November 7, 2009 THE WAY TO HEAVEN by Cornelius R. Stam Printer Friendly Version Perhaps you have heard the story of the man who inquired from a mountaineer the way to a certain destination. The mountaineer stuttered and stammered and finally said: "You can't get there from here." We may smile at this, but the results would be even more amusing -- and sad -- were we to ask the average person on the street the way to heaven. What is the way to heaven? It is interesting to read in God's Word what many think about this. In Proverbs 14:12 we read: "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." What are some of these "ways" that "seem right" to men, leading them to hope for heaven? Joining a church? Being baptized? Doing one's best? Keeping the Ten Commandments? Loving one's neighbor as himself? These are a few of the ways that men follow, hoping to gain eternal life, but they all come under one heading: "Do good." But what do the Scriptures say about this? In the Gospel according to John there are recorded for us seven "I ams," which the Lord Jesus Christ used in speaking of Himself. One of these is found in John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by Me." This passage has a double significance, since it was not only the declaration of the Lord Jesus Christ, but at the same time a declaration of the divinely inspired Scriptures. From this verse we learn not only that Jesus is the only way to the Father, but also that He is "the truth" to be believed and trusted in. Thus we can believe the Lord Jesus when He claims to be the way to heaven. But according to this passage He is also "the life." As we place our faith in Him as the One who died on the cross for us, we receive eternal life. "He died that we might live." To the Reader: Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface: "It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles." We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.