“They shall be My people, and I will be their God; then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them.” (Jeremiah 32:38-39, NKJV)

Scripture affirms that there is but “one way” to salvation.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

Jesus is our path to God, our means to salvation and our example of how we should live. He is The Way.

The Way is an affirmation of faith and submission to God’s will.

Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart! (Psalm 119:1-2)

The Apostle Paul perceives The Way as a journey that must be pursued with perseverance and endurance. Of course, every journey has a destination. In Philippians 3:14, Paul characterizes the destination as “the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

The resurrection. Eternal life with Christ Jesus. This is the journey’s end.

Throughout the New Testament – particularly the Book of Acts – “The Way” is used as a description of the early Christian movement, such as in Acts 9:2:

“…so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.”

Thus, The Way can essentially reference (1) the early Christian faith, (2) Jesus Himself as the path to salvation and eternal life, or (3) the moral or spiritual journey taught and inspired by Christ. However, as evidenced in the first psalm of the Psalter, there is a right Way and a wrong way:

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish. (1:6)

For some who have not been immersed in Old Testament scripture, The Way is sometimes assumed to be a phenomenon introduced subsequent to Jesus’ incarnation and earthly ministry. Such a focus on Jesus in the NT can often obscure His presence – and that of The Way – in the OT, particularly in the books of Isaiah and the Psalms.

In Psalm 15, for instance, King David poses a question for which he subsequently imparts his God-inspired reply – a question that Paul undoubtedly appreciated:

¹Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?

That is, who may stand before God? Who will receive “the upward call of God in Christ Jesus?”

²He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
³He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
⁴In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the Lord;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
⁵He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.

The psalm describes those “of The Way.” The Way is paved by integrity, honesty, goodness and compassion. Our relationships are not slanderous, evil or scarred by disloyalty; rather they are defined by generosity, unity, sacrifice and prayer. We hate what God hates and love what He loves. Our heart is aligned with His.

Jesus is The Way. Without His sacrifice on the cross, The Way has no destination. Without His teaching and His example, the path to righteousness remains hidden.

It is hidden no longer. Love your neighbor – even your enemy. Forgive all so that you may also be forgiven. Live humbly and sacrificially. Serve others. Follow Him. Share the gospel.

Do you follow the one way? Perhaps you have devised your own way. Given the temptations, the divisions and the vanity of this world, it might seem normal that we each validate our own truth and forge a path that is aligned with it.

For instance, perhaps your version of the truth implies that heaven is waiting for those who are “good” people. Maybe you have made idols of fame, wealth or other men. This is not The Way.

To follow “The Way” is to walk as Jesus walked (1 John 2:6)—not just to believe in Him, but to pattern your entire life in emulation of Him.