Sharing An Exclusive Jesus In An Inclusive World – Part 1

Hey, podcast listeners! Thanks for streaming today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. Our mission is to pierce the darkness with the light of God's word through the most effective media available, like this podcast. To support Pathway to Victory, go to ptv.org slash podcast and click the donate button, or follow the link in our show notes. Now, here's today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. I'm Robert Jeffress, and I'm glad to study God's Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program. On today's edition of Pathway to Victory.

Relativism is the belief that all truth is conditioned by time and culture. And it's that embracing of relativism that explains why so many Christians are waffling on this issue of, is there really only one way to heaven when we die? Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor, Dr. Robert Jeffress. John 3 16 says that God gave us his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Yet non-believers and Christians alike are crying foul because salvation is only available through Jesus Christ. Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress talks about how to share an exclusive Jesus in an inclusive world. Now here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message.

Dr. Jeffress. Thank you, David. Well, I'm glad that you joined us for today's edition of Pathway to Victory because our subject matter is critically important. Not too many years ago, Christians were treated with respect. But in today's polarized climate, we're often stereotyped as narrow minded hate mongers. In fact, when debates take place in the public square, Bible believing Christians are often squeezed out of the conversation because the pundits have concluded we're intolerant and bigoted.

So here's the relevant question. How do we share an exclusive Jesus in an inclusive world? That's what we're talking about today as we continue the series, Not All Roads Lead to Heaven.

I've also written a book by the same title, and I believe it's one of the most important books I've ever written on the most urgent topic of our times. When it comes to the gospel, there's no wiggle room in what Jesus promised. And yet, according to a reliable poll, nearly 60 percent of evangelical Christians believe that there are multiple paths to God. Well, in my best selling book, I expose many ways the gospel has been twisted into something that's not, and I'll equip you to respond accurately to common questions with grace and truth. You can receive your copy of Not All Roads Lead to Heaven when you contact Pathway to Victory and offer a generous gift. It comes with my personal thanks for your gift and your support of the ministry of Pathway to Victory. Now, for those of you who already have this book, we are releasing a brand new book, a companion book this month called the Not All Roads Lead to Heaven Daily Devotional. One hundred readings about the exclusive gift of salvation. You can ask for the original book, Not All Roads Lead to Heaven, or the Daily Devotional when you send a generous gift to Pathway to Victory. More about the other resources later, but right now it's time to begin a message I've called Sharing an Exclusive Jesus in an Inclusive World.

Every week, my inbox to my email is filled with all kinds of interesting questions from people. Is it alright for Christians to be cremated when they die? What about divorce and remarriage? Is that ever permissible for a Christian?

Are the six days of creation in Genesis, are those literal 24-hour days, or are they long geologic periods? Is it permissible for Christians to drink an alcoholic beverage? Unless you think there is any unanimity on the answers to those questions, just try throwing out those questions in your next Bible study group, or your group at work in the break room and watch the sparks begin to fly. I mean, people have a variety of opinions on those issues, and you often ask yourself the question, how is it that Christians who are reading the same Bible or are indwelt by the same Holy Spirit of God have such a diversity of views on those topics? We usually say, well, it's because of the limitations of human understanding or culture or a particular faith tradition in which we were raised up.

That's why you have a diversity of opinion. But I think most of you would agree with me that as intriguing and perhaps even important those questions are, they are secondary in importance to the question we're looking at in this series. And that question is, are there many ways to get to heaven when you die, or is there only one way to get to heaven? Don't you agree with me that's the most important question of all?

How do I go to heaven when I die? Well, that is what we're looking at in this series, Not All Roads Lead to Heaven. And yet, even on an essential question like that, there's no unanimity of opinion, even among Christians. Do we need to rethink this issue of the exclusivity of Christ?

Are we being too narrow when we insist that there is only one way to God through faith in Jesus Christ? That's the question we're answering in this series. Who will actually be in heaven? I've given four possible answers to that question of who will be in heaven. There are four prevalent views today about who will be in heaven.

