I. How can Christians say that Jesus is the only way to God?

 Jesus Himself claims to be God and others recognized Him as deity. He said, “I and the Father are one." 1 The Greek language, in which the New Testament was originally written, is explicit. Literally, Jesus said, "I and the Father, we are one." Jesus also claimed that He was the only way to God: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through me." 2

     The question is, can we accept as true what Jesus claimed? The most conclusive evidence establishing the deity of Christ is the resurrection. The apostle Paul wrote that Jesus "was declared with power to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead." 3 If the resurrection of Christ is true, then it is possible to believe all His claims and miracles. They would be what one would expect from God.

     The primary reason that Jesus is the only way to God is that He forgives sin and offers eternal life,4 something which the founder of no other major religion has claimed to do. Every person is separated from God by sin. According to God's requirement, either the individual must pay the penalty for sin – death – or he must find someone who is willing and able – who has no sin – to pay the penalty for him.5 Jesus Christ was both able and willing to do this, as demonstrated by His death on the cross.

 II. How can a loving God allow war and suffering?

     God loved His initial human creation so much that He gave mankind freedom to make choices. This freedom involved the choice of saying "yes" or “no" to a relationship with God. The first two individuals He created both said “no” — a decision that subsequent generations of men and women have confirmed by their own choices. The Bible teaches that evil originated from outside this world 6 and entered the human race through Adam, whose disobedience in turn affected all of creation.7 Because we are by nature social creatures, an individual's activities are not limited to himself, but always affect others. Therefore, when we willfully choose to reject God and go our own selfish ways, others will necessarily suffer.

     When Adam failed to trust Him, God could have begun allover with a new creation – one which didn't have the option to accept or reject God. But, while He restricts evil, He has allowed evil to run its course so that individuals may voluntarily choose Him. The climax of this great antagonism is that evil shall not rule in the universe forever but will be decisively and ultimately overcome by God's power.

 III. What about those Who have not heard about Jesus?

 It's reasonable to believe that a God whose love is so great that He would give His own Son is even more concerned about people than we could ever be.9 He desires that all people come into a personal relationship with Him. 10 The Bible teaches that all individuals have some knowledge of God and that He has put the touch of eternity in every person's mind. 11 Therefore each person is accountable for his or her response to this inward information.

     If a person truly desires to know God, God will provide the information needed to know Him. This was true, for example, with Cornelius, the Roman centurion who sincerely desired to know God. Peter was sent to tell him how he could.13

     Many ask, "How can a loving God send someone to hell?" With equal fairness, the question should be asked. "How can a holy and righteous God allow a sinful person into heaven?"

     God by nature is holy and just. If He dealt with us only in love, a love without standards, we would think Him weak and unworthy of our respect. If He dealt with us only in His holiness and justice, we would all be sent to hell, because His nature is incompatible with sin. By Christ's death on the cross for our sin, God fully satisfied the requirement for our sin, God fully satisfied the requirements of His moral character, while at the same time provided the way by which an individual could come into a personal relationship with Him.

 IV. Won't living a good, moral life make me acceptable to God?

 Many believe that if they do their best here in earth, God will recognize their effort, overlook their weakness and "grade on the curve." This belief, however, shows a misunderstanding of God's infinite righteousness and perfection.

     The Bible says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."15 Not a single one of us could honesty say that we have never knowingly done anything wrong. The apostles James tells us, "For whoever keeps the whole law (God's absolute standards) and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." 16

     These violations (sins) are not just isolated events; they are a reflection of the sin nature that permeates out entire being. Consider, for illustration, an omelette. It takes only one rotten egg to make the entire omelette rotten, no matter how many good eggs we add. The one rotten egg permeates the whole mixture and makes it unacceptable to our palates. Similarly, it takes only one sin to make us unacceptable to God. God is infinitely holy and good, and no matter how hard we try, we could never succeed in reaching His absolute standard of perfection. He is also a just God who holds us accountable for violating those standards which we know are right .17

     Only one person has ever lived a perfect life – Jesus Christ. Therefore, His death on the cross in payment for our sins is the only basis for God's total forgiveness and acceptance of us. When we acknowledge Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, then we are no longer under God's condemnation. 18

 V. Is the Bible really the Word of God?

 A number of facts make it reasonable to believe the Bible is accurate and reliable. Jesus, the Son of God and the greatest spiritual authority of all time, attested to the accuracy of the Bible, even to the "smallest letter or stroke."13 Archaeology has affirmed its historical accuracy. Biblical manuscripts number in the thousands and, in some cases, date less than 100 years from the actual occurrence of the events they describe – giving us by far the best attested historical document civilization possesses.

