Gospel

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     Many people today say they are “spiritual, but not religious.” Many of these people grew up in a church or had some sort of religious upbringing, but now have little to do with organized religion. Phrases such as “I don’t need to define myself by a label such as Baptist, Catholic, or Muslim,” “all religions have some truth and it’s good to be open-minded to many different beliefs,” and “God is whatever you think of as your higher power,” are common among the spiritual, but not religious. Perhaps you are such a person who may be spiritual, but not religious. Friend, I would like to share one belief with you that you might not have considered.
     There was a man who lived two-thousand years ago--His name was Jesus Christ. Undoubtedly, you have probably heard some things about Him, but I would like to ask you to ponder the words He spoke of Himself in John 14:6- “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus did not simply claim to be a path or a way, but “the Way.” In other places in the Bible, Jesus makes other exclusive claims of Himself such as “I am the Gate,” (John 10:9) “I am the Light of the world,” (John 8:12) and “I am the Bread of life,” (John 6:35) and other similar phrases. At this point you may be saying to yourself, “Well, anyone can claim that.” True, anyone can claim that, but not only did Jesus claim that, but He proved it. How did He prove it, you ask?
     He proved it by physically rising from dead on the third day, having died for your sins and mine, on an actual wooden Roman cross, outside the literal city of Jerusalem under an actual Roman ruler named Pontius Pilate. In fact, there were eyewitnesses to this monumental event in history. One such eyewitness was the apostle Peter, who after he denied Christ three times, later repented and publicly affirmed, “This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses” (Acts 2:32). The apostle Paul, another eyewitness testifies, “After that He was seen by over five hundred brothers at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time” (1 Corinthians 15:6-8).
     Jesus does not ask people to simply add him to a list of equally valid religious gurus and teachers that can be admired or looked to for some principles of wisdom, but who in no uncertain terms says, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent” (John 14:3). That is, to know God is to know Jesus, the One True Source of spiritual life, and thus to be truly spiritual, but not religious.

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