DENOMOS: Christis, thanks for inviting me to your Sunday Bible class. The members of your church are certainly nice. They remind me of some of the people in my denomination. But you know, I believe that we are all going to the same place, we’re just going by different ways.
CHRISTIS: Denomos, that would be nice to believe — if it were not for Matthew 7:21-23.
DENOMOS: What do you mean? What does it say?
CHRISTIS: Here were some who were trying to get to the “same place by a different way,” but they were rejected by Jesus. Listen, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
DENOMOS: But our pastor says, in our church creed book….”
CHRISTIS: Denomos, neither your creed book nor your pastor is going to be the one who judges you at judgment. Rather, as John 12:48 says, it is Jesus and His Word, that is, the Bible, that will judge you.
DENOMOS: You’re right. It is dangerous to get one’s teachings from any thing other than the Bible.
CHRISTIS: I admire your desire to please God–not man. Denomos, perhaps this will help: Did it matter where the Hebrews crossed the Red Sea? Whether they crossed where Moses and the parted water were? or, at points which they decided, 5, 10, or 15 miles down the shore?
DENOMOS: Yes it mattered. If they wanted to get across, they had to cross where Moses was. That was the pathway which God provided.
CHRISTIS: Correct.
DENOMOS: I see your point. If different ones tried to get across at 5, 10, and 15 miles down the shore, they would all be trying to get to the same place by different ways. But the only way that would get them across was the one way which God provided and specified. All other ways would have failed.
CHRISTIS: Yes. And that is precisely the warning of Matthew 7:21-23. There were those who were trying to get to “the same place by different ways.” Yes, the ways were different all right–different from Jesus’ way! And because of taking the wrong way, Jesus didn’t even know them. That is, by their way, they never even became Christians!
DENOMOS: Christis, thanks for bringing this to my attention. Why don’t you come over and show me the Scriptures which teach the right way?!
Gary Henson