“Is Jesus just one of many ways to salvation? What does the Bible say about that, huh Mark?

Here’s an illustration to get us started. I have heard advertisers use the phrase, “Why settle for less when you can have…! They use it for everything, cars, insurance, mattresses, furniture, meatballs... (Well, maybe not meatballs). I’ll get back to this later.____________

Most of us who are acquainted with Christianity even in a peripheral way know John 3:16. It may have been the first verse you memorized. If you aren’t familiar with it, it goes like this:

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

This indeed is good news. Well, you could say it’s even better news! No, it is the best news! No Christian will argue with you here. However, some people, even some Christians, will argue that insisting that salvation is through Christ alone is too exclusive. In our pluralistic, polytheistic, and self-styling spiritual climate it seems to be too narrow, unenlightened, uninformed, and even arrogant. To insist that one is a Christian and saved for all eternity only through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is morbidly politically incorrect for todays’ post-modern mindset. Of course, many think that religion of any kind is a joke or at worst the bane and curse of human existence. But that’s a topic for another blog.

If you are one of those people who believe all religions are basically the same or they all have a piece of the truth, I am glad you are reading this. I’m not writing this blog to critique you or belittle you. I am writing to clear up some misconceptions about Jesus and what he said and what we know the Bible says about truth, grace, and eternal life.

First, every religion is markedly different from the other. I am not going to go into a comparative religions lecture here. I will just say that the worlds biggest religions are vastly different in what they believe, why they believe what they believe, and how they understand ultimate reality. That is all I’ll say on that for now. (Also a topic for another time).

Second, as I have said before, the Bible and Christianity are completely unique. There is no parallel or equal. Why? Because other religions base conversion, salvation, and peaceful wellbeing on what the people must do, accomplish, or work their way up to. Christianity is the only religion that clearly states that God’s grace, unmerited favor, and faith in Jesus is all you need for salvation. Now that may sound like an oversimplification but at the essence of the Christian faith that is what sets it apart. You can’t earn salvation. It is a gift. Ephesians 2:8-10 sums it up well. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Whatever good works we do for God are done out of love and gratitude for this incredible gift. It’s like going from standing outside in the cold and dark and then having a door opened for you and being invited into the warmest most wonderful party you could ever imagine.

Why don’t we open the door for ourselves? Because we can’t! Because we are holding onto baggage full of sin and guilt that someone needed to take out of our hands. That is Jesus, my friend. If you believe in Jesus to forgive you and take your sin and guilt you become baggage-free - the door stands open before you. Through faith you can walk through the door because the horrendous weight, the oversized burden that wouldn’t fit through the door has been taken off your hands. It is all gone because of Jesus. There is no other religion that mak

es this kind of claim or can make this kind of promise and back it up! No idea or concept of God as energy or a distant, uninvolved deity, can even truthfully make the offer!

Third, for those of you who are Christians but still think there could be some other way to the Father and into eternal rest, I have a question for you. “Why would God send his only son to suffer excruciating pain and die the most horrific death on a cross if there were a whole bunch of other ways to find the door and walk through it? If you think there are other ways to God than Jesus, then you make him a fool for doing what he did. In addition, you make the Father the worst perpetrator of child abuse in history. Who would honestly seek a god like that?

Fourth, Jesus did not leave a side door open for those who think Jesus was a good prophet but not the Messiah, Christ, and Savior. Here are a few reasons.

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and t

he truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6.

Or try this one:

36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. John 3:36.

Or this one:

3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

These are Jesus own words! C. S. Lewis put it best in this regard. He said that you can’t talk in patronizing ways about Jesu and say he was a great teacher. Because if he was not all that he said he was that could not be said about him. His life, teachings, and works just don’t leave that as an option. C. S. Lewis said, “He is either a liar, lunatic, or Lord.” We are not left with any other choices. It is that straight forward. And if you don’t like black and white ultimatums I’m sorry but in this case it is black and white. Here’s why I

can say that. (This is the part of John 3 that most people don’t read because it seems too harsh.)

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. John 3:17-18.

Yep! It’s that clear! You either believe or you don’t! Either life in the full presence of God awaits you after you die or it does not! But seriously, if you are going to put your trust in something for all eternity don’t you want it to be somet

hing or someone who makes it clear and obvious? And Jesus is not the only one who said it. Here’s Peter’s words when he was questioned about this matter.

11 This Jesus[a] is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.[b] 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men[c] by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:11-12.

And here is what Paul said.

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

because,

22 …the righteousness of God (is) through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

So, while some other religions may have a few good “truths” with a small “t.” If you want Truth, THE TRUTH, with a capital “T” you have to look to Jesus. Period!

To wrap this up, here is the really good news for anyone who doesn’t know Jesus yet. You can know him now, today! You can go from

out in the cold and dark into the marvelous light of God through Jesus Christ. The door of grace is open to you. It is open to everyone. Everyone who believes. That can be you!

Just pray this prayer:

“God, I know that I am a sinner. I confess all my sins to you and admit that I need you. I am sorry for all the wrongs I have done in my life. Please forgive me. But right now, I want you to come into my heart and be the Lord of my life. Thank you, Jesus, for dying for my sins and from now on I put all my trust in you for my salvation. In your name I pray. Amen.”

Because Jesus rose from the dead, because his death wasn’t permanent, you now have the peace of knowing your death is not permanent either. It’s pretty cool to be able to say, “Everything about my life is temporary except my death.” Your soul has an eternal home in God’s presence. Forever! Why settle for less than this if you don’t have to.