1). INTRODUCTION
In our modern, pluralistic, relativist, inclusive world, the idea that there is one God and that this One God has provided one route to Him, including one exclusive means to access His salvation, is deeply offensive to many people. It goes against the grain that embraces all faiths, cultures, and life style choices equally. The world’s badge of moral acceptance is simply to believe in “something” that gives us self worth identity and moral standing. Secular values blur distinctions. Cancel culture is cutting ties and re-writing history, severing links to our heritage – the good and the bad. The distinctive, the unique, the exclusive are tags to be frowned upon.
Meanwhile, limitations on freedom of expression are stifling debate and silencing dissent. Basic human rights are held up as the justification to stop anyone feeling offended, guilty or inadequate. And yet those same human rights are being trampled upon as we are now prevented from speaking or receiving open evangelism. Proselytizing is now a dirty word.
2) THE UNIQUE GOD-MAN
Against this background, anyone today advocating one God, one faith, one forgiveness and one salvation through one baptism for sins, is challenging this status quo, and asking for trouble in the world’s eyes. If there is anything that strikes at the root of pluralism and relativism, and challenges a “many roads lead to heaven” mantra, it is the exclusive claims made by the Bible for Christianity.
Jesus declaration that “no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6) echoed and elaborated on by Paul’s statement: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, Himself human, who gave Himself — a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time.” (1 Timothy 2:5-6), is seen as supremacist, bigoted, discriminatory and hateful; offensive to Muslims, Jews, Atheists and many others alike.
The world wants us to believe that such narrow mindedness is a man made construct, who’s sole purpose was intended to support conquest, colonisation and hegemony and has no place in a 21st century of plurality freedom and tolerance. Many claim God never intended any single religion to dominate or be superior, and that He is not so narrow minded and petty as to advocate any one religion.
But when you examine the words of Jesus and Paul they are not expressing bigotry or hatred at all. They are simply stating a truth about Jesus unique qualities, amongst which included His role as our Redeemer and Mediator. And although there had been other mediators throughout the Old Testament era, Moses for example as mediator of the Old Covenant; prophets priests and kings also served mediatorial functions, Jesus uniquely brought all these under His jurisdiction. Why? On what basis could Jesus be our all-in-one go to solution, to the exclusion of all others?
You can only answer these questions by appreciating the uniqueness of Jesus’s person. He is the God-man, as God incarnate He alone was able to fulfill God’s redemptive plan for humanity from eternity. He alone lived the perfect life which qualified Him to be the perfect once and for all atoning sacrifice for sin. He alone died and rose again to prove His innocence. His is amongst all religions the only empty tomb.
As both God and man He alone is qualified to mediate on our behalf. He alone had the qualifications to bring reconciliation. And when God decides to establish His rule on earth Jesus alone qualifies to administer it. Hence how as our prophet priest and king, Jesus has no rival. When it comes to contesting the rights to the throne of David Jesus alone is perfectly entitled; His power and authority is unchallenged. He is the sole heir who He understood Himself to be and described in the parable of the wicked tenants (Matthew 21:33-46).
3). ONE OR MANY ROUTES TO HEAVEN?
But people will still ask, “why is God so mean and narrow minded to offer us only one saviour?” Or, “He divided us into different races languages and cultural heritages, so why isin’t there a saviour for each?” Or again, they will complain to have “singled out one people and channelled all His revelation, including this one man of redemption through them is favoritism”. It is no coincidence that God’s chosen people the Jews have been the object of more racist hate and discrimination than any other race in history.
These questions are not the questions we should be asking. Rather, we should ask ourselves “why would God give us any self revelations or means at all to be saved?” “Why wouldn’t He just give us what we deserve and let us perish”? Or “why does He need to sacrifice His Son, rather than just forgive us?” It is only when we turn to the Bible that we find the answers to these questions. Only then can we start to understand why it’s so astonishing that, far from providing multiple ways to Him, that God should stoop to do it at all, in even one way. And when we understand what it cost to provide this one way it immediately becomes clear why no other will do.
4). THERE IS ONE GOD
In Paul’s statement in 1 Timothy above we see in declaring the uniqueness of Christ, He also underlines the uniqueness of God. He starts with the reminder: “There is one God.” This is a recurring theme of Scripture. The very first commandments included the exclusivity of God: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). Jesus repeated this the most important commandment: “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”
(Deuteronomy 6:4-5, quoted by Jesus in Mark 12:30). Notice “The Lord our God, The Lord is One.” Its repeated to indicate the plurality of God.
Stopping right here, we have already established that polytheism is not an option for us. Foreign gods, (such as those worshipped in Old Testament times by other tribes included Baal, Molech, Chemosh and Ashtoreth) but whom the Children of Israel were also repeatedly seduced by, are forbidden. We have only one God to choose and He is found only in His word. One God, one Word, one Children of God, is the foundation and it is exclusive from the get go.