Jot down these terms because they will guide us throughout this study. First of all, universalism. Universalism is the belief that everybody eventually ends up in heaven when they die. Everybody will be in heaven. No one will be in hell. Now, former pastor Rob Bell was a proponent of this view.

He popularized it in a book he wrote a few years ago entitled Love Wins. And listen why Rob Bell is convinced nobody can go to hell when they die. He said, quote, millions have been taught that if they don't believe, if they don't accept in the right way according to the person telling them the gospel, and they were hit by a car and died later that same day, God would have no choice but to punish them forever in conscious torment in hell. A loving heavenly Father who will go to extraordinary lengths to have a relationship with them would, in the blink of an eye, become a cruel, mean, and vicious tormentor who would ensure that they would have no escape from an endless future of agony. If there were an earthly Father who was like that, we would call the authorities on him. That kind of God is simply devastating, psychologically crushing.

We can't bear it. That God is terrifying and traumatizing and unbearable. And here's what Rob Bell is saying. He said, God can't eternally torment people for their sins because I can't conceive of a God like that. And if I can't conceive of a God like that, he must not exist.

You see the flawed logic there? But that's what universalists say. Despite what the Bible says, God is not going to punish anybody. Everybody will be welcomed into heaven. The second way to answer that question is through pluralism. Now, pluralism restricts salvation to religious people regardless of what that religion is.

Pluralism maintains that all religions are equally valid. They would say, yeah, there's a place in hell for the drug dealers and the murderers and the rapists. But good people, religious people will go to heaven and it really doesn't matter what religion it is. They would say all religions are like different paths up the same mountain that lead to God. Now, you can understand why this view is prevalent today when you look at the number of different religions in the world. Did you know, according to the World Christian Encyclopedia, the world is populated by one billion Muslims, 650 million Hindus, over 300 million Buddhists, and over 200 million followers of Chinese folk religions, in addition to the two billion people that are classified as Christians. You see, pluralism allows us to send really bad people to hell, the murderers, the rapists, the drug dealers. But it also allows people of all religions to go to heaven.

It doesn't require us saying your religion is wrong. That's why pluralism is very popular today. A third view of the question who will be in heaven is a view called inclusivism. Now, listen to this. Inclusivism holds that the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross is the only means by which people can be saved.

Sounds pretty good. But inclusivism also says that a person can be saved by Christ without personally trusting in Christ. In other words, inclusivism would say people who have never heard the gospel before and simply believe in a revelation of God they see somewhere in the heavens, those people get to go to heaven. They would also say people who follow other religions, if it's kind of close to Jesus and they just call Jesus by another name, those people will be in heaven as well. The inclusivists believe that Christ is the means by which anybody can go to heaven. But they also are quick to add there are people who will be in heaven who have never trusted in Christ.

John Sanders is a proponent of this view. He said it is not certain that one must hear of Christ in this life to obtain salvation. New Testament passages simply say there is no other way one can get to heaven except through the work of Christ. These passages do not say one has to know about that work in order to benefit from that work. In other words, you can receive the gift of salvation without ever knowing who the sender of the gift is, the inclusivists say.

Now here's the problem with that view. In the Bible, the New Testament, there is always a link between salvation and personal belief. In fact, you cannot find one example in the New Testament of anybody who was saved without personally trusting in Jesus as Savior. And so that leads to the fourth view, which I believe is the biblical view of who will be in heaven, and that is exclusivism.

Exclusivism is the biblical belief that salvation is limited to those who exercise personal faith in Jesus Christ. Since the time of Christ's death and resurrection, the only people who will be in heaven are those who personally hear and trust in the message of Jesus Christ. Now we would say there are two exceptions to that. The two exceptions would be infants and children who are too young to accept Christ and die. And the second exception would be those who are mentally challenged and are incapable of accepting the gospel. We believe they will be in heaven as well. You say, well, how is that possible? How is it that infants and children in the mentally challenged could be in heaven while others aren't in heaven? It's a pretty good question, isn't it?

