“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” John 14:6
We hear a lot today from unbelievers about Christianity being a very exclusive and intolerant religion. Unbelievers feel Christianity is exclusive because it is just for “Christians,” and that we believe Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. And Christianity has been labeled intolerant by certain groups because Christians have the audacity, so to speak, to believe Jesus Christ is exactly who He says He is – the Lord and Savior of the world, and that the Bible is exactly what it says it is – the truth of God’s Word.
In response to the accusations of many unbelievers, the gospel of Jesus Christ is both inclusive and exclusive. It is inclusive because it is open to all people. God’s redemptive plan through Jesus Christ is open to all – every tongue and nation.
He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:15-17
The gospel of Jesus Christ is also exclusive in that Jesus is the only way to God the Father and eternal life. Those who believe in Jesus Christ and follow Him as their Savior and Lord are forgiven of their sins, born again into the Kingdom of God, and have eternal life through Christ.
However, unbelievers remain dead in their sins and under God’s final judgment and wrath. Hear the words of Jesus as He spoke to the unbelievers of His day:
I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come…You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins. John 8:21-24
The truth of God’s Word is this: for those who believe in Him, Jesus Christ offers the free gift of eternal life through who He is and what He has done on the cross (John 3:16). For those who do not believe in Him and reject Him, they remain dead in their sins and under God’s eternal judgment (John 3:18).
As a follower of Jesus Christ who knows the grace, love, and truth of Christ, I hope and pray you know Him, too.
Blessings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ – the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.