THE ONE MINUTE CHALLENGE

Have you ever asked yourself whether Jesus is the “only way” of salvation? In the Gospel of John, chapter fourteen, and verse six, Jesus proclaimed that he is the “Way, the Truth, and the Life.” But is this something you deeply believe and accept? It’s a fair question, because if Christ’s proclamation is true, mankind’s eternal destiny resides in him. But rather than I answer that question—one whose beliefs are firmly rooted in Christ—I’d like you to take this One-Minute Challenge and answer it. One minute that can help you determine whether Jesus is the Son of God and the “only way” to Heaven. In so doing, I want to appeal to your conscience, which is as real as your spirit, soul, and body.

The conscience is like a compass that helps people determine right from wrong, truth from error. The conscience is God’s whisper, bearing heavy upon your mind, forbidding you from wrong choices. As you submit your conscience to God, it serves as a “Truth Detector” throughout your time on Earth. Moreover, I’m inviting you to take the One Minute Challenge to discover what your conscience tells you about Jesus. Here’s how you can test it:

During this coming minute, I’m going to ask you to utter a defiant assertion about Jesus Christ. I want you to say, I do not believe Jesus is the Savior of the world! For many people, that statement is alarming! But if you are not a Christian and you honestly want to know the truth about Jesus, I‘d like you to proceed with me. I promise I won’t leave you hanging. In so doing, you will afford your conscience the opportunity of operating in your behalf.

If you’re ready to test your conscience let’s begin: “Lord, I reject Jesus Christ as my Savior. His claim to be the Son of God is without merit and his death on the Cross was a failed act toward humanity with no eternal value? The thought of hell never disturbs me and if there is an afterlife Jesus Christ is not the way to it.”

For those that honestly took that challenge, could you deny and insult Jesus without a hint of doubt? Could you say unreservedly that his death on the Cross was a failed act toward humanity with no eternal value? Or did your conscience disagree? Did you sense there was even something blasphemous about what you said? Unless your conscience is totally hardened, I know what happened. The Spirit of God, in love and conviction, pressed gently against your heart and wouldn’t accept that indictment against Jesus. In fact, your conscience stood up and resisted your words about Christ and eternity. Your built-in “truth detector” took its stand and did its work.

Now that the One-Minute Challenge has ticked away, how will you respond? Will you place your faith in Jesus Christ and ask him to forgive your sins? I believe your conscience continues speaking even now! As you invite the Lord into your life, you will know that his promise still stands: “If anyone comes unto Me, I will never turn him away” (John 6:37).