“I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6).
Some people take offense at this verse because it appears to deny the path to heaven for all non-Christians. But I believe this verse opens God’s kingdom to all. For Jesus is God incarnate and God is love. Jesus embodies God’s love. Thus, this verse can be read as “Love is the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through love.”
For all those who aspire to know and love God, we only know the way, know the truth, and experience abundant life through love. Love is the way of God, love is truth of God, love is life as God created it.
God calls himself “I AM.” Thus, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” can also mean “God is the way and the truth and the life.” God is telling us: “Seek me and you will find life. I am love. Come to know me and you will come to know love, then you will have true life. No one comes to me except through love.”
Jesus said, “If you really knew me, you would know my father as well.” (John 14:7). God sent Jesus, the incarnation of Himself, so that we could know Him by sight. God was no longer unseen. No one had to imagine any longer how God might act if He was a human. We see in the person of Jesus exactly as God intends for us to be. Jesus is the way; He shows the way that we are to be. And that is the way of love. The popular phrase “What would Jesus do?” is axiomatic for “If God were human, what would he do?”.
“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8). Those who give religion a bad name tend to be those who claim to be religious but lack true love of neighbor, or the capacity to exhibit love fully, as Christ exhibits it. If those who portend to be religious exhibited perfect love, then it might be expected that everyone would desire to be religious. The naysayers of religion expose those who profess to be religious as untrue or unfaithful purveyors of love. This is revealing irony. The apparent opponents of religion are pointing to what authentic religion should be. They are saying what the Apostle John said, “If anyone says ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:20)
“No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” (1 John 4:12). The evidence of our love of God is seen in our love of others. As we struggle in trying to love others, especially those whom seem unlovable—to be made complete in love—we must continue to seek and know God’s love for us through the person of Jesus Christ.
Cherishing God’s Love,
Doug