唯一的路? One Way?
Leighton Ford
耶稣是通往上帝唯的的路吗?答案在圣经里──上帝的话──可以找到:「除祂(耶稣)以外别无拯救,因为在天下人间,没有赐下别的名,我们可以靠着得救。」(徒四:12)耶稣自己也说:「我就是道路、真理、生命,若不借着我,没有人能到父那里去。」(约十四:6)
道路
「我就是道路……若不借着我,没有人能到父那里去。」耶稣不止指出通往上帝的途径,这句话的意思更表明:祂是那唯一的途径,人只有借着祂,才能与天父上帝建立个人的关系。
基督徒常说:「耶稣是唯一的救主」,意思是说,所有的人──包括基督徒、佛教徒、不可知论者──都一样,都需要救赎,因为我们都无法达到上帝完全的标准;事实上,不论我们个人对生命所持的标准是什么,也鲜有人达到那个理想。
基督教的圣经宣告一件事:我们不能做到的,上帝借着耶稣基督为我们做到了!宗教信仰是人类为寻找神所筑的路。而耶稣基督是神自己来寻找人所造的桥。
基督教最独特的地方是,上帝借着耶稣成为人的样式,为我们而死,白白赦免我们的罪,使我们因此在祂中成为义人。救恩是不靠自己取得的,乃是上帝赐的礼物,因此没有人可以夸口说:「我靠着做……得救了!」当我们信靠耶稣基督,并与祂建立个人的关系,我们就得救了。
真理
耶稣另一个独特的宣告是:「我就是真理」。有人觉得耶稣太专断、偏狭了,各种型式的宗教不都应相互接纳、包容吗?不过,包容也是有限度的;每个人都可以有自己的观点,但包容不同的意见并不表示所有的意见都同样真确。如果二加二等于四,我们就不能说二加二也可以等于七。坚持正确的答案并不是「专断、偏狭」。
大部分的宗教信仰在本质上是泛神的;他们认为上帝(或神性)存在一切事物中,上帝与宇宙是同等的。但圣经却告诉我们,有一位无限的造物者,祂所创造的万物与祂之间在本质上截然不同。以上两种说法不可能并立。圣经也说,耶稣基督是神的儿子,祂死后三天复活;但回教徒否定这点。两种说法也不可能同时都对。虔诚的态度是重要的,但虔诚并不就代表真理。
生命
耶稣也说:「我就是生命!」这又是一项独一无二的宣告。许多人说:「我的宗教有卓越的教训。」从孔子以来,所有伟大的导师,包括耶稣,都教训人:「你希望别人怎样待你,你也要怎样待人。」但是只有耶稣不止颁布道德理想,祂更赐给我们活出这种理想的力量。
基督教并不劝人行善以自救。上帝乃是借着祂的灵赐给我们新生命,将我们从罪恶和死亡的轮回中释放出来。 (罗八:2)
耶稣以上的三个权威性宣告听起来似乎过于大胆。但也只有耶稣曾具体的将使人得自由的真理活出来。祂有资格说:「我就是真理」吗?如果祂错了,祂就是骗子;不然,祂就真是那独一无二的救主。
我相信祂是真正的教主!祂的教训是超卓的;祂的死和复活更是史无前例的。 「祂曾死过,又活了,直活到永永远远。」(启一:18)
如果耶稣真是道路、真理和生命,祂就配得我们将生命完全奉献。祂是通往上帝唯一的路──要不然就什么都不是。对你来说,祂是什么呢?
若你愿意相信耶稣,你可以这样祷告:「亲爱的耶稣基督,我相信你是上帝的儿子,在十字架上为人类而死,为要赦免我的罪,赐给我新的生命,现在求你进入我心中,作我的人生的主,奉耶稣的名,阿们。」(阿们的意思是诚心所愿)
Is Jesus Christ the only way to God? The answer can be found in the Bible, God's Word. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be save”(Acts 4:12). Jesus Himself said, ”I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”(John 14:6)
The Way
Jesus did not just claim to show the way to God. He said, “I am the way…No one comes to the Father except through Me.” In other words, He claims to be the one and only way to a personal relationship with God as Father.
When a Christian says that Jesus is the only way, he's saying that all people─Christians, Buddhists, or agnostics─are in the same fix. We have all failed God's perfect standards. And actually, by whatever standard we live, we have all failed our own ideals.
The claim of Biblical Christianity is that God has done for us through Jesus Christ what we cannot do for ourselves. Religion is man trying to get to God; Jesus Christ is God building a bridge to man.
The one really unique thing about Christianity is that God became man, died for us, and now freely offers us forgiveness and righteousness. Salvation is not something we achieve. It is something we receive as a gift. Otherwise it would be arrogant to say, “I have been saved.” We are saved when we trust in Jesus and begin a personal relationship with Him.
The Truth
Jesus made another unique claim: “I am the truth.” Some today would call Him intolerant, for many worship at the shrine of tolerance. But even tolerance has limits. People are entitled to their own viewpoint, but tolerance cannot mean that all points of view are equally true. If two plus two is four, the total cannot also be seven. It is not intolerant to say that only one answer is correct.
Most eastern religions are pantheistic. They say that God is everything, that God and the universe are identical. The Bible, on the other hand, speaks of the infinite personal Creator who made all things separate from and outside Himself. Both views cannot be right . Christians also say Jesus is the Son of God who died and rose from the dead. Muslims deny these claims. Both cannot be right. Sincerity is important. But sincerity does not guarantee truth.
The Life
Jesus also claimed, “I am the life.” In this, too, He is unique. Many people say, “My religion is the golden rule.” From Confucius on, great teachers─including Jesus─have taught that we should do for others what we want others to do for us. But only Jesus offers, not merely a set of ideals, but the power to live as we should.
Christianity is not a do-it-yourself proposition. It is God offering to give us the life-giving power of His Spirit, to free us from the vicious cycle of sin and death (Romans 8:2)
The claims of Jesus may sound authoritative, staggering. Jesus alone claimed to embody the truth that sets men free. Was He correct when He said, “I am the truth”? If not, He is a liar. If so, He is unique .
I believe He is unique! He is unique in His teaching. He is unique in His death and resurrection. He is the only one to die, come back physically, and live today (Revelation 1:18)
If Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, then He deserves our total commitment. He is the only way to God─or He is nothing. What is He to you?
Leighton Ford