“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12 NKJV)
Several years ago friends had invited me and my wife and another couple for supper and an evening of watching their trip to Arizona to visit the Grand Canyon.
I’m told that the grand canyon covers 277 river miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and a mile deep. Talk about a great divide!
Made me think of another, even greater divide. The great divide between Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross and bodily resurrection from the dead and all other religions!
There are those today who take verses like the one found in our Lord’s High Priestly prayer in John 17:21: “That they all may be one…” and try to tell us that this means all religions. But the ones spoken of here, are in Christ Jesus and believe in Him alone for salvation and believe in His word! Speaking of false religions in II Corinthians 6:14-16 and in verse 17, the Holy Spirit speaks these words through the Apostle Paul: “Come out from among them and be separate, says The Lord…” (II Corinthians 6:17 NKJV)
The great divide is between we human beings and God, our Creator! Our division was caused by sin! “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2 NKJV) There is only one thing that can bring peace and restoration between a man and God and that is Jesus Christ! “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (II Corinthians 5:21 NKJV)
“For the death that He died, He died for sin once for all . . .” (Romans 6:10 NKJV)
“Having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and irreproachable in His sight.” (Col. 1:20 NKJV)
The cross of Christ is the only way to The Father. It was His finished work there on the cross, when He said, “It is finished.” (John 19:30) that satisfied the demands of A Holy God. Three days later when our Lord was bodily raised from the tomb, was the capstone that tells us that the sacrifice made was satisfactory!
Sin was the great divide between us and God, and the cross is the one and only remedy that God has provided. There is also an infinite divide between the gospel of Jesus Christ and all other religions! It is just as futile for all other religions to believe they can cross the great divide and come to God without going by the way of the cross of Calvary, as it would be for me to think that I could cross the great grand canyon without a bridge!
Prayer: Father we thank You for the only way of salvation that You have provided. The sacrifice of Your only begotten Son. Thank You for Your word that tells us clearly that the cross is the only way to cross the great divide that sin has caused between us and You. All other ways are man’s futile attempts for false substitutions! In Christ’s Name we pray. Amen.
Bob Jones