Popular cultural dogma affirms: ‘If Christianity works for you, that’s fine. But, if Islam or another religion works for someone else, that’s fine, too.’ This idea is often promoted via the declaration: ‘It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re sincere.’
Sincerity, though, is not the Savior. Sincerity in the wrong way, the wrong religious leader, the wrong worldview/idea/perspective, has no power to save anyone.
In John 14:6, as Jesus interacted with His followers, He said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Believers in Christ are not Christians because Christianity seems to ‘work’ for us, but because our Savior has worked salvation for us. It’s not a matter of personal sincerity or preference, but of spiritual truth. Jesus, with reference to Himself, told an audience: “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent” (John 6:29). God has graciously done all of the human work for sinners who have genuine faith in the true Savior.
The Lord Jesus Christ insisted that He was and is the right way to God. “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Notice that Jesus did NOT say: ‘All persons who have ever lived come to the Father through Me’ nor did He promise ‘All persons of different faiths come to the Father through Me.’
In John 10:7-9, Jesus affirmed Himself to be the gate (or door) for the sheep. In figurative terms, Jesus communicated that His people are saved, not because they are such wonderful and pure and brilliant people, but because they are like sheep who are led and loved by the Good Shepherd. Individuals become saved persons by virtue of the Person Who has saved them. In other words, those who belong to Jesus Christ are on the right way to God.
There is vigorous public objection to Jesus as being the only Way to the Heavenly Father; and yet, even practical human experience demonstrates that not all ways are right.
Have you ever driven the wrong way down a one-way street? Perhaps you were disgusted by a traffic jam and made a turn on to what you thought was a two-way street; maybe you were driving at night and didn’t see the ‘Wrong Way’ sign. But, when you realized you were going the wrong way, you immediately did what was necessary to get off the wrong way and get back on the right way. You correctly reasoned that your initial sincerity would not continuously prevent your being pulverized by oncoming traffic.
In his book Know Why you believe, Paul Little remarked: “Spiritual truth is not arrived at by a majority vote. ..Sincerely believing something doesn’t make it true…Faith is no more valid than the object in which is placed. It doesn’t matter how sincere or intense the faith. A nurse put carbolic acid in the eyes of a newborn baby, sincerely thinking she was applying silver nitrate. Her sincerity did not save the baby from blindness…Believing something doesn’t make it true any more than failing to believe truth makes it false.”
The Crucified and Risen Lord Jesus Christ, not human speculation or sincerity, is THE truth. THE truth is our Savior. His true, complete, gracious and eternal love will never fail persons of faith in Him.
And: Christians sincerely love the Author and Giver of salvation. “”Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.”—Eph.6:24, NKJV.
Sincerity, though, is not the Savior. Sincerity in the wrong way, the wrong religious leader, the wrong worldview/idea/perspective, has no power to save anyone.
In John 14:6, as Jesus interacted with His followers, He said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Believers in Christ are not Christians because Christianity seems to ‘work’ for us, but because our Savior has worked salvation for us. It’s not a matter of personal sincerity or preference, but of spiritual truth. Jesus, with reference to Himself, told an audience: “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent” (John 6:29). God has graciously done all of the human work for sinners who have genuine faith in the true Savior.
The Lord Jesus Christ insisted that He was and is the right way to God. “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Notice that Jesus did NOT say: ‘All persons who have ever lived come to the Father through Me’ nor did He promise ‘All persons of different faiths come to the Father through Me.’
In John 10:7-9, Jesus affirmed Himself to be the gate (or door) for the sheep. In figurative terms, Jesus communicated that His people are saved, not because they are such wonderful and pure and brilliant people, but because they are like sheep who are led and loved by the Good Shepherd. Individuals become saved persons by virtue of the Person Who has saved them. In other words, those who belong to Jesus Christ are on the right way to God.
There is vigorous public objection to Jesus as being the only Way to the Heavenly Father; and yet, even practical human experience demonstrates that not all ways are right.
Have you ever driven the wrong way down a one-way street? Perhaps you were disgusted by a traffic jam and made a turn on to what you thought was a two-way street; maybe you were driving at night and didn’t see the ‘Wrong Way’ sign. But, when you realized you were going the wrong way, you immediately did what was necessary to get off the wrong way and get back on the right way. You correctly reasoned that your initial sincerity would not continuously prevent your being pulverized by oncoming traffic.
In his book Know Why you believe, Paul Little remarked: “Spiritual truth is not arrived at by a majority vote. ..Sincerely believing something doesn’t make it true…Faith is no more valid than the object in which is placed. It doesn’t matter how sincere or intense the faith. A nurse put carbolic acid in the eyes of a newborn baby, sincerely thinking she was applying silver nitrate. Her sincerity did not save the baby from blindness…Believing something doesn’t make it true any more than failing to believe truth makes it false.”
The Crucified and Risen Lord Jesus Christ, not human speculation or sincerity, is THE truth. THE truth is our Savior. His true, complete, gracious and eternal love will never fail persons of faith in Him.
And: Christians sincerely love the Author and Giver of salvation. “”Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.”—Eph.6:24, NKJV.