The Hard Standard

My Belief

Airline pilots undergo rigorous training throughout there entire career. They are continually trained and tested to verify proficiency. Some of this training is progressive, trained to proficiency or held to a wide standard. Some of it however, is not. Some of it is very strict and must be adhered to perfectly. The most difficult of these test is to become a Captain at a major airline. Within the industry this evaluation is referred to as a “Type Ride”. The standards for this test are very narrow and any deviation by the candidate is met with a strict unsatisfactory completion. Candidates can not deviate from this narrow path or they do not posses what is necessary to be a Captain.

I feel the truth of Jesus Christ represented in the Bible is very similar to this. There is only one way to get to heaven and have eternal life with God. That is through the very narrow path of Jesus Christ. Any deviation from this standard will be met with strictly as unsatisfactory completion. There are a lot of things in the Bible that are unknown and can be left to a wide interpretation. This truth of Jesus Christ is not one of them. Jesus Christ is the “Type Ride” of the Bible. There can be no deviation from this narrow standard.

I tell you this because I so often hear things that are in direct contradiction to this. I hear things like, “it is Jesus plus baptism, Jesus plus good works, or God doesn't let good people go to hell”. The truth is that none of us are good people. We are all evil and in need of Jesus to cleanse us of our sins. To add or change this in any way is to take away from the hardest standard in the Bible. There can be no deviation from (Jesus Christ + nothing = salvation.)

Scripture

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Matt 7:13-14 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Application for Life

Always stand firm for the truth of Jesus Christ. If you allow anyone to add to what is necessary for salvation, it takes away from what Christ did for us on the cross. Anyone who tries to say different is outside the standard of Christ and will be considered unsatisfactory to God.