The Only Way

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

THE ONLY WAY

John 5:31-40

31 "If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. 32 There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is valid. 33 "You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light. 36 "I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

NIV

It sure seems like Jesus is making it clear that it does not matter how much of a scholar we are about the scriptures. It also seems he is saying that those who do study the scriptures so carefully looking for truth about eternal life, hoping to find it through diligent study of all the law, the rules and regulations, trying to abide by every aspect of the law are in deep trouble if they do not come to Jesus for eternal life. It also seems Jesus is telling that all the words of men regarding him are really not worth very much. Although we spend time listening to the testimony of men concerning Christ, he has the greatest testimony which brings people to salvation. One of the great truths within this statement is about the Father doing the work to bring us to salvation. We are sinners, disobedient people who deserve the death penalty because we are descendants of Adam, as well as our own personal sin. God declared the penalty for sin is death, not just the physical death, but a spiritual death, a complete and total separation from him. But he does not desire any of his people to have to suffer that end and there is not a single person, who through the study of the scriptures, or an attempt to abide by all the rules and regulations of the scripture or a denominational interruption of the scriptures in the form of a statement of faith, believe they can satisfy the justice God demands for sin. No person can find salvation through any good deeds at all. God is the only one who can satisfy his own need for justice and he set about to do just that. He sent Jesus to complete that work to satisfy his own need for justice so that we might have a provision to regain our relationship with him, or rather he might regain his proper relationship with us. If a person does diligent study of the scriptures that person should find Jesus, yet he says that those he was talking to still refuse to come to him for life. How sad that is for people who think they are a theologian of sorts, intelligent in scripture and still refuse to come to Jesus. Religious intelligence is meaningless unless it leads to Jesus. Jesus finished all that needed to be finished in order for God’s justice to be satisfied. It is true that once we come to Jesus we should make every effort to live as he lived, but living as he lived without coming to him first is also meaningless, it is just humanity trying to be good. It is far better to come to Jesus and make a few mistakes along the way, than trying to appear so perfectly Christ-like but refusing to actually accept him as Lord and Savior, and the one and only way to salvation. Jesus is the only way.