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What If No One Warned You?

Imagine that you’re driving along a highway and pass a man walking toward you on the side of the road. He waves and smiles; you wave back. But as you round the bend just beyond him you suddenly realize that the bridge across a deep canyon is out!

How would you feel about someone who knew the bridge was out but didn’t tell you? Wouldn’t you expect that a person with such crucial information would do whatever was necessary to warn you of danger ahead?

A greater danger 

Most people are heading down the highway of life hoping to be good enough and to do enough good things to someday arrive in heaven. Many were baptized as infants. They attend religious services. They’re trying to follow their pastors, priests, spiritual advisors, or consciences. They provide for their families and even contribute to charities. They depend on these things to be their bridge to heaven and eternal safety. They believe that religious traditions, the decrees of spiritual leaders, or the interpretations of popes or denominations are enough to serve as their bridge.

But listen to what Jesus said to religious leaders in His day: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! Thus you nullify [invalidate] the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down” (Mark 7:8,13).

A Bible author—John—who knew Jesus well when He was here on earth, wrote this about the only way to God: “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:11-13). Not “hope” or “think,” but know that Jesus is the only way to eternal life. That simple first-century message is still true in the 21st century!

The ultimate risk

Jesus warned that “wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” (Matthew 7:13). Those people are choosing the road with the bridge that’s out—it will never get them to heaven! You’re taking the ultimate risk if you have doubts about the religious bridge you’re planning to take to cross over into God’s heaven—the consequences of your choice are eternal.

Jesus urged his hearers to “enter through the narrow gate” (Matthew 7:13). The person who truly believes that Jesus alone is “the way” (John 14:6) has this assurance in Jesus’ own words: “Whoever hears My word and believes Him [God the Father] who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24). The true believer has Jesus’ word on it—the bridge is there, and it crosses over to heaven!

Jesus, God’s sinless Son, chose to come to earth to pay the “eternal death penalty” for the sins of humanity. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24). Jesus became the bridge to God by exchanging his righteous life for the lives of all sinners who ever lived—to die “for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).  “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Then Christ’s resurrection proved that His payment for our sins had been accepted by God the Father. 

No place for doubt 

Those who accept God’s offer of eternal life, by wholeheartedly trusting in what Christ has already done for them, are the ones who will stand accepted by God. The instant they place their confidence in Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins, they are right with God now and forever.

Traditions may teach it, but nowhere in the Bible does it say that we can be right with God through good works, baptism, church membership or good intentions. It comes only by trusting in Jesus as our perfect “substitute,” believing that His death accomplished the complete payment for our sins—once and for all. Eternal life is God’s gift, “not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Though the spiritual “narrow road” is not the one most people are taking to eternity, it’s the only one the Bible says goes to heaven. If you were that person on the highway with the bridge that’s out, I think you’d warn me, so I hope you’ll understand my concern for your eternal safety. I want you to know that you’re taking the road that will ensure that you arrive in heaven, not hell when this life is over.

If you choose Christ’s way, you can express your decision to God in a prayer like this: Dear God, I admit that I have been trying to get to heaven my own way. Now I’m convinced that Jesus is the only way to heaven. I believe that he died in my place and took the judgment that I deserved for my sins. I accept your offer of forgiveness. I want the eternal life Jesus promises to those who believe in Him. Thank you for helping me find the sure way to heaven!

Text: Doug Salser • Copyright © Literature Ministries International, 2008
Bible quotes: New International Version