Narrow Minded

[2tim]

Jesus is the only way to heaven and to salvation.



This statement alone draws some of the most scathing opposition to Christianity to be found. Many would say that it is narrow-minded to maintain that there is just one way to an afterlife of happiness or to reach out to God.

Can we agree for a moment that there is a God? Can we agree for a moment that following the teachings of Jesus Christ are a way to reach Him? Let me assume for the sake of discussion that we can. Do you see the dilemma of the Christian? Christ Himself said that He was the only way. According to Mark, “…there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” (Mark 10:17,21) According to John, He said, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

It is narrow in a certain sense. Jesus Himself said, “…strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:14) But how could God be so narrow? Isn’t He big enough to allow many ways to heaven? Doesn’t our Creator love us enough to provide many avenues to Him?

This Nation was founded on the principal of religious liberty. Here, all religions are equal under the law. It has proven to be a startlingly small leap to reach the idea that “all religions are equal to God.” Today, there is a prevalent belief that all of the religions of the world point to the same God in their own way. In fact, there are many points along those separate roads where the details seem to overlap a bit. For instance, a few religions are monotheistic, and a few refer to the prophets and patriarchs found in the Bible but that’s where all similarity ends.

Allow me to make this statement here. In the days to come, we will all hear the same claim that we “all worship the same God” or that we “just call Him by different names.” This is emphatically not true. The characteristics attributed to Allah (for instance) and those of Jehovah bear little resemblance beyond a claim to the same Biblical prophets and a profession of monotheism. I’ve studied both the Koran and the Bible. Take it from me, anyone who tries to convince you that these two sets of ideas are the same does not understand the fundamental beliefs of one or both of them.

Textural integrity and translation discrepancies would be hard pressed to dilute a statement by Jesus that “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”. This is a statement that even His enemies attributed to Him. So allow me to dismiss such concerns for the moment and let’s suppose just for the sake of discussion that the Bible is essentially historically true. That is, that the universe was created by God.

Now let’s suppose that the earth was populated by the same being. Let’s suppose that He gave that population some rules to live by; rules about loving each other and Him. Now let’s suppose that through their own disobedience, this population became separated from God. Let us suppose that later, God chose a people among this population to be His people, His priests. Let’s also suppose that He sent many prophets to bring His people back to Him and that they ignored most of those prophets and killed the rest in the street. Then let us suppose that God sent His Son to come and die under the condemnation of all that His people had done – in their stead – and that they dutifully fulfilled that plan and killed Him. Not with a stoning like the rest but the long and painful death of a slave, accused of the worst crime. Let’s suppose that the omniscient Father saw the death of the tortured Son. A torture so terrible that a new word had to be invented to describe its pain: excruciating or ‘out of the cross’.

Now, let’s suppose that we stand before God in the end and we say…what?



How could you be so narrow-minded?

God forbid.

2Tim

 

[plum]

Now let’s suppose that the earth was populated by the same being. Let’s suppose that He gave that population some rules to live by; rules about loving each other and Him. Now let’s suppose that through their own disobedience, this population became separated from God. Let us suppose that later, God chose a people among this population to be His people, His priests. Let’s also suppose that He sent many prophets to bring His people back to Him and that they ignored most of those prophets and killed the rest in the street. Then let us suppose that God sent His Son to come and die under the condemnation of all that His people had done – in their stead – and that they dutifully fulfilled that plan and killed Him. Not with a stoning like the rest but the long and painful death of a slave, accused of the worst crime. Let’s suppose that the omniscient Father saw the death of the tortured Son. A torture so terrible that a new word had to be invented to describe its pain: excruciating or ‘out of the cross’.

great post!
I was in a philosophy class in high school that was taught by a man who preached the "grab-bag" lifestyle (take what you like from all religions and throw out the rest). And He sincerely did not like that I was a Christian and I was not ashamed to be one in his class. He verbally attacked my faith on multiple occasions and even did so in front of the whole class while I was on the spot and no one was able to hel me back up my faith. I wish I had posessed the above paragraph to tell him how I really think

 

[2tim]

I'm glad I couled encourage! I put that together to send to my Dad. I never did, though. I am emabarrassed by my own cowardice.

Tough talk, the one you have with your unbelieving folks.

2Tim

 

[Windmill]

brilliant

I hate it too when people say "You're being narrow minded" I just say, "I believe the truth is right. Do you expect me to not believe the truth, in an attempt to be 'open'?" XP People these days seem to think being open minded is great and then that means you do not believe anything. >.O

 

[happywiththelord]

Hey windmill...i notice in a lot of your posts you us xp a lot. what does that mean??

 

[statrei]

Jesus is the only way to heaven and to salvation.

We should not be too quick to think that we have properly interpreted and applied this text. It is true that Jesus saved world and that anyone who rejects Him has rejected salvation. But only He knows who has rejected Him.

 

[2tim]

Do you mean "too quick" or do you really mean "at all."
Just curious.
How would you define being "too quick" to conclude that you understood what Jesus meant when He said "I am the Way?"

2Tim

 

[StormyOne]

Do you mean "too quick" or do you really mean "at all."
Just curious.
How would you define being "too quick" to conclude that you understood what Jesus meant when He said "I am the Way?"

2Tim

"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell."
-- C.S. Lewis

Being The Way doesn't mean that everyone has to be aware of, or acknowledge it.... Jesus could have been describing the process of how His intervention is done on behalf of humans, not necessarily saying everyone has to believe this and if they don't they have no access.... just a thought....

 

[2tim]

"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell."
-- C.S. Lewis

Being The Way doesn't mean that everyone has to be aware of, or acknowledge it.... Jesus could have been describing the process of how His intervention is done on behalf of humans, not necessarily saying everyone has to believe this and if they don't they have no access.... just a thought....

And an excellent thought. As it is written, they might "do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves." (Romans 2:14)

However. Considering that all man kind originates from one family that did know of the sacrifice of Chirst to come (see Able's sacrifice) and considering that "this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matthew 24:14), and considering that we haven't seen the whole program yet I'll still stand by the original conclusion.

2Tim