True Way

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“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.  ... (Jer. 6:16).”

 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat (Mt. 7:13):”

The above beautifully explain the exactness and certainty of God’s way of salvation.  It is only by His goodness and grace that a soul is led to salvation.  The fallen nature of man is against God and requires divine aid to come by faith and submit to Him.  The Lord teaches this in the following verses:

“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day (Jn. 6:44).”

“And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me except it were given unto him of my Father (Jn. 6:65).”

“… I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me (Jn. 14:6).”

What wonderful, wonderful, truth.  God has not only provided the supreme sacrifice, but has also drawn His children by His Spirit to Himself.  We were certainly spiritually dead, but through Him are made alive!  It is truly His goodness that leads men to repentance, and we are most certainly saved by the gift of grace “through faith” (Rom. 2:4) (Eph. 2:8).  So one must first experience God’s drawing and the godly sorrow of repentance which leads to life (II Cor. 7:10).  This is the true way and the entering in at the “door of the sheep” (Jn. 10:7).  And as so clearly explained in scripture, the Lord Jesus Christ is the door.  Please note these uncompromising words of the Holy Ghost through Apostle Peter:

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12).”

 Jesus explains the reason so many go after another way:

“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it (Mt. 7:14).”

The way of life after a true conversion experience continues to be narrow.  Again, God has provided the means through Jesus Christ for man to live according to the Spirit.  If we live in the Spirit, we are provided the opportunity to mortify “the deeds of the body” (Rom. 8:13) and begin to gain understanding and experience fellowship with the creator (I Jn. 1:3).

It is after repentance (IICor. 7:10) and the conversion experience that believers are to be “baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38).  Whereupon we are then promised a great spiritual gift, the Holy Ghost!  Yes, He is the “Comforter” and “Spirit of truth” who helps the Christian live in witness to the Lord Jesus (Jn. 14:26; 16:13; Acts 1:8).  This great and wonderful gift is bestowed upon them that obey Him (Acts 5:32; II Cor. 7:1).  Believers are better prepared to more consistently sustain a life according to God’s Spirit in being taught about and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Please recall the words of the Apostle Paul to the twelve Ephesians:

“… Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed … (Acts 19:2)?”

There are some who may be able to speak mightily after conversion as did Apollos (Acts 18:24-25).  But God has provided a more perfect way (Acts 18:26).  Jesus said:

“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; ... (Jn. 3:11)."

As presented in the book of Acts, ministry regarding Christian salvation should also speak clearly on the promised Spirit of the Father and the Son  (Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:17; Jn. 14:16-26).  So first a soul is converted.

In conversion, we experience washing through the word (Eph 5:27; James 1:18; I Pet. 1:23; Ez. 36:25; Ex. 40:12; I Cor. 4:15) and are cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ (Mt. 26:28; Heb. 9:22).  What wonderful refreshing!  Being born again, one is baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ (II Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27).

"..., Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (Jn. 3:5)."

However, please note that being baptized with the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:8) is a separate experience for which Jesus Christ is the baptizer.  Notice the following verses:

"But when the Comforter is come, who I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me (Jn. 16:26):"   

"... that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into (I Pet. 1:12)."

"This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.  Therefore being by the right hand of God exhalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear (Acts 2:32-33)."

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour (Titus 3:5 &6);"

"And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them (Ez. 36:27)."

In Sum:

Upon experiencing true conversion and water baptism in Jesus name (Acts 10:48; 19:5), a believer is to live a sanctified life (II Cor. 7:1) in obediance to God and, as the Apostle Peter proclaimed, “ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38).  After the day of Pentecost, there are other accounts in the book of Acts where believers received the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 8:17; 10:44;  19:6).  As on the day of Pentecost, the sign of speaking in other tongues so beautifully signifies His arrival upon and within the believer who receives power from God to be a witness of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8).

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