The Exclusivity of GOD

     We live in a pluralistic culture where everyone’s principles, ideas, even morals, to some degree, are considered worthy, equitable and acceptable; no matter how absurd they may be. There are no absolutes any more. Virtually everything is subjective. And to suggest otherwise makes one arrogant, intolerant and narrow-minded. Nowhere is this more glaring than in the world of religion. The popular world view of today is that all religions are basically the same. There are a variety of paths that people can take, and they all lead to God. In a pluralistic society, everyone’s views are valid and all must be tolerated. And since pluralism defines our culture, it only makes sense that many folks get their feathers ruffled when you suggest that Jesus is the only path to God. Our culture vehemently rejects the claim that God can be approached in only one way. To suggest such a thing is rendered religious bigotry.

      Former preacher turned atheist, Charles Templeton, once stated, “Christians are a small minority in the world. Approximately 4 out of every 5 people on the face of the earth believe in gods other than the Christian God. The more than 5 billion people who live on earth revere or worship more than 300 gods. If one includes the animist or tribal religions, the number rises to more than three thousand. Are we to believe that only Christians are right?” Is Christianity the only true religion? Is Christ the only path to God? And are we too narrow-minded and intolerant for answering “Yes” to these questions.

      Truth is, Christians did not invent the idea that salvation only comes through Jesus Christ. We say that Jesus is the only way because He Himself said it first. It was Christ who proclaimed, “I am the way, and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me (John 14:6).” He also stated, “…for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins (John 8:24).” It’s not arrogant, intolerant or closed-minded for a Christian to claim that Jesus is the only way to God. It’s proclaiming what Jesus taught and it’s being faithful to what Jesus told us to do in the Great Commission. The objection that Christians are arrogant and narrow-minded is really a critique of Christ because He’s the one who first made the claim.

     Christ is the one who claims exclusivity, and He has the credentials to support such a claim. One very convincing piece of evidence is the fact that there are about 60 specific predictions about the coming Messiah in the Old Testament. Of all the people who have lived down through the ages, Jesus is the only one that fits the fingerprint of the Messiah. The odds against anyone doing this is astronomical. In his book Science Speaks, Peter Stoner conservatively calculated that the likelihood of any person throughout history fulfilling just 48 of the prophecies from the Old Testament would be 1 chance in 10 to the 157^th power.

     Jesus’ claim to being the only path to God puts Christianity in a class by itself. Other religious leaders can offer helpful sayings and insights, but only Jesus—because he is the unique and perfect Son of God—is qualified to offer himself as an atonement for our sins. Buddha could offer personal counsel. Confucius could offer wise sayings. Mohammed could wield a sword, but as one commentator pointed out, “none of these men were qualified to offer an atonement for the sins of the world.” No other world religion can point to a resurrected Messiah!

    Chris McCurley