“I have TOO MANY wives” is NOT a statement that one hears often! I don’t know how many wives you have, but if the number isn’t “zero” then for most of my audience it would only be “one.” But let’s explore this a bit.
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Obviously I’m using that phrase as an attention getter and a key illustration. I most certainly do not have more than one wife. I have ONLY one wife. More to the point, the wife I have is utterly amazing, loves me with all her heart, and I can’t say enough good about her !!!!! She’s put up with a LOT from me, and yet she still loves me, regularly forgives me, and (as amazing as it may seem) wants me to spend the rest of my life with her. Talk about true love!!
Jesus said “From the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife.” So God’s perfect design was one man for one woman.
The bottom line is that, for some things — ONE IS ENOUGH !!!! You might have two or three favorite restaurants. No problem. If you have a couple of pairs of favorite trousers or shoes – Good for you. But, from God’s perspective of what is HIS BEST FOR YOU — one wife matched with one husband is it.
As I said, for some things — ONE IS ENOUGH !!!! Wives are like that. And so are saviors!
I recently read an article in the Christian Post that left me scratching my head. They reported that nearly 70% of Christians disagree with the biblical position that Jesus is the ONLY WAY to God. I’m going to repeat that, because I don’t want you to miss it.
— Almost 70% of Christians DISAGREE with the biblical position that Jesus is the ONLY WAY to God.
These are not just some general cross section of the population. These are people who self-identify as “Christians.” They are people who answered “YES” when asked the question, “Have you ever made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in your life today?” When they were asked to identify WHY they thought they would go to heaven, they selected, “I will go to Heaven because I confessed my sins and accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior” from a list of several possibilities. These are good, proper and biblical answers.
But then four out of five of THESE SAME PEOPLE went on to say that Muhammad, Buddha and Jesus all taught valid ways to God.
REALLY ?!?!?
Today’s verse takes a strikingly different position. It says SALVATION IS FOUND IN NO ONE ELSE, FOR THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN TO MANKIND BY WHICH WE MUST BE SAVED
I’m aware that we’re living in an age of pluralism, where someone’s opinion is all-too-often given the weight of fact. If someone disagrees with the position of another, they are branded as “haters” and “intolerant” simply because they hold a different position. Feelings, not facts, drive the discussion (if there is one).
I agree that everyone is entitled to their own opinions. But opinions and facts are vastly different things. And just because you’re offended, it doesn’t mean you’re right.
Maybe you think peanut butter tastes terrible. That will not have any negative impact on your life. But if you’re of the opinion that gravity is a myth because you can’t see it, that’s an entirely different matter. If you believe that fire will not burn you, that you can breathe under water, or that you can fly like a bird — those are dangerous opinions indeed.
Facts and opinions are very different things. FACTS don’t change if you don’t agree with them.
The fact is that you CANNOT fly like a bird. It doesn’t matter how LONG you believe it or how HARD you believe it; your belief cannot change the fact of the matter. If you step off the top of a 30 story building because you’re convinced that you can fly like a bird you’re in for a very nasty shock in about 20 seconds or so.
When we begin to consider SAVIORS – there may be many different opinions. But the fact of the matter is laid out in today’s verse —
SALVATION IS FOUND IN NO ONE ELSE, FOR THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN TO MANKIND BY WHICH WE MUST BE SAVED
Mohammad may have some teachings that strike your fancy. But the Koran offers no promise of salvation. You can search from cover to cover and never find one.
Buddha’s approach to life and peace may pique your interest, but he never offered a path to eternal life. It wasn’t even on his radar.
Jesus came and said it clearly and plainly – “I am THE way, THE truth and THE life. NO ONE comes to the Father except through Me.”
Not very pluralistic – JUST TRUE.
Then He proved it by His resurrection from the dead.
Jesus meant what He said. Jesus delivers on His promise.
SALVATION IS FOUND IN NO ONE ELSE, FOR THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN TO MANKIND BY WHICH WE MUST BE SAVED
So let me end in much the same way as I began ….
I most certainly do not have more than one savior. I have ONLY one savior. More to the point, the savior I have is utterly amazing, loves me with all His heart, and I can’t say enough good about Him!!!!! He’s put up with a LOT from me, and yet He still loves me, regularly forgives me, and (as amazing at it may seem) wants me to spend the rest of my life with Him.
AND He wants to be your savior, too. Talk about true love!!
