For some time now our culture has pushed hard for "inclusivity." They've done it largely with a double standard, of course. They push for inclusivity by excluding others who were once included. But we're all pretty sure that inclusivity, in general, is a good idea. That, I suspect, is part of the reason that we are so offended by explicit exclusivity. What exclusivity is that? Jesus said, "No one comes to the Father but through Me" (John 14:6). "Wait!" we complain. "No one? You're saying You are the exclusive way to God? Isn't that exclusive?" Yes ... yes it is.
It has long been this exclusivity of Christ and, therefore, His followers that has rubbed so many people the wrong way. "You're saying that Jesus is the only way?" No, we're not. He did. We're just agreeing with Him. From the beginning, God has been exclusive. Only His way. Only His people. "YHWH is God; there is no other besides Him" (Deut 4:35; Isa 45:5-6). Clear into the New testament, where Peter (filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:8)) preached, "There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). While the rest of the world wants us to believe "All roads lead to Rome," God says, "One way and one way only." In our religiously pluralistic society where all religions are "protected," we have to stand here and say, "Only one." Indeed, so clear it is that, if it is true that all religions are equally true, one religion would absolutely be false -- Christianity.
This is why it is critical that we tell people about Jesus. It is essential that we tell them about the need for faith in Christ. It is absolutely necessary that we don't compromise. Souls are at stake. They need Jesus because there is no other way. A very exclusive religion founded on the words of the One who made the claim to exclusivity. It's not a popular message, but to ignore it is to ignore the One we claim to be following.
2 comments:
While I find the practice ghastly, execution for heresy had a good purpose, protecting the souls of the weak. Because we've accepted the validity of all ways, we've seen a decline in the acceptance of the Truth because what does it matter if all ways are valid? Excommunication was probably overused in the history of the Catholic Church, but even they have stopped the practice. We've forgotten the twofold purpose, keep the Truth intact for the weak, and put the heart of the heretic on a hopeful course to repentance.
Many people insist that “their God” is not so narrow-minded as to provide only one way but is pleased to see people “find” Him through any of many paths--even one they, perhaps, concocted themselves in their pride and arrogance. Instead of complaining that God has provided ONLY one, exclusive way (through His Son), we should be overjoyed that He has provided ANY way, since we don’t deserve even that. (This echoes your regular “is God just” theme, of course.) If a person hasn’t reached the point of acknowledging their sinfulness before God, they don’t seem able to accept that exclusivity; only once they have faced their desperate condition can they respond with gladness and gratitude for The Way. It seems to me that people claim that all paths will reach God so that they can be comfortable on the particular wide pathway they are stumbling along; once they are on the narrow path, though, they can see in retrospect that they were headed to destruction.
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