O.K., I can understand why we might want to think that.
Dare 2 Share - At the very least I was discouraged, and at the worst I was shocked…According to two different (trustworthy) surveys, turns out a good many born again Christians believe that there are other ways to God besides Jesus, and that most religions basically teach the same thing.
O.K., I can understand why we might want to think that. The people we meet from other religions are (more often than not) nice, sincere, and dedicated folks. It is nearly impossible to imagine literally billions of these people being sentenced to an eternity in a horrible place called hell.
So we just don’t ‘go there’…and rework our belief system to include a mental picture of most people making it to heaven somehow, someway. After all, we don’t want to come across like some snobby, sanctimonious saint who is interminably intolerant.
If that is your case, may I suggest rethinking your position? It’s not that I think you are a bad person- in fact I applaud your compassion. After all, the greatest commandment in all of Scripture is that we love God and love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12)- so isn’t it ‘unloving’ to force our belief system on other people?
Apparently Jesus didn’t think so.
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
Did you catch those two key words? No one…no matter how sincere- no matter how many good works, no matter how dedicated or determined: no one.
Why so narrow?
Well, look at it from Jesus’ perspective. If there is any other way into heaven besides trusting Christ, then didn’t He sort of waste His time and effort?
“Hey Jesus, I really appreciate You coming down to earth, living a perfect life and dying a horrible death…but guess what? You didn’t need to, because there are other ways to God…oops!”
Only one 'religion' teaches relationship with God through faith in Christ alone: Biblical Christianity. So either we are wrong and other religions are correct, or we really do have the only truth.
No, I’m not saying we should be unloving or conceited when we witness to others. My point is that it seems that we have become so tolerant that we are willing to tolerate others going to hell in the name of ‘politeness’. We have been called to share the gospel at every opportunity, so when we keep our mouth shut because we might offend someone, we actually offend God. "Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." (James 4:17)
Your unsaved friends, co-workers, classmates, and family members have terminal spiritual cancer that leads to eternal consequences. You can point the way to the only true Way out. Don’t let wacky worldly wisdom lead you to an attitude of apathy- commit yourself to being like these two guys mentioned in this story:
They brought in the two disciples and demanded, "By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?" Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Leaders and elders of our nation, are we being questioned because we've done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? Let me clearly state to you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed in the name and power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, the man you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead. For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,
`The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.'
There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them." The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men who had had no special training. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:7-14)
Questions:
1) How would you debate this statement: “All religions basically teach the same thing”?
2) Have you ever considered tolerance to be a sin?
3) What is one way you can be bolder in your witness?