5). UNIVERSAL GOSPEL/NO OTHER NAME
Exclusive but also universal, God promises Abraham “through his descendants all the families and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3 & 22:18). Moving to the New Testament, the exclusivity and universality theme continues. One Son one salvation. Peter testified to the rulers and elders: “This Jesus is the stone rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone. There is salvation in NO ONE ELSE, for there is NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN given to people, and we must be saved by it.” (Acts 4:11-12) [Caps for emphasis]
Exclusive yet universal. Time and again Jesus repeats the mission field for the Gospel is to the ends of the earth.
“You will even be brought before governors and kings because of Me, to bear witness to them and to THE NATIONS.” (Matthew 10:18)
NEVER LET ANY MUSLIM TELL YOU THAT JESUS CAME FOR THE LOST SHEEP OF ISRAEL ONLY.
“Then they will hand you over for persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by ALL NATIONS because of My name.” (Matthew 24:9)
“This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed IN ALL THE WORLD as a testimony to ALL NATIONS. And then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)
“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then ALL THE PEOPLES OF THE EARTH will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from ONE END OF THE SKY TO THE OTHER.” (Matthew 24:30-31)
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ALL THE NATIONS will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” (Matthew 25:31-32)
“Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and ON EARTH. Go, therefore, and make disciples of ALL NATIONS, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew 28:18-19)
“But you, be on your guard! They will hand you over to sanhedrins, and you will be flogged in the synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of Me, as a witness to them. And the good news must first be proclaimed to ALL NATIONS.” (Mark 13:9-10)
“I assure you: Wherever the gospel is proclaimed in THE WHOLE WORLD, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.” (Mark 14:9)
“Simeon took Him up in his arms, praised God, and said: Now, Master, You can dismiss Your slave in peace, as You promised. For my eyes have seen Your salvation. You have prepared it in the presence OF ALL PEOPLES — a light for revelation TO THE GENTILES AND glory to YOUR PEOPLE ISRAEL.” (Luke 2:28-32)
“He also said to them, “This is what is written: The Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead the third day, and repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name TO ALL THE NATIONS, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:46-47)
“For God loved THE WORLD in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that EVERYONE who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
“This, then, is the judgment: The light has come into THE WORLD, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19)
“Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of THE WORLD. ANYONE who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
“I have many things to say and to judge about you, but the One who sent Me is true, and what I have heard from Him — these things I tell THE WORLD.” (John 8:26)
“I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered THE WORLD.” (John 16:33)
“So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, are You restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time? ” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.” (Acts 1:6-8)
But the Lord said to him, “Go! For this man [Paul] is My chosen instrument to take My name to GENTILES, KINGS AND THE ISRAELITES. I will show him how much he must suffer for My name!” (Acts 9:15-16)
Then I saw another angel flying high overhead, having the eternal gospel to announce to the inhabitants of the earth — TO EVERY NATION, TRIBE, LANGUAGE, AND PEOPLE.” (Revelation 14:6)
6). NOT FOR THE JEWS ONLY BUT GENTILES TOO
Since Muslims persist let’s address the question ahead on: “Did Jesus come only for the Jews and not the Gentiles?”
Answer: Jesus is the Messiah that the Jews had been anticipating for centuries (see Luke 2:25; 3:15). As such, He was born into a Jewish family and was reared according to Jewish law in a Jewish town (see Luke 2:27; Galatians 4:4). Jesus selected Jewish disciples, spoke in Jewish synagogues and the Jewish temple, and traveled mostly in Jewish areas. His mission, in fulfillment of the Jewish prophets, was to the Jewish people. However, none of this means that Jesus’ ministry was limited exclusively to the Jews.
In Matthew 15, there is an incident that, at first, seems to confirm the idea that Jesus came only for the Jews. Jesus was traveling through Tyre and Sidon, a Gentile region, and “a Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly’” (Matthew 15:22). This Gentile woman recognized Jesus as the Messiah (“Son of David”), but “Jesus did not answer a word” (verse 23). As the woman kept up her appeals, Jesus finally responded, but His words seemed to hold little hope: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” (verse 24). However, the woman did not give up, and Jesus eventually granted her request, based on her “great faith” (verse 28).
The fact that Jesus helped the Canaanite woman, even though His mission was to the Jews, is a significant detail in the Gospel narrative. Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus gave other indications that His power and compassion reached to all people. He healed a Roman centurion’s servant (Luke 7:1–10). He traveled through the Gentile region of the Gerasenes (Mark 5:1). He ministered in a Samaritan city (John 4).
