Short Cuts
There are no shortcuts in Michigan. Living in Ohio, I have learned many shorter routes than normal throughout our beautiful state, depending on whether we are in the mood for scenic, two lane, or adventurous, Ohio has developed in a way to provide logical paths from one point to another.
Michigan defies logic. Period.
Some roads labeled EAST or WEST actually travel NORTH and SOUTH in Michigan. There are roads with the names of lakes and travel nowhere near the lakes named. Some expressways are divided in such a way to make you get off at an exit ramp, get back on the expressway, and then get off at another exit ramp.
Many of the larger cities in Michigan require motorist to make a U-turn in order to turn left, otherwise known as a Michigan Left. You travel pass the road you want to turn left, make a U-turn, cut across several lanes of fast moving traffic, and then make a right turn to the street you first passed. There is no state that would claim such a confusing traffic hazard and call it safe, except Michigan.
Oh, and by the way, if you encounter construction delays, just sit back and wait. The orange construction barrel is the unofficial Michigan State Flower. Do not make any effort to find a route around the construction zone because there are no short cuts in Michigan. There are dirt roads, though some dirt roads lead absolutely nowhere, some dirt roads are driveways, and some dirt roads are boat ramps to a hidden lake. If you try to get around a construction zone in Michigan, you may find yourself at a dead end, in someone’s garage, or turning your car into an amphibious vehicle.
Remember, there are no shortcuts in Michigan.
Nor are there any shortcuts to Heaven.
Jesus tells us this in John 14:6, when He answered the apostle’s question with, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Just as we if we are driving, whether in beautiful Ohio or illogical Michigan, we need to know where we are going and how to get there. We gain this knowledge by way of roadmaps, asking directions, or finding someone to lead us on our journey. In this verse, we find Christ is all three in leading us to Heaven: He is the roadmap in He is the Word of God, we can ask Him for guidance through the Holy Spirit, and He is the One Who would lead us on this journey.
Consider He is the Way. He provided the Way, paid for in His blood, and by which He was able to enter into the Holy Place. Only by Him do God and man meet and are brought together. He has provided the way and by this, He is the way.
Consider He is the truth. Just as truth opposes lies, deceit, falsehood, error, ignorance, and pride, we find in Christ the opposing nature to these elements of our human existence. Yet His doctrine and faithfulness to His mission and to each of us supports the truth of His merit and the trust we can have in Him.
Consider He is life. Because of our fallen nature, we do not possess the innocence required to enter into Heaven. Since we all sin, we are dead to God until Jesus enters into our life and we receive Him fully, thus a full pardon is presented to us and we are alive… alive in Jesus Christ.
He is the way, the truth, and the life for each of us. He is the beginning, the middle, and the end. His payment for our sins was paid in full and in advance. We only need to receive this knowledge. This is Jesus working in our lives to provide a clear path, though it may be a construction zone of sorts.
Although sometimes we find ourselves in situations very similar to driving in Michigan. We get confused and turned around. “Yes, I know Jesus is the way but He won’t accept me the way I am… I mean, come on. I need to do good deeds. I need to help my neighbors and serve at some mission. I need to stop bad-mouthing Michigan. Only then can I earn enough points with God to receive Jesus more fully.”
With this approach, we are saying Jesus didn’t do enough for our salvation and we have to do something. Except this is not what He said on the Cross before giving His life for each of us. His final words, when translated, simply state, “It is finished.” There is nothing else that needs to be done for our salvation. He did it all.
There is nothing wrong with good deeds and serving others, yet we need to know we are working FROM a point a salvation and not toward it.
There are no shortcuts in life; just one path, one way. Do you know it?
If you do not know the path or the way, shoot me an email. I’ll be glad to help. Do you know someone who might enjoy this blog or one of my eStories or Books? Please share this blog or my website with them. Thanks!
Glenn Sasscer
www.glennsasscer.com
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