No Alternative

NO ALTERNATIVE

“But Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’” (John 6:68)

Some years ago a man blamed God for the death of his wife. Consequently, he renounced his faith in Christ. He tried several other religions and for a while became convinced that the universe contained two opposing powers, one good and the other evil, neither of which is all-powerful. To him this explained why evil could be so prevalent. Then he decided that God had to be good but co-existing with other impersonal forces over which He does not have absolute power.

Sometime later he met a Buddhist and was drawn to the idea that all evil is illusion and he could escape this world through meditation. But when things continued to go wrong he sensed he was just kidding himself. Eventually the man came back to the Christian faith. When asked what brought him back, he said, “It’s simple. I came back to the Bible and rediscovered it’s power, simply allowing myself to trust God.” He searched in vain for answers and finally he decided simply to trust God because he could not identify an acceptable alternative.

Have you had difficulty explaining God, or even understanding Him? Maybe you’ve thought to yourself, There just has to be another explanation for why things are the way the are. Maybe God doesn’t even exist. Perhaps you’ve searched for an alternative to the God of the Bible but, like this man, have come up empty.

Often Jesus’ disciples didn’t understand either. Frequently they were riddled with doubts about the Savior. When some of Jesus’ followers deserted the Savior He turned to the Twelve and asked, “You do not want to leave too, do you?” In a moment of singular insight Peter responded, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

When you find it difficult to comprehend the way of Christ, consider the alternative. God doesn’t ask us to understand everything the Savior taught, but He expects us to obey what we do understand. Don’t worry about what you cannot explain. Just obey what you can explain. There is no alternative to Jesus. Only He has the words of eternal life. Dr. Woodrow Kroll is the President of Back to the Bible, and will be speaking at America's KESWICK Labor Day Weekend.

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 16; Psalm 16-17; Acts 20:1-16

Dig This Quote: Prayer is not incidental to the work of God -- it is the work!

Determined Digging: Level 1: Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; Psalm 103:1-5

Determined Praying: The strength of the church has never been in programs, numbers, or events, but in prayer and obedience. God is not interested in our innovative methods. He is not impressed with our twenty-first century technology. God is still moved by the prayers of the simple saints who learn in the quiet place to lay hold of the throne of grace. -- Michael Catt