How many of us have heard that there are many ways to God? And what's even sadder is how many more have believed the lie that there are many ways to God?
Oprah Winfrey denies that Christ Jesus is the only way to God...
...but the woman being deceived,
fell into transgression. (II Timothy 2:14; Genesis 3)
Oprah Winfrey constantly refers to other people's books and teachings and her personal feelings and opinions about spirituality and truth; but if those books and teachings and feelings and opinions don't line up with the Word of God, she nor we are to listen to them nor spread them, especially if we profess to be Christians. As the apostle Paul said, For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ. But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed. (II Corinthians 11:2-4 NLT)
We are not to happily put up with whatever anyone tells us, especially not if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed. Jesus prayed for all of us before his crucifixion, us who would be reconciled to God through saving knowledge and faith in Him. He prayed, “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are." (John 17:9-11)
"While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one." (John 17:12-15)
"They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. YOUR WORD IS TRUTH! As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me." (John 17:16-21)
There is only ONE TRUTH; GOD'S WORD IS TRUTH! All other truths, teachings, beliefs, feelings and opinions must be compared to the Word of God. If they are contrary to what the Word of God says and preach a different Jesus, or a different kind of Spirit, or a different kind of gospel than the Holy Scriptures, they are not to be believed! Just as the apostle Paul instructed Timothy regarding his ministry, But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,... (II Timothy 3:13-16)
Oprah Winfrey is not the evil one, but she has been deceived and has lead many others to being deceived. Knowledge is a wonderful thing, but we can have a great deal of knowledge that doesn't lead to wisdom because it's based on knowing and believing lies. Just as the apostle Paul instructed the church in Colossae, ...and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. (Colossians 2:2-4)
For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. (Colossians 2:5-10)
We aren't to believe that Christ Jesus is THE ONLY WAY to God just because the apostle Paul said it; nor are we to believe that Christ Jesus is THE ONLY WAY to God just because Jesus said it; but we are to believe that Christ Jesus is THE ONLY WAY to God because God Himself said it. “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God. “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail nor be discouraged, till He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands shall wait for His law.” (Isaiah 40:1, 42:1-4)
Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk on it: “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles, To open blind eyes,To bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house. I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.” (Isaiah 42:5-9)
There is only ONE WAY to God, and that is through the Lord Christ Jesus. Not through Muhammad, because God said, and My glory I will not give to another; nor through Buddha, because God said, nor My praise to carved images; nor through any other man's philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world. But God said, My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17; Luke 3:22) Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11)
Many people read the scriptures, but they still end up believing lies, For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks [non-Jews] seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks [non-Jews] foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (I Corinthians 1:18-25)
True knowledge and wisdom come from God, because GOD'S WORD IS TRUTH! Jesus said, You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. (John 5:39) Jesus answered, “... For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (John 18:37) So we end up where we began, and where we will always end up, if we don't let anyone cheat us through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. Jesus said to him, “I am THE WAY, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father EXCEPT THROUGH ME!" (John 14:6)
The world calls us who believe the truth "narrow minded", "intolerant", "separatist", etc. Well yes, there are many different paths and truths and beliefs and feelings and opinions; but here's the truth about all of them: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. (Proverbs 16:25) So how do we resolve this issue? As the apostle Peter told the multitude of people from all over the known world, who were in Jerusalem after the day of Pentecost and heard them [the disciples] speak in his own language (Acts 2:1-12), “Therefore let all ... know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36)
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:37-39) For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus! (I Timothy 2:3-5) AMEN!
A multitude of scriptures could have been referenced, but we pray that God will convict all who read this through His Holy Spirit to believe the truth and in the truth, that Christ Jesus is THE ONLY WAY!
A multitude of scriptures could have been referenced, but we pray that God will convict all who read this through His Holy Spirit to believe the truth and in the truth, that Christ Jesus is THE ONLY WAY!
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