Christ, our pathway to God

Hebrews 4:14-16

Let us begin this topical discussion by establishing who is Christ? First, Christ is God’s Son that He gave to be humanity’s propiator for our sins. Second, Jesus Christ is the second person in the Trinity and is reference in scripture as “the only begotten.” The phrase does not mean that Christ was created sometime in the distance past, but solidifies Christ’s unique relationship with God the Father and Christ as the only son of God from all eternity. Reflect with the writer to Jesus’ baptism, when all three persons of the Trinity appeared and God the Father authenticated who Jesus was with the statement, “Thou are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11). Who makes up the Trinity? The Godhead, Trinity is comprised of God, the Father, Christ, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit. The one God exists in three identifiable persons operating in complete unity, which was demonstrated at Christ’s baptism. Third, John 1:1 refers to Christ as the “Word.” Here John represents Jesus Christ as the personal Word of God. Both Hebrews 1:1-3 and John 1:1-3 declares Christ as “the manifold Word of God,” thus giving rise to who Christ is.

Let’s explore John 1:1 a bit further by looking at the three characteristics of Christ being the Word of God. (A) Christ as the Word in relationship to the father, He was preexistent “with God.” Also, Christ is divine having the same nature and essence as the father (Colossians 2:9, Mark 1:11). (b) John depicts the “Word” in His relationship to the world that through Christ God the father created and sustains the world (v.3; Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 1:2). (c) Finally, John presents Christ as “the Word” in relationship to humanity, where “the Word” was made flesh” (v.14) with the sole purpose of dying for humanity’s sins. What does this mean, it means that God’s Son took on human nature but remained sinless. Christ was the only one worthy and able to become mankind’s propiator.

Given all that we have discussed on who is Christ, and if there remains a question of how is Christ our pathway to God, then let’s answer the question from this perspective; Christ is eternal from the heaven. He has always existed with God the father and the Holy Spirit. His human birth was not the beginning of His existence. With His human birth He became God-man, meaning He was both God and human. While here on earth, Christ never lost His divinity. To further expound on the question, because of humanity’s sins there was a divide between God the father and man which resulted in God needing someone to bridge the gap. God the father Himself could not look on sin therefore; it required a sinless person to reconcile man back to God; the only person found suitable for this mission was Jesus Christ. During the reconciling process Christ took on humanity’s sins, thus becoming the shield that hides our sins from God, and when God looks at humanity He does not see our sins only if we, mankind has accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. So then the final answer to the question, Christ is our pathway to God in order for mankind to have access to the father, we must go through Jesus Christ for He is our Savior. The question now becomes, how did Christ become our Savior? Christ died for our sins at Calvary; accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, believers are made right with God the father. All who believe in Jesus Christ are no longer enemies of God. Furthermore, accepting Jesus as our Savior, we become children of God. What a blessing?

If humanity is wondering what Christ gave mankind to become our bridge/pathway to God, look to the synoptic gospels where they tell us of Christ laying down His life for humanity’s sins. Christ willingly gave His life for the sins of the world all in love for humanity. During the heavenly meeting when God the father needed someone to come to earth and reconcile man, God’s prize creation, Christ told His father to prepare Him a body and He would come to earth and save a sin sick world; this He did. What is it called? It is known as God’s gift of salvation, where mankind is safely delivered from the bondage of sin. In the saving process, there is several processes at work in the believer’s life; we are delivered from sin, we are made right with God, we are set aside and then believers take on a new beginning (birth/life). Therefore, when Christ presents us to God His father, what the father sees are His sinless believers (creatures) whom He loves dearly and wants a loving fellowship. Our relationship with God has been restored. This was done through Christ’s shed blood. What love? Thank God for Jesus and their working together to restore mankind (believers).

Finally to close this topical discussion with a summary question, why did God use Christ as our pathway to Him? First, God Himself is holy and cannot look on sin. Through Adam sin entered the human race and God pronounced the whole world guilty before Him and from that, it was declared that “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Thus it mattered not of how righteous mankind tried to be because according to scripture “all of our righteousness is as filthy rags before God.” Given the truth of scripture then mankind was domed to die, because Romans 6:23states, “For the wages of sin is death’ but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Therefore, the whole human race was found unfit to save himself and was destined for eternal separation from God. The restoration requirements were someone without sin and Jesus Christ met all of the requirements.

Most of all Christ willingly gave His life to reconcile the human race back to His father. This was done in love for mankind. In doing so Christ became our Savior; accepting Him as Lord of our lives is a requirement if we want to see the father. Accepting Christ as Lord and Savior is priceless given the price Christ paid. Therefore, Jesus bought humanity’s freedom from sin with His blood. Have you accepted our pathway to God? There is a standing invitation. Christ is waiting with out stretched arms saying, “Come unto me (Matthew 11:28); I am the way, truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Our sin bill is marked paid in full.

Author’s contact: email white3285@sbcglobal.net, www.goodshepherdwritingandpublishing.com, http://willie-writing.blogspot.com.