Chipping Away at the Exclusivity of Christ

CHIPPING AWAY

at the

THE EXCLUSIVITY OF CHRIST

There is no doctrine or truth more foundational to the Christian faith than the redemptive exclusivity of Jesus the Christ. And let us at the outset define what we mean by that terminology.

Jn.14: ⁵ Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

⁶ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Only Jesus died for our sins. Only Jesus was God in the flesh. Only Jesus was raised from the dead. Only Jesus conquered death and hell. Jesus alone is the Savior, the Redeemer, and the Lord of all Lords. And Jesus alone can offer and provide eternal life to a sinner. No amount of good works regardless of how noble and self sacrificing can forgive one sin or elevate a fallen sinner’s eternal status. To suggest such a thing undermines the cross and the doctrine of justification by faith alone.

Now there are more and more spiritual miscreants who openly and with great subtlety suggest that a personal faith in Jesus Christ, by name and by His Person, is unnecessary for eternal life. Many will teach that in the end everyone will be given a post mortem opportunity to believe on Jesus, while others suggest that believing in monotheism is sufficient. And still others pluck out some Scriptures from the gospels and have presented a social gospel which openly teaches that through helping the poor and the downtrodden a sinner can receive eternal life because they acted like Jesus even if they did not know Him.

And yes there are all kinds of different versions of what I just described. The common thread among them all is that they make room for redemption to an array of people who have never trusted Jesus Christ. They suggest that God will give them Jesus regardless of their belief system. In fact as God sees sinners who have had no opportunities to hear the gospel or understand it He will create a way for them to inherit eternal life which does not necessitate a personal faith or even being born again by the Spirit. And let me wade out into waters that are very unsafe within evangelical circles. Many orthodox believers firmly teach than unborn babies as well as children who die as infants will automatically go to heaven. In the end that may be true but it cannot be Scripturally authenticated. That view is usually fueled by human compassion and even some sentimentality. That belongs in God’s hands but He has not chosen to give us doctrinal illumination. And yes, I have heard many, many messages on the subject.

But all of that chips away at the truth that Jesus is the exclusive Savior and Redeemer, and that only through Him can a sinner be redeemed.

I Jn.5: ¹⁰ He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

¹¹ And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
¹² He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

This is the zenith of all doctrines. It is the eternal truth which must never be diluted or compromised. It is what defines the sacrifice at Golgotha. It is the reason for the Incarnation. It illuminates man’s sin and God’s plan of salvation.

Jn.3: ¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

¹⁵ That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
¹⁸ He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

How can it be presented more clearly? And this is the passion behind the Great Commission. And yet men have found all kinds of caveats based upon logic and applications of certain aspects of God’s divine nature. God is love but God is also just. God is merciful but God is also holy. God is love but God also exhibits wrath. God is gracious and yet God condemns sin. So how can we reconcile all these different qualities of God’s character? The cross. And without faith it is impossible to please God.

When the children of Israel made a sacrifice on the Day of Atonement did it apply to all non-Jews who were pagans but helped people? Or was it just for those who were God’s covenant people? Of course God only recognizes His covenant which was displayed temporarily by the blood of bulls and goats but now is found exclusively through Jesus Christ. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness, and we are only justified by faith in that sacrifice. There is no other way, and unless a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.

But when we makes exceptions that are unsound Scripturally but are arrived at through logic and argument then we enter a slippery slope. Can I say that God will not save all aborted babies? Or can I say that God will not save any children who never reach that nebulous age of accountability? What I can say for sure is that the Scriptures do not teach infant universalism, or that a sinner who never hears the gospel can still be saved. And yet that is exactly what men have constructed as truth based wholly from their own stretching of certain attributes of God. They do not stretch His holiness or justice, but they stretch His grace and mercy to cover those who still stand without saving faith. That is a form of universalism.

God can do what He pleases, obviously. But we cannot construct truths based upon what seems right to us and without solid Scriptural teachings. I have heard people suggest that the gospel of Jesus is nothing more than “information” which cannot be required of everyone for eternal salvation. They believe that sinners can be redeemed without that information through a combination of good works and a response to a nebulous caricature of God that is ignorant of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now if that isn’t heresy than I do not know what is. And yet that is what many evangelicals actually believe in their hearts. And not only is that unscriptural, but is serves as a conscience salve which removes the passion of missions.

Here we are in the last days when the dictates of culture and the pleasures of sin will begin to alter the truth. I realize that many who are reading this particular post will not receive it altogether because we have been so used to the norm that any meditation outside the doctrinal box is unsettling. But the exclusivity of Christ is as important as it gets, and no one can be received through the gates of splendor without being washed in the blood of the Lamb. And since that seems like a such a narrow path the church has decided to add some caveats. From purgatory to age of accountability to unreached sinners and some other exceptions the church has created its own list of sinners who can be awarded redemption without faith. But God will be the final arbiter of redemption.

But all we can do, all we must do, is live and preach God’s Word and His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. To dilute His exclusive position as Redeemer by allowing sinners to pass without Him is to violate His Word which is Him in Person. Does that violate your sense of fairness? Is it unfair that those who have never heard the gospel will perish? What if some sinner without Jesus has given his life in the service of others and has died helping the poor? Does your conscience demand that he is allowed to spend eternity with Christ? And why would a monster like Jeffrey Dahmer get to believe on Christ and gain eternal life while that humanitarian is rejected? It seems so unfair and so unjust does it not?

Yes, it does. But what is most unfair is that anyone will spend eternity with Christ. Anyone. The path is very narrow and all who pass through must go through the cross. Any other way is a delusion and a deception and leads to eternal damnation.

Jn.10: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

² But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
³ To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
⁴ And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
⁵ And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
⁶ This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
⁷ Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
⁸ All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
⁹ I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
¹⁰ The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
¹¹ I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
¹² But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
¹³ The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
¹⁴ I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

Jesus is the only door and all who pass through must do so by faith and not some sovereign awarding of redemption because of some limitations or because God views their filthy rags more righteous than the filthy rags of others. Let us remain steadfast in our faith that there is no other cornerstone than can be laid but that of Jesus Christ. All other ways may seem fair and logical through our own sense of fairness but they cannot stand against God’s Word which IS Jesus Christ.