     The Bible's amazing unity – even though composed of 66 books written over a period of 1,500 years by more than 40 authors from widely different cultures and parts of the world – attests that there was divine superintendence over its writing. The Bible not only claims to be the Word of God,14 but through the minute fulfillment of prophecy and the miraculous transformation of individuals who have believed its message, it has proved itself over and over to be exactly that.

 VI. Isn’t Christianity just another emotional or psychological experience?

 With the current prevailing attitude that "all things are relative" and "whatever works for you is your' truth, '" more and more people are seeking various personal experiences (anything from transcentendal meditation to est to encounter groups) as a means to fulfillment and a sense of purpose.

     But Chrsitianity is more than a subjective experience – it is based on a critical objective historical fact – the resurrection of Jesus Christ (see "Back from the Grave: Miracle, Mockery or Big Mistake?", page 26). That event established Jesus' deity and His power over sin and death. If the resurrection had not occurred, then Jesus would not be the Son of God, nor our Savior, and Christianity would he meaningless. As the apostle Paul said, if Christ did not raise from the dead, then “we are of all men most be pitied." 19

     Christianity is not down on experience. Jesus invites individuals to experience a unique and personal relationship with Him. But He encourages a commitment to Him that is based on an absolute truth, an objective fact of history outside of ourselves to which our subjective experience is joined.

 VII. Is Christianity relevant to today's needs?

 In the present age of overwhelmingly rapid scientific advances and increasing economic and social affluence, there exist certain needs which have been around since the beginning of the human race – needs such as a sense of ultimate purpose, love and security, lasting inner satisfaction and peace. External stimuli, such as money, material possessions or recognition of others, may supply temporary satisfaction of these needs. But a lasting satisfaction, a contentment and sense of meaning that remains even if the external circumstances are stripped away, must come from within.

     Jesus said, "I am the bread of life' he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”20 When Jesus enters our lives, he makes us complete persons, not dependent upon temporary stimuli for our fulfillment. He gives us a sence of ultimate purpose, a reason for being, and satisfies our deepest longing for love and security.

     Jesus also promises to give direction in whatever situation we find ourselves in.21 The infinite God who created the universe is certainly creative and wise enough to deal with our contemporary needs. Jesus made a profound statement on the re1avancy and authority of His Word when He claimed, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away." 22

 VIII. How do I become a Christian?

 Contrary to what some believe, becoming a Christian has nothing to do with following a list of do's and don'ts. The issue is not doing, but believing.

     The Bible tells us, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life."23 Believing involves more than giving intellectual agreement to Christ's claims; it involves a willful act of surrendering our lives to Him.

     How do we do this? Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me ." We open that door through faith, by simply recognizing our need and inviting Christ to be our personal Savior. It involves turning to God from self and trusting Christ to come into our lives, to forgive our sins and to make us the maximum people He has designed us to be. When we have made this decision, we can know with complete assurance that He is in our lives and that we have eternal life.

1. John 10:30               6. II Peter 2:4; Jude 6

2. John 14:6                 7. Genesis 3:16-19

3. Romans 1:4              8. I Corinthians 15:24-28

4. John 10:28               9. II Peter 3:9

5. Hebrews 9:14,22    10. I Timothy 2:4

11. Romans 1:19,20             16. James 2:10

12. Acts. 10:17-35               17. Romans 2:14-16

13. Matthew 5:18                 18. Romans 8:1

14. II Timothy 3:16              19. I Corinthians 15:13-19

15. Romans 3:23                  20. John 6:35

21. John 14:28

22. Mark 13:31

23. John 3:16

24. Revelation 3:20