I'm going to answer it in about four weeks from today. I have a special message on that about what happens to children and infants when they die. But for right now, exclusivism says that outside those people, only those who trust in Christ will be saved. Listen to the passages in the New Testament that connect salvation with personal belief. John 3.16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. Or John 11, 25 and 26, Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life.

He who what? Believes in me will live even if he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.

Do you believe this? Jesus asked. Or Acts 16, 31, Paul answered, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household. Or Romans 10, 9, Paul said, if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Both Jesus, the Apostle Paul, all of the New Testament writers said there is no salvation apart from a personal belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, of course, that raises all kinds of troubling questions. Well, what about those who have never heard of Jesus? Is it fair that God would send people to hell for rejecting a gospel they never heard of? Or what about those who live before the time of Jesus? Abraham, Moses, David, all of the Old Testament saints, they couldn't exercise faith in personal Jesus and yet we believe they're in heaven. How could they be saved? And if they're saved, why is it that God can't save people after in the New Testament time who never personally trust in Christ as Savior? And perhaps the most troubling question of all, people ask, are you telling me that a good, moral Muslim, are you telling me he's going to spend eternity in hell? While somebody like Ted Bundy, a notorious serial murderer who commits atrocities that are unspeakable and at the last minute before his execution says he trusts in Christ as Savior and he's going to be in heaven? That's preposterous.

That makes no sense at all. Again, God's Word has an answer for every one of those objections. But again, the Bible teaches only those who exercise faith in Christ will be saved. Well, you may wonder, what difference does it really make? As long as I trust in Jesus as my Savior, does it really matter if there are different roads up the same mountain that lead to God? Why should I get all hot and bothered if, in fact, God saves other people in other ways except through faith in Jesus Christ?

Well, today I'm going to answer that question because the fact is if we surrender this doctrine of the exclusivity of Jesus for salvation, then there are a number of other key beliefs that we have to surrender as well. Have you ever seen a long row of dominoes, one lined up right after another? And you know what happens if you topple that first domino in the long line? Then other dominoes begin to fall.

The next one falls and the next one falls. It's the same with the exclusivity of Jesus for salvation. Let's imagine that is the first domino, a belief that Jesus is the only way to be saved. Behind that first domino, there are six other beliefs that are toppled if that first domino is surrendered. Let me show you what they are. First of all, if we believe that there is more than one way to be saved, the first domino that falls behind that is the nature of truth itself.

Let me explain what I mean by that. George Barna, who regularly surveys the attitudes of Christians about a variety of things, found in a recent survey that 68% of adult Christians, 91% of Christian teenagers reject the concept of absolute truth. Absolute truth says there are truths that apply to everybody regardless of their culture or the time in which they live.

There are absolute truths. Instead, most people, most Christian teenagers and adults, have instead embraced relativism. Relativism is the belief that all truth is conditioned by time and culture. That embracing of relativism explains why so many Christians today believe in same-sex marriage regardless of what the Bible says. They practice adultery.

They engage in unethical behavior. They bought into this idea of relativism that, well, you can't say something is right for everybody all the time. All truth is relative.

It's that embracing of relativism that also explains why so many Christians are waffling on this issue of, is there really only one way to heaven when we die? I remember immediately after 9-11, several days after that, there was a major church service at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. I remember a well-known evangelical speaker who stood at the podium to comfort not only those there but the entire nation that was grieving. He brought up the subject of Jesus Christ. I thought, oh, this is great.

Go, go, go, go. I was even silently praying for him as he started to talk to this secular group about Jesus. He said, Jesus, who for those of us who believe, is the savior of the world.

I thought, oh, why did you have to say that? Jesus Christ, for those of us who are Christians, is the savior of the world. No, Jesus isn't just the savior of the world for those of us who believe he's the savior of the world.