Jesus came to save everybody (1 John 2:2). Jesus Christ is God Himself (John 1:1). Jesus died on the cross as the payment for all our sins, and He rose from death in resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). Jesus said He was the Good Shepherd, and He predicted that His flock would be greatly expanded: “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd” (John 10:16).
It took a while for the early church to recognize that salvation was available to the Gentiles. The Jewish Christians who fled the persecution in Jerusalem went into the Gentile regions of Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, but they were “spreading the word only among Jews” (Acts 11:19). Peter was hesitant to bring the gospel to a Gentile household, but God made it plain that Cornelius was also one of the elect (Acts 10).
“Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too” (Romans 3:29). Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, but He had come to offer salvation to everybody. The Messiah was to be a “light for the Gentiles” (Isaiah 42:6). So call on Jesus, because “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21).
Jesus always did exactly as His Father intended. Jesus as a Jew born in the line of David was and will always be King of the Jews and when He returns it is to reign from Jerusalem that He will be seated on the throne of His worldwide kingdom
Jesus came first to His own people but that does not stop Him being the LIGHT OF THE WORLD (John 8:12 And 9:5) as well as JUDGE OF ALL MANKIND:
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE GATHERED BEFORE HIM, and HE WILL SEPARATE THEM ONE FROM ANOTHER, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” (Matthew 25:31-32)
How many times and how many ways does He have to say it before Muslims get it? How can a prophet to Israel only be qualified to judge the whole world?
“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then ALL THE PEOPLES OF THE EARTH WILL MOURN; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather HIS ELECT FROM THE FOUR WINDS, FROM ONE END OF THE SKY TO THE OTHER.” (Matthew 24:30-31)
Yes Muslims you have been lied to. Jesus is for the whole of humanity, He will judge and rule over the whole earth forever. Nothing and no one escapes His jurisdiction and no one of any tribe or tongue will not bow before Him and declare Him Lord:
For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW— of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth — AND EVERY TONGUE should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)
Jesus gave us a universal promise:
“Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the LIGHT OF THE WORLD. ANYONE who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
“As long as I am in the world, I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.” (John 9:5)
Was Jesus going out on a limb making claims beyond His remit with such promises? No He was not:
“For God LOVED THE WORLD THIS WAY: He gave His One and Only Son, so that EVERYONE who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son INTO THE WORLD THAT HE MIGHT CONDEMN THE WORLD, BUT THAT THE WORLD MIGHT BE SAVED THROUGH HIM.” (John 3:16-17)
Finally you want independent corroboration of Jesus universal salvation? Then take note of John the Baptist who is none less than Jesus express herald:
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Here is the Lamb of God, WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD!” (John 1:29)
7). CONCLUSIONS
When we see that exclusivity and universality are opposite sides of the same coin, objections to the lack of multiple routes to heaven are swept away.
The Bible offers no hope that sincere worshipers of other religions will be saved without personal faith in Jesus Christ. As Paul said in Athens, “The times of ignorance God has overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). There is a universal requirement for people to profess faith in Christ.
Many will be concerned to hear in such narrow terms, the exclusivity of Christ and of the Christian faith. Let’s ask those sceptics to think through the ramifications of putting leaders of other religions on the same level as Christ. In one sense, there is no greater insult to Christ than to mention Him in the same breath as Muhammad, for example. If Christ is who He claims to be, no one else can be a way to God. He left no room for anyone to follow after Him. He is God’s final messenger to humankind.
Furthermore, if it was true that there are many ways to God, Christ is not one of them, because there is no reason one of many ways to God, would declare to the world that He is the only way to God. Worse still it means that His multiple predictions of His self sacrificial and saving death were lies and a pointless sham, without purpose or efficacy.
Either the Cross alone provides our being made righteous before God or it doesn’t. Either it alone is the basis of a saving faith or it’s nothing at all.
Either God’s word is exactly what it says it is and proves itself to be, underpinned by fulfilled prophecy, multiple witness testimony and transformed lives or you must reject it all. It stands or falls by itself, as a whole without cherrypicking. It needs no endorsements from the Quran or anywhere else. It is as complete and finished as the work it describes that Jesus came to do on earth.
One God One Word One People of God, original and unique and inimitable. Politically incorrect it may be, but God never intended to conform to the standards set by a perishing world and its multiple choice idols.
See footnote for a selection of references for the inclusivity and universality of God’s promises.
Footnote:
▪︎ Genesis 12:3 — ALL peoples on earth will be blessed through Abraham.
▪︎ Genesis 22:18 — ALL nations on earth will be blessed through Abraham’s offspring.
▪︎ Psalms 22:27 — ALL the ends of the earth and all the families of the nations will acknowledge God.
▪︎ Psalms 65:2 — ALL men will come to God.
