9.12.2007

One Way.


In a world of idolatry, and when people do whatever is right in their eyes, the gospel of Christ faces extreme pressure to relax the message of Christ. Often we Christians are told to tolerate other people, to love people and their sins. We are called to coexist, as a popular bumper sticker puts it. But that is not the message of the gospel. The good news is when the holy God shows grace, forgiveness, compassion to His creation that is in rebellion against Him.

This relaxation in proclaiming the gospel manifests itself in two unbiblical ways: pluralism (all roads lead to heaven), and inclusivism: (that people are saved by Christ figures whether it be in Hinduism, Islam or Aslan). Pluralism is easily dismissed as unbiblical. Yet, some popular Christians advocate an inclusivist gospel. Particularly my favorite writer, CS Lewis.

But neither of this is the good news. Christ tells His disciples that the way to eternal life and joy is narrow, an exclusive and particular word. Not everybody walks down this narrow path. Christ came to die for my sins, to give me new life, restore meaning and purpose to life. I am not working for the money, instead I live for the purpose of the gospel, I serve other people for the gospel. “Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by Him.” Romans 10 lays it out quite clearly that no one is saved outside the preaching of the good news. The tone of the passage is desperate and urgent out of a passion for Christ’s love.

To close, JI Packer responds to the question, "Might it not be true of the follower of some other religion that the God of all mercy had worked in his heart by His Spirit, bringing Him in some measure to realize his sin and need for forgiveness, and enabling him, in his twilight as it were, to throw himself on God's mercy?" (he answers yes.)


"If we are wise we shall not spend much time mulling over this notion. Our job, after all is to spread the gospel, not to guess what might happen to those whom it never reaches. Dealing with them is God's business... In the meantime, let us keep befoer our minds humanity's universal need of forgiveness and new birth, and the graciousness of the whosoever will invitations of the gospel. And let us redouble our efforts to make known the Christ who saves all who come to God by Him." pg 54 of JI Packer Answers Questions for Today.

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