He's the savior of the world for everyone. You see, that is a subtle attempt at relativism. Well, Jesus is the only way to heaven for those who believe Jesus is the only way to heaven. You know what that's like saying? That's like saying the law of gravity applies only to those who believe in the law of gravity.

Hey, guess what? If you get on top of this worship center and decide to jump off of it, it doesn't matter whether you believe in the law of gravity or not. You can be a complete unbeliever in gravity and you're going to splatter on the concrete below. There are some truths that apply to everybody regardless of when they live, what culture they live in, and whether they are believers or not. And that is also true when it comes to the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we surrender the exclusivity of the gospel, the whole nature of truth itself must be surrendered as well.

The second doctrine we give up is the inspiration of the Bible. You know, since the beginning of time, Satan has tried to cause us to question whether or not God's Word can truly be trusted. Remember what the serpent said to Eve? Has God really said you're not to eat of this tree? Are you sure that's what God said? Are you sure you got it right?

And that same attack continues today. Can you really trust what the Word of God says? Given the abundance of evidence for evolution, can you really say, has God really said that God formed man out of the dust of the earth? Or given the number of people that are attracted to same-sex partners, can you really say, has God really said that marriage is to be between one man and one woman? I mean, given the prevalence of different religions in the world, has God really said there is only one way to Him through faith in Jesus Christ? What I'm saying to you, if we waffle and waver on this issue, if we surrender the issue of exclusivity, it diminishes even further the trustworthiness of the Bible itself. The third doctrine we surrender, if we surrender the doctrine of exclusivity, is the deity of Jesus Christ.

Listen to me. If there is more than one way to heaven, if there are many ways to heaven, then Jesus Christ is not the Son of God. You say, well, how do you come to a conclusion like that? Why does the deity of Christ stand or fall on the exclusivity of the gospel? Well, I've just pointed out to you the number of passages in which Jesus said He is the only way to heaven.

I mean, listen to some of them. For example, in Matthew 7-14, Jesus rejected universalism, the idea that everybody is going to heaven. He said in Matthew 7-14, for the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.

So He slams the door on universalism. Secondly, Jesus slammed the door on pluralism, the idea that all belief systems are equally valid. In John 14-6, He said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but through Me. Not only did He reject pluralism, but He also rejected inclusivism, that is, the idea that personal faith isn't necessary to obtain salvation. In John 6-40, He said, for this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day. Now, Jesus said He's the only way to heaven, and it has to be through personal faith in Him.

Now, stay with me on this. If Jesus is wrong about this, there are only two reasons He could be wrong about it. First of all, He was honestly mistaken. Now, if Jesus was honestly mistaken, that would mean that He didn't know what He was talking about, which means He's not the omniscient, all-knowing God.

Everybody agree with that? Now, the only other reason Jesus could have been wrong about it is He was intentionally misleading us. That is, Jesus knew there was more than one way to heaven, but He decided to mislead us by saying He was the only way. So if He was intentionally misleading us, then He couldn't be the Son of God either, could He?

Because He had a character flaw, a serious character flaw. So that's why I say, if Jesus was wrong about His exclusivity for salvation, then He cannot be the Son of God. The entire deity of Christ rests on this issue of exclusivity.

By now, I hope you understand why this is such an important topic. We can't compromise the integrity of the Gospel, because it was Jesus who said, No one comes to the Father but through me. Christians are taught to pursue virtues like patience, tolerance, charity. But when the truth is violated, Christians cannot become passive or indifferent. We do no favors, for example, by remaining silent when somebody twists the Gospel into something it's not. With this in mind, I've written a best-selling book called Not All Roads Lead to Heaven. It's intentionally designed to lift the fog on issues that have been clouded by false teaching. This book is the perfect discussion tool for your small group Bible study or your Sunday school class.

It will also help you answer questions from your son or daughter who are hearing conflicting messages