Truth, faith etc. (and a very funny preaching blunder!)

Heard an interesting quote in a sermon last night (not the blunder referred to in the title - that comes at the end of this). The guy was preaching on the 1st part of John 14 - where Jesus says 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life' - and he said that 'Jesus doesn't have an exclusive claim to truth but he does have a claim to exclusive truth'. There are lots of things all around us that we can all see and know to be true, but there isn't anything that offers the same truth as Jesus!

The claims that Jesus makes don't leave room for doubt about what he is claiming, that salvation is only possible through him - the questions come in regard to whether or not we accept and believe in those claims, in who he says he is, which people often seem to find more difficult in the pluralistic / 'postmodern' society we live in. I do believe that I'm saved through what Jesus has done, through what he achieved by his death and resurrection. Having said that, I don't for 1 minute claim to have faith all sorted - there are often times when I doubt things and there are many things about Jesus, about God that I don't fully understand. But God is taking me on a journey, and I feel like I'm growing in my faith all the time as that journey progresses. Keeping things nice and simple, that for me is what faith is about - its not about having it all sorted, but about taking a step to believe in the amazing exclusive claims of Jesus and asking God by his Spirit to work in you and lead you on a journey of discovery. That journey will have major ups and downs - but it's amazing, at times surprising and so worthwile!

Linking to this, a friend of mine put something on his blog last week that really made me think - it was his thoughts about what the 'opposite of faith' might be. Click here to read. Sometimes I worry and feel guilty (and I know I'm not alone in this) that there is so much I don't understand and times when I doubt things, but surely the important thing is to acknowledge where we are at rather than trying to put on a front of having it all sussed - God can and will work with that honesty, and the journey will be interesting and exciting!

Anyway, moving away from this serious stuff for now, I found this recording of someone's intro to a sermon the other night. Not to be listened too if you're very prim and proper, but it had Lisa and I in stitches! The poor bloke! Click here to listen, but read the little bit of blurb 1st.