by jimwalton » Tue Apr 30, 2013 2:32 pm
Tolerance is very much a value in our pluralistic society. We have to learn to coexist, respect each other, and live side by side in peace. The ability to be understanding of those with whom you differ or disagree is a value, and rightly so. Jesus, you should know, was a champion of tolerance. He was very tolerant of the disciples when they doubted, of the crowds when they misunderstood, and of us when we fail. He associated with women (an extreme no-no in their culture) and with “sinners,” which got him in big trouble. He was a very tolerant guy.
But there is one area where Jesus was intolerant, unindulgent, and dogmatic. As far as he was concerned, when it comes to salvation, there aren’t several roads, and whatever they are, they don’t all lead to the same place. According to Jesus, this truth was worth a thousand conversations: There is only one road. There aren’t several paths, there is only one path. And that path is Jesus himself.
In John 14.6, Jesus didn’t claim to know the way to God. He didn’t say he could teach them the way to God. He declared himself as THE WAY. He declared himself as THE TRUTH. Christianity isn’t a religion, a system of philosophy, or a collection of rituals. It is Jesus.
This is no different from what was taught in the Old Testament. In Jeremiah 10.10-12 God claims to be the only true God. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, claimed the same thing in Acts 4.12, and Paul in Gal. 1.9 the same. The message is consistent all the way through.
Let me try to make logical sense out of it for you. Some people take belief in God to be like fans of a sports team: I like the Patriots, and you like the Ravens, or shopping at a store: Walmart or KMart. Ultimately then it doesn’t matter what we prefer; it’s just an opinion. Or possibly people treat it like roads to a destination: If I want to go from Chicago to L.A., I can take US Route 66 or I can take the Interstate system (55, 44, 40, 15) and get the same place. No matter; there are many ways to get to L.A. from Chicago.
The Bible, however, doesn’t treat truth as a preference, an opinion, or even a path. It is the very fabric of the universe in terms of what is real and what is false. In that sense it’s more like gravity: it’s there, and it’s not negotiable, and we have to live according to it. All of our principles of science, logic, and math are grounded on the acceptance that there is such a thing as truth (reality) and its opposite: falseness (unreality).
When it comes to religion, anybody can say anything they want. I can say I know God, or God spoke to me, or that God is green or blue. Since nothing can be proven, it’s just a matter of “he said” or “she said.” Anybody can say anything they want, and we’re back to Walmart, KMart, or Route 66. When Jesus came to earth, he said it’s not a matter of opinion, but of reality. He said, “I’ll prove it to you by doing something that is absolutely impossible unless there is one true God and I am Him. I will die and bring myself back to life.” Well now, that’s quite a claim. You have to admit that’s never been done before, and it’s because it’s not do-able unless some other real power is at play. And that’s exactly what he did—resurrected from the dead—as scientific, observable, historic proof that what he said is true: There really is only one God, and it’s Jesus. It’s not just a matter of what teaching you choose to believe. This guy came back from the dead as a proof that what he had said about who he is is true.
So, yes: believing in Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from the dead is the only way to get to heaven. He lifted the discussion out of the realm of opinions and paths into reality and truth.
And is the acceptance of his sacrifice all a person needs to do in order to go to heaven? On the two occasions, Jesus was asked about the criteria for heaven. He offered four teachings:
Love God with all that you are
Love your neighbor
Do God’s will by obeying his moral commands
Make the commitment to follow him with your whole life
Jesus called people to believe in him (as did Paul [Acts 16.32; Rom. 10.9-10]), but he defined “belief” as these four items. Believing is certainly a first step, and a continuing step. But as you can see from what Jesus said, there’s more to it. Paul agreed, of course. He said that we must know God, follow him, and do what is right. James agreed also (“faith without works is dead”). They all agree. So there is a simple and a deeper answer. Is acceptance of his sacrifice all a person needs to do? Yes. It’s a small step to take to accept a free gift. But there is a much deeper answer, for to accept his sacrifice is to follow in his footsteps (deny oneself, take up your cross, and follow him).
