THE WAY
Phil D Brien
John 14: 6
Psalm 119: 30-37
Proverbs 4: 1, 11
1 Corinthians 12: 31
I had an impression when we were reading Acts, the other week. In Acts 16 a slave girl with a spirit of Python had been speaking out as to Paul and those with him, and she “cried saying, These men are bondmen of the Most High God, who announce to you the way of salvation”, v 17. It is evident from these passages that it has been on my mind to say a word about the various aspects of “the way”. We see from John’s gospel how Jesus says in His own words to Thomas, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life”. I was thinking specifically about “the way”. It encompasses the whole concept, “the way, the truth, and the life”. I was impressed with this idea of “the way” in various aspects. You think of the way as being guideposts to guide you in a certain direction, and we can see with Jesus that He is the Way, God’s way to direct us to God’s mind, to direct us into all that is in the heart and mind of God, God the Father. We have this perfectly with Jesus: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life”. In Philippi, what God said in the gospel was preached by Paul and others. They were able to preach “the way of salvation”, Acts 16: 17. The “way of salvation” is directed and the guideposts are to go to Jesus. He is the Way.
There are various aspects of the way. We have other references in the Scriptures, in the Psalms and Proverbs. The devil will often take persons down into the way of evil and the way of the wicked. The Proverbs and Psalms and these other scriptures bring out the opposite to that. The various aspects of the way are an interesting study to me. Everything stems from looking at Jesus, “I am the way”. It is a direction to know God’s mind, to know the Father’s heart and so to focus on Him, to seek guidance from Him, because He is the way. He is the only way to salvation, the only way into that world where blessing is abundant.
I am sure there are a lot more, but these specific impressions affected me. In the Psalms, we have these references to “the way of faithfulness”. The writer is pointing out that there is a choice. If you look back to Psalm 119: 14, it says, “I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies”, speaking as to the things that are of God, the things that have come from above. These are positive aspects of knowing the guideposts, spiritual guidance and wisdom that we have here in Proverbs too, “the way of wisdom”. Here in Psalm 119, it affected me that the writer has chosen “the way of faithfulness”. There are other references in this Psalm as to the way, such as “I will run the way of thy commandments”, to seek God, to seek the divine mind, to seek that through Jesus. It is the way to know what the mind of God is, to know His thoughts as outlined here in Scripture, to understand the mind of God, which centres in Jesus.
It is a wonderful thing to have an impression and reassurance as to the various aspects of the way, that are known in Jesus. He is the epitome of “the way of faithfulness”, and it is a choice. “I have chosen the way of faithfulness”; “I will run the way of thy commandments”. Jesus is an example of One who completed the Father’s will. All that the Father had in mind was His commandments, His will, and the writer here is aspiring to that: “I will run the way of thy commandments”. “Teach me, O Jehovah, the way of thy statutes”. These are the things that are guiding, the things that are regulating a person in their soul. We learn that from the divine side if we look and see what is in Jesus. He will teach us: “Teach me, O Jehovah, the way of thy statutes, and I will observe it unto the end”. And then finally the psalmist says, “Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; quicken me in thy way”. There is reference to the Spirit being involved; we have sung as to the Spirit: “Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity”. There are things that are distracting us from learning and from “the way of thy statutes” and “the way of faithfulness”; so the Spirit would help us in quickening, in “thy way”, the way of Jesus.
There are various other aspects; you can look into them yourself. This impression might help stir our hearts as to this thought that was really stimulated by this slave girl speaking things that were true. She did not have the Spirit of it directly at that time because she had a spirit of Python. She was released by Paul but was able to say things that were true to Paul and point to the way of salvation, the way that was in Jesus.
What we have here in 1 Corinthians 12 is also encouraging the saints, with all the various spiritual gifts and spiritual things said to encourage and strengthen and help us in our pathway here, to be part of the assembly which is so pleasing to Christ. It is to be moulded and shaped like Him. Paul is encouraging them to “desire earnestly the greater gifts”, gifts that promote spiritual well-being in one another and promote what is of Christ. Paul is able to say, “yet shew I unto you a way of more surpassing excellence”. That is the way that is in Jesus, because He is the Way. These things are only experienced in Him, but can be ours. We can be strengthened in them. This way is “of more surpassing excellence”. It is not the way of evil that is pervading this world; it is not the way of wicked things that pervades this world. It is the “way of more surpassing excellence”, to lead us where Jesus is, and to experience what He has to guide us in.
May these thoughts help and encourage us as to Jesus being the Way, for His Name’s sake.
Calgary
17th January 2024