The first of our “How Can” questions this week is from John 14:5.  Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?  Jesus had just told them that they knew where He was going, “and the way ye know.”  In verse six Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”  When we consider the context of  Thomas’ question it is even  more surprising that the question would have to be ask. Jesus had been with the twelve for approximately three years doing miracles and teaching them. They could and should have known where Jesus was going and The Way they should go. Jesus had taught them openly of His mission on earth and His departure back to the Father when his work on earth was done. Still, they did not know!

The lesson for all today is a simple one, “if one wants to know the way to follow Christ, to receive the forgiveness of sins and inherit eternal life” one can know if he or she is willing to listen to God’s word.  The Way of salvation is not hidden in dark difficult mazes of confusing and hard teachings.  Yet, we find any number of ways being taught in the religious world on how man is saved.  These ways go from extremes of difficulty by many rituals and elaborate pageantry and works of men to the teaching that man can do absolutely nothing to be saved.  When, like Thomas and the other apostles, all one has to do is listen to Jesus, through the teaching of His covenant, the New Testament. An open-minded careful study of the book of Acts clearly shows one what one must do to be forgiven and become a member of the New Testament church, the spiritual body of Christ. The mistake that many make is to begin the study with a preconceived idea of what they have to do and study just until they think they find a scripture or scriptures that supports their thinking. They do not study to get all the facts and put them together according to the teaching of the scriptures. [One might need help in fully understanding what God would have them to do. Another “How Can” question can be helpful in some occasions. “And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him” (Acts 8:31)  One has to be sure the one who helps them in their study is a faithful Christian. A true Christian teacher will agree with all the points listed below.]  This type of a study will reveal that one must hear the Word taught, (every example of conversion in Acts) come to believe without question that Jesus is the Divine Son of God, and man’s only hope of salvation (Acts 2:36-37,Acts 8:34-37, 16:30). One will also come to understand that one must repent of all past sins (Acts 2:38, 3:19, 17:30-31). Repenting of sins involves turning from all sins and yielding to the will of God.

One will also find they must confess their faith in Christ as the Son of God Acts 8:36-38, and they will find they are then to be buried in baptism for the forgiveness of their sins (every case of conversion in Acts, from Acts 2:38 to 22:16). One has to have  help (false teaching) to not be able to clearly understand the simple teaching of God’s Word.

The same principle would be true in regards to how God has instruction us to worship Him and how Christians are to live their lives daily. (example, the New Testament gives us no command or example for using mechanical instruments in our worship) The teaching (instruction) for these are clearly spelled out in God’s Word. Jesus says in John 4:23-24 if one is to worship God acceptably one must worship Him is Spirit and in truth.

Another vital “How Can” question is found in 1 John 4:20, “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”  The theme of the entire book of 1 John is love. It deals both with our love for God and our love for our fellow man especially those who are brothers and sister in Christ. The verse of our “How Can” question poses two serious truths. The first is that God says one who says he loves God, yet hates his brother is a liar.  In keeping with that truth he goes on to ask if we do not love our bother whom we have seen how can we love God whom we have not seen?