Tolerance is very much a value in our pluralistic society. We have to learn to coexist, respect each other, and live side by side in peace. The ability to be understanding of those with whom you differ or disagree is a value, and rightly so. Jesus, you should know, was a champion of tolerance. He was very tolerant of the disciples when they doubted, of the crowds when they misunderstood, and of us when we fail. He associated with women (an extreme no-no in their culture) and with “sinners,” which got him in big trouble. He was a very tolerant guy.
But there is one area where Jesus was intolerant, unindulgent, and dogmatic. As far as he was concerned, when it comes to salvation, there aren’t several roads, and whatever they are, they don’t all lead to the same place. According to Jesus, this truth was worth a thousand conversations: There is only one road. There aren’t several paths, there is only one path. And that path is Jesus himself.
In John 14.6, Jesus didn’t claim to know the way to God. He didn’t say he could teach them the way to God. He declared himself as THE WAY. He declared himself as THE TRUTH. Christianity isn’t a religion, a system of philosophy, or a collection of rituals. It is Jesus.
This is no different from what was taught in the Old Testament. In Jeremiah 10.10-12 God claims to be the only true God. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, claimed the same thing in Acts 4.12, and Paul in Gal. 1.9 the same. The message is consistent all the way through.
Let me try to make logical sense out of it for you. Some people take belief in God to be like fans of a sports team: I like the Patriots, and you like the Ravens, or shopping at a store: Walmart or KMart. Ultimately then it doesn’t matter what we prefer; it’s just an opinion. Or possibly people treat it like roads to a destination: If I want to go from Chicago to L.A., I can take US Route 66 or I can take the Interstate system (55, 44, 40, 15) and get the same place. No matter; there are many ways to get to L.A. from Chicago.
The Bible, however, doesn’t treat truth as a preference, an opinion, or even a path. It is the very fabric of the universe in terms of what is real and what is false. In that sense it’s more like gravity: it’s there, and it’s not negotiable, and we have to live according to it. All of our principles of science, logic, and math are grounded on the acceptance that there is such a thing as truth (reality) and its opposite: falseness (unreality).
When it comes to religion, anybody can say anything they want. I can say I know God, or God spoke to me, or that God is green or blue. Since nothing can be proven, it’s just a matter of “he said” or “she said.” Anybody can say anything they want, and we’re back to Walmart, KMart, or Route 66. When Jesus came to earth, he said it’s not a matter of opinion, but of reality. He said, “I’ll prove it to you by doing something that is absolutely impossible unless there is one true God and I am Him. I will die and bring myself back to life.” Well now, that’s quite a claim. You have to admit that’s never been done before, and it’s because it’s not do-able unless some other real power is at play. And that’s exactly what he did—resurrected from the dead—as scientific, observable, historic proof that what he said is true: There really is only one God, and it’s Jesus. It’s not just a matter of what teaching you choose to believe. This guy came back from the dead as a proof that what he had said about who he is is true.
So, yes: believing in Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from the dead is the only way to get to heaven. He lifted the discussion out of the realm of opinions and paths into reality and truth.
And is the acceptance of his sacrifice all a person needs to do in order to go to heaven? On the two occasions, Jesus was asked about the criteria for heaven. He offered four teachings:
Love God with all that you are
Love your neighbor
Do God’s will by obeying his moral commands
Make the commitment to follow him with your whole life
Jesus called people to believe in him (as did Paul [Acts 16.32; Rom. 10.9-10]), but he defined “belief” as these four items. Believing is certainly a first step, and a continuing step. But as you can see from what Jesus said, there’s more to it. Paul agreed, of course. He said that we must know God, follow him, and do what is right. James agreed also (“faith without works is dead”). They all agree. So there is a simple and a deeper answer. Is acceptance of his sacrifice all a person needs to do? Yes. It’s a small step to take to accept a free gift. But there is a much deeper answer, for to accept his sacrifice is to follow in his footsteps (deny oneself, take up your cross, and follow him).