All roads lead to... somewhere.

 "Through me", "I am the way" means acting like Christ showed us in loving each other more than professing exclusive loyalty to the name "Christ". "IT" means acting like the guy credited with the red font in The Bible acted (or trying to).. not just repeating stuff Apostles said. Any person, religious or not, with "IT" can do the right things the ways Christ did without ever being exposed to The Gospels. And, "that", in the eyes of God, is likely "IT".

Does that sound familiar? You hear versions of it all the time (especially if you watch Oprah). It sounds nice. Kind of has a ring of friendly open minded acceptance to it. Makes you feel a little warm and fuzzy huh?

There's just one tiny problem that I hope to highlight by asking a question.

When you use a doorway, do you go through it or do you act like it?

Does it seem silly yet?  What if I said "well to go through a doorway you have to act like it, just stand there, be the doorway"? You'd look at me like I had a third eye. Why? Because you DO understand the fundamental rules of logic, most people just check out when it comes to talking about spiritual things.

Sometimes I'm accused of just wanting an argument. Honestly, that's not my intention. Here's my real goal, I want to mess with your worldview. My childhood was an odd sort. My father's church once had a bonfire that got my batman collection perished. This tragedy was due to a fly by night evangelist, they came through often. One revival after another.

Side note, if you have to have more than one revival, what does that say about the preceding ones?

My parents were split up so my life was divided save for a few moments every other weekend. Mom's house was pretty much devoid of spiritual things. Dad's house was soaked in it (and bad theology). 

Ya know what that creates? A confused kid who is angry at the God his dad keeps talking about. I thought God was this vengeful wrath filled judge jury and executioner with one hand out saying "do this list of stuff or else" and the other ready to crack a whip.

Does that sound familiar?

On the other hand people have kind of painted this polar opposite picture of a buddy Christ who is totally okay with you shacking up with your girlfriend as long as you feed the poor when you aren't smoking pot while playing X-Box instead of getting a job. 

Now I KNOW that one sounds familiar. Oprah.

My parents inadvertently infused my brain with hard wiring that is bent towards skepticism to the third degree. The hunger for truth in my belly knows no bounds. That's why the atheist who tries to convince me that I've just been sold a bill of goods gets nowhere, cause its a lie, the guy is just proving he doesn't know or want to know my story. 

I didn't just not want to believe in God. I HATED the idea of a God. I hated the idea that someone who didn't even ASK me if I wanted to exist forced me into this game where I have to play by the rules or go to hell (literally).

Maybe I should get that printed on a T-shirt to avoid this confusion in the future.

There's just one problem with what I believed God was telling me. I was completely wrong.

In my mid 20's I came across this passage in an online sermon by a man named Paul Washer.

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. Ezekiel 36:25-27

Did you catch that? Its not a command, its a promise. A promise that says "I will clean you up and MAKE you do right by me". What role do you play here? Its passive. You aren't doing a single thing here except being made to be clean and righteous and holy.
Let that sink in for a moment. The bible is not a list of things for you to DO so that you can be OK with God. 

Its just not.

Who does this promise apply to? Jesus tells us.

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:15-17

So it’s not a question of "do you act like Christ?" at all. The reality of the situation comes down to this question "do you LOVE Christ?"

Well... do you?

If you don't you should. Not with the tone of "you should... or else". Not that way at all.

I would say you should for the same reasons you should breath air, eat good food, and laugh often but the bottom line is this... you should love Him cause He's worthy of it.

It’s really that simple.