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

This is not the end of the quote. It continues in John 14:7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Over the years I have met people who resent the notion that no one can come to the Father without Jesus. The majority of those people worship other gods. Then there was that class of people in front of Jesus who worshipped the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Jews. He declared their worship of the One True God was missing the mark.

John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

Jesus said that to the Samaritan woman at the well. The Jews of those days would have agreed that the Samaritan’s didn’t know God but now Jesus is lumping them together and to the Pharisee and Sadducee that was unacceptable. He questioned their very worship. It was fine for them to judge the Samaritans unworthy but to be told by this Nazarene that they didn’t know God the Father was unacceptable.

It seems to be easier to tell people about God if they have no knowledge of God. Challenging another person’s faith will always be met with resentment. So why is this article titled “So Simple”?

Only Jesus did things that proved God was with Him. No one could do all the miracles that He did if God’s will wasn’t being done. Then Jesus went on to fulfill all the signs and wonders that identified Him as the Messiah, He died and rose on the third day. Thirdly and most importantly, God the Father sent His Spirit to abide in the hearts of man in order that we can worship Him in spirit and truth. That only happens by faith in Jesus Christ. No other belief makes that offer.

It is simple because God did not leave it up to us. He did it Himself.

Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

This life we live by faith is done together because He loves us and wants to do all things together. It is just that simple.

1 Peter 1:16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Peter is quoting Leviticus 11:44-45 ESV 44 For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground. 45 For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”

Saying be holy does not indicate how to be holy since the word holy is an adjective which is a descriptor, indicating the condition of a person, place of thing.

Revelation 3:7 ESV

To the Church in Philadelphia

7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.”

While Jesus never called Himself holy he did say “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Perhaps it is humility that kept Him from describing Himself as holy. But these are His words also: If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.

“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” Hebrews 1:3

Let us back up for a moment and examine Leviticus 11:44 and extract one word, consecrate. That is the secret to the how, the verb explains the adjective. Another way of saying that is to dedicate oneself in service to the will of God. He said not to defile ourselves.

Mark 7:15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.

Jesus added: “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

The condition of the heart is what truly matters. Give your heart to Jesus and become holy.

 Acts 15:9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.

Consecrate yourself by being dedicated to His service.