Is Jesus the only way?
Posted by chet3 under Jesus, believer, love, religion | Tags: Jesus, John, life, ABC, ABC evening news, Pew, Pew survey, Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, Protestant, Catholic, Jews, Muslims, Evangelicals, survey, poll, inclusive, exclusive, eternal, eternal life, John 14:6, John 3 |

June 23, 2008

The ABC evening news reported a survey released today by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. The result of the survey is that 70 percent say that their religion/belief system is not the only way to heaven. Here is the breakdown of the percentage of people who believe there are multiple ways to heaven:

83% mainline Protestants
79% Catholics
82% Jews
56% Muslims
57% Evangelicals

These numbers are not surprising since inclusiveness is in vogue and a claim to exclusive truth is viewed as arrogant and hateful. In addition, there is the understandable desire for most everyone to be okay - that only those in the league of Hitler would be kept from eternal life. The problem for those who claim to be followers of Jesus is that He doesn’t view it this way. He emphatically states, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by Me!” (John 14:6). When Jesus is stripped of these claims, the pseudo-believer ends up with a different Jesus and a different Gospel altogether.

Is it arrogant and hateful to teach that Jesus is the only way to eternal life? I do not believe so. Let’s assume for one moment that Jesus is the only way. If that is true, and if I teach that you are okay to believe whatever you want to, would that be loving? No, the only loving thing to do would be to teach Jesus as the only way. As for arrogance, the belief in Jesus is anything but arrogant because the believer must admit that he NEEDS Jesus because he is not good enough on his own.

A question worth asking is, “Why is Jesus the only way?” The answer is because He is the only one who was sinless and by death could pay for the sins of others. Sin is our serious disease and Jesus is the solution. In love He offers eternal and abundant life to you - even now. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:17-18).

Do you believe in Jesus as He really is or are you swimming with the popular current?

The good thing about this, is it shows that the world IS becoming more inclusive. The world communicates with each other in ways that it never could before and it's breeding tolerance and multi-culturalism. Eventually, this will lead to the dillution of religious thought and will lead to a universal type of "spiritualism" in people. Then, eventually and hopefully, people will grow to understand that THEY are the root of their own spirituality and will give themselves over to reason, creating a more rational world society. It will be a long process... but it's on the march.

"G"

You're right G. It's on the march. And Jesus said it would happen.

2 Thessalonians 2:2-4 (King James Version)

2That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

This post was last modified: Jul 23, 2008 01:19 PM by BYS.

Jesus said that something like this could happen to society. Prophecy isn't prophecy if it is vague, like "except there come a falling away first." It would be prophecy if Jesus said something like, "2008 years from now, there is going to be a really good looking guy named "G" on the internet, telling Christians what a true definition of prophecy is."

You see the difference?

"G"

Well, at least part of that prophecy would be correct...

This post was last modified: Jul 23, 2008 01:31 PM by 8 Ball.

He was not talking about society. He was talking to the church at Thessaloniaca about "the church". The falling away would be within the church. I have copied the NKV. Read the whole chapter.
2 Thessalonians 2
The Great Apostasy

1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness

Stand Fast

13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

This post was last modified: Jul 23, 2008 01:42 PM by BYS.