▪︎ Psalms 86:9 — ALL nations will worship and glorify God.
▪︎ Psalms 145:9-10 — The Lord has compassion on ALL His creation and ALL He has made will praise Him.
▪︎ Psalms 145:13 — The Lord loves ALLl His creation.
▪︎ Psalms 145:14 — The Lord upholds ALL who fall.
▪︎ Isaiah 25:6-8 — God will prepare a feast for ALL people, He will destroy the shroud that enfolds ALL peoples, the sheet that covers up ALL nations. He will eliminate death, wipe away the tears from ALL faces and remove the disgrace of his people from ALLl the earth.
▪︎ Isaiah 45:22-23 — God has sworn an oath that EVERY knee will bow before Him and every tongue will swear by Him.
▪︎ Isaiah 49:6 — God’s salvation will be brought to the ends of the earth.
▪︎ Isaiah 54:8 — Although God will hide His face in a surge of anger, He will also have compassion with everlasting kindness.
▪︎ Isaiah 57:16-18 — God’s anger is not permanent. Although He punishes man, He will heal, guide and restore comfort to him.
▪︎ Jeremiah 31:33-34 — ALL men will know God, from the greatest to the least.
▪︎ Lamentations 3:31-33 — The Lord does not cast off forever. Although He brings grief, he will also be compassionate.
▪︎ Ezekiah 18:21 — God does not any pleasure in the death of the wicked. Rather, He is pleased when they repent.
▪︎ Micah 7:18 — God does not stay angry forever.
▪︎ Matthew 18:13 — Like the man who owes a hundred sheep and is not willing to lose even one, God is not willing that any ONE be lost.
▪︎ Luke 2:10 — The birth of Jesus is good news for ALL the people.
▪︎ Luke 3: 5, 6 — John the Baptist quotes Isaiah’s words that ALL mankind will see God’s salvation.
▪︎ John 1:29 — Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
▪︎ John 3:35 — God sent Jesus to save the world.
▪︎ John 4:42 — God has committed ALL things to Christ.
▪︎ John 5:25 — Even the dead will hear the sound of Christ and all who hear will live.
▪︎ John 6:37 — Everything that God has given to Christ will come to him.
▪︎ John 12:32 — When Jesus is lifted up from the earth, he will draw ALL men to himself.
▪︎ John 12:47 — Jesus came to save the world.
▪︎ John 17:2 — God granted Christ authority over ALL people so that Christ may give eternal life to all that God has given him.
▪︎ Acts 3:20-21 — Jesus must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything.
▪︎ Romans 3:3-4 — The unbelief of some will not nullify God’s faithfulness.
▪︎ Romans 5:18 — The act of obedience of one man (Jesus) will bring life for ALL men.
▪︎ Romans 8:19-21 — Creation itself will be liberated and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
▪︎ Romans 8:38-39 — Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ.
▪︎ Romans 11:32 — God made ALL people imprisoned by disobedience so that he may have mercy on them ALL.
▪︎ 1 Corinthians 15:22-28 — ALL will be made alive in Christ, but each in his own turn and ultimately Christ will subdue all his enemies, eliminate death and God will be ALL in ALL.
▪︎ 2 Corinthians 5:15 — Christ died for ALL.
▪︎ 2 Corinthians 5:19 — Through Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself.
▪︎ Ephesians 1:11 — God will bring all things under heaven and on earth under Christ.
▪︎ Ephesians 4:10 — Christ ascended higher then all the heavens to fill the whole universe.
▪︎ Philippians. 2:9-11 — EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord (In 1 Corinthians 12:3, Paul writes that no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit)
▪︎ Colossians 1: 19-20 — God was pleased to reconcile to Himself, all things on earth and in heaven through the blood of Christ.
▪︎ 1 Timothy 2:4-6 — God wants ALL men to be saved and to know the truth. Can God’s desire be thwarted?
▪︎ 1 Timothy 4:10 — God is the Saviour of ALL men, especially (not exclusively) those who believe.
▪︎ Titus 2:11-12 — God’s grace, which brings salvation has appeared to ALL men.
▪︎ Hebrews 2:9 — Jesus tasted death for EVERYONE.
▪︎ 1 John 2:2 — Christ is the atoning sacrifice of the sins of the WHOLE world.
▪︎ 1 John 3:8 — Christ appeared to destroy the devil’s works. The doctrine of eternal damnation denies the victory of Christ!
▪︎ 1 John 4:14 — Christ is the Saviour of the world.
▪︎ Revelation 5:13 — Every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and on the sea will sing praises to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb (Christ).
▪︎ Revelation 21:4-5 — God will dwell with men and he will wipe every tear from their eyes, death, mourning, crying, pain and the old order of things will pass and everything will be made new.