Only one way?

 

The simple answer is No.

The message from Jesus in John 14:6 says it best, 

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."

You cannot say it any clearer. But, in today's society, pluralism is all the rage. Live like you want to live, believe what you want to believe, and you will go to heaven because God is a god of love. The entire Bible and the life of Jesus Christ are bold statements that oppose those beliefs. Yes, God is the God of love, but we demonstrate our love for him by worshipping Jesus Christ and believing that he died for us on the cross. 

I was reading this morning the debate about whether Christians, Muslims, and Jews believe in the same god. Yes, each of these faiths can trace their lineage back to Abraham. So in that sense, we worship the same God. But, hold on! They miss the very important point of John 14:6. Jesus is God, and neither Muslims nor Jews, believe that Jesus is God. Furthermore, they do not believe that Jesus Christ came, and died on the cross, for our sins.  That is a game-changing belief.

All roads do not lead to heaven. The Jews reject Jesus completely. The Muslims believe he was a great prophet but do not believe he was God. You can't worship the God of Abraham on one side and reject the Son of God, Jesus Christ. It just doesn't work that way. In 2019, Pope Francis signed an agreement with Muslims claiming, that for all practical purposes, we worship the same God. That just is not true because Muslims reject, at the very least, one-third of the Trinity!

As I read Isaiah 44 and 45 today, it is clear that there is only one God. Would Muslims or Jews argue the fact that he sent his Son to die for our sins?

"What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, 'Stop, you're doing it wrong!' Does the pot exclaim, 'How clumsy can you be?' How terrible it would be if a newborn baby said to its father, 'Why was I born?' or if it said to its mother, 'Why did you make me this way?'" (Isaiah 45:9,10)

"Consult together, argue your case. Get together and decide what to say. Who made these things known so long ago? What idol ever told you they would happen? Was it not I, the Lord? For there is no other God but me, a righteous God and Savior. There is none but me. Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God, there is no other. I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word; Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to me." (Isaiah 45:21-23, emphasis added)

God is our righteous Savior through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross. The Word of the Lord proclaims Jesus is the only way to salvation. To deny Jesus is to deny God as Savior. You cannot just worship part of the Trinity! It is either all or nothing!