and pass on Sacred Tradition, one of the three pillars of the Church, the other two being Sacred Scripture and Sacred Magisterium. Tradition is the [originally] unwritten deposit of faith, orally given to the Apostles who were commanded to keep pure its tenets and practices. Before Magisterium and Scripture there was Tradition, to which the other two are necessarily and intrinsically linked, just as first there must be a mother and a father before there can be children, so Tradition is the home in which the canonized books of the Bible and the doctrines taught by the popes and dogmatic councils dwell. It is the sure guide by which to measure interpretations that may result from the other two. And we know that Tradition must be kept whole and entire⁴

The Catholic faith uses two additional sources of authority other than the scriptures as stated by Mr. Davies:

The liturgical books are, therefore, an authentic expression of the Catholic faith, and are, in fact, a source from which theologians may, in all security, draw their arguments in defense of the faith.⁵

2. Calvinism. Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan maintains the largest scholarly collection on John Calvin in the Americas. They have some articles by Alexander Campbell and even The Banner of Truth cataloged in their library where reference was made to Calvinism. The below quote is extracted from this website:

The acronym TULIP is familiar to many of us in the Reformed tradition and expressive of the sovereignty of God’s grace and the primacy of God’s glory as taught in the Canons of Dort.⁶

TULIP = Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace and Perseverance of the Saints are the basic doctrines of Calvinism. All five are not found in the Bible. They are based on the teachings of the man John Calvin. It is a way not authorized being founded by man and not Jesus Christ.

3. Mohammad. Mohammad was born in Mecca and lived 63 years. He was just a man that millions follow. It’s a man made doctrine with numerous traditions making up the Islam religion. The Koran is full of inconsistencies and errors and therefore is a product of man.

4. Buddha. The Buddha religion is based on the teaching of Siddhartha Gautama who lived approximately 557 BC to 477 BC Another man made doctrine that millions follow.

5. Faith Only. A “Faith Only” doctrine of salvation is a man made doctrine or tradition. Consider the comments by Wayne Jackson:

During the personal ministry of Jesus, there were Jews who observed His miracles and who believed the message He proclaimed; yet, they were still identified as children of Satan. Consider the case detailed in John 8. The record indicates that as the Lord taught, “many believed on him” (8:30). Christ thus spoke to those who “had believed him” (8:31). As the dialog heated up, Jesus charged: “You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do” (8:44). They were believers in a sense, yet still unregenerate. Or reflect further upon the episode of chapter 12. “Nevertheless even of the rulers many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the glory that is of men more than the glory that is of God” (12:42).⁷

The “believers” in John 8 were lost even though they believed. It takes more than just belief to be saved. God commands us to follow His way, all of it, not one part or fraction of what He has commanded (John 14:15,21).

A myriad of man-made doctrines have come and gone since the beginning of time. They are MAN’S WAYS and to be rejected for the way of God. Our most sobering consideration is Jesus, the way of salvation. When we preach the one and only way in Jesus Christ we create a stir in the world around us. This happened in the first century, “And the same time there arose no small stir about that way” (Acts 19:23). It happens in our century provided we preach the simple, clear and direct WAY as presented in the scriptures. Walking and standing in the good WAY is vitally important to our salvation. In fact, without it we will not see the great rest provided by God. The prophet Jeremiah wrote with the inspired pen truth that should be heeded by all: “Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein” (Jer 6:16; emphasis MAG).

Your eternity depends on you being in Jesus, the way of salvation. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).