Finding the Way to Truth and Life

Christ: The Only Way to Truth and Life

1. Among other things, when the Holy Gospel was read, you heard what the Lord Jesus said: "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6). Everyone desires truth and life, but not everyone finds the way. That God is eternal Life—unchangeable, intelligible, intelligent, wise, and the source of all wisdom—some philosophers of this world have recognized. The fixed, settled, unwavering truth in which all principles of created things exist, they indeed saw, but only from a distance. They saw it despite the error that surrounded them, but they couldn't discover the way to reach such a great, inexpressible, and blessed possession.

That these philosophers saw the Creator through the creation—the Worker through His work, the Maker of the world through the world—the Apostle Paul confirms, and Christians should certainly believe him. For Paul said when speaking about such people: "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness" (Romans 1:18). These are, as you recognize, the Apostle Paul's words: "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness."

Did he say they don't possess the truth? No, but "They suppress the truth in unrighteousness." What they possess is good, but how they possess it is bad. "They suppress the truth in unrighteousness."

2. Now Paul anticipated that someone might ask him, "How do these ungodly people possess the truth? Has God spoken to any of them? Have they received the Law as the Israelites did through Moses? How then do they possess the truth, even though they hold it in unrighteousness?"

Listen to what follows, and Paul shows how: "Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them" (Romans 1:19). God showed it to those to whom He did not give the Law? Hear how He showed it: "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made" (Romans 1:20).

Ask the world, the beauty of the heavens, the brilliance and ordering of the stars, the sun that provides daylight, the moon that softens the night. Ask the earth, fruitful with plants and trees, filled with animals, adorned with humans. Ask the sea, teeming with countless fish. Ask the air, populated with birds. Ask all these things, and see if they don't answer you in their own way, "God made us."

Distinguished philosophers have investigated these things and through their observations have come to know the Creator. What then? Why is God's wrath revealed against this ungodliness? "Because they suppress the truth in unrighteousness?" Let Paul explain how.

He has already explained how they came to know God: "His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened" (Romans 1:20-21).

These are the Apostle's words, not mine: "Their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools." What they discovered through careful investigation, they lost through pride. "Professing to be wise" —attributing God's gift to themselves— "they became fools." These are the Apostle's words, I say: "Professing to be wise, they became fools."

3. Show us, prove their foolishness. Show us, O Apostle, as you've shown us how they were able to attain knowledge of God, for "His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made," now show us how "professing to be wise, they became fools."

Listen to his answer: "Because they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things" (Romans 1:23). The pagans made these animal figures into gods for themselves.

You discovered God, yet you worship an idol. You found the truth, yet you suppress this very truth in unrighteousness. What you came to know through God's works, you lose through man's works. You've observed the universe, recognized the order of heaven, earth, sea, and all the elements. Yet you've failed to consider that the world is God's work, while an idol is a carpenter's work.

If the carpenter could give the idol a heart as well as a shape, the carpenter would be worshiped by his own idol. O man, God is your Maker, just as man is the idol's maker. Who is your God? The One who made you. Who is the carpenter's god? The One who made him. Who is the idol's god? The one who made it. If the idol had a heart, wouldn't it worship the carpenter who made it? See how they suppressed the truth in unrighteousness and failed to find the way leading to what they glimpsed.

4. But Christ, because He is with the Father, the Truth and Life, the Word of God of whom it is said, "The Life was the light of men" (John 1:4)—because He is with the Father, the Truth and Life, and we had no way to go to the Truth—the Son of God, who is always in the Father as the Truth and Life, by taking on human nature became the Way.

Walk by Him as Man, and you will come to God. You go through Him to reach Him. Don't look for any other way to come to Him besides Himself. If He had not chosen to become the Way, we would always remain lost. He became the Way for you to travel on. I'm not saying "look for the way"—the Way itself has come to you. Get up and walk!

Walk with your life, not just with your feet. Many walk well with their feet but walk poorly in their lives. Sometimes you'll find people who walk well but are outside the way. You'll find people living morally upright lives who aren't Christians. They walk well, but they're not on the way. The more they walk, the further astray they go, because they're off the Way.

But if such people come to the Way and stay on the Way, how secure they are! They both walk well and don't go astray. But if they don't stay on the Way, however well they walk—alas, how they should be mourned! It's better to limp along on the Way than to walk strongly outside the Way.

Let this be enough for you, beloved. Let us turn to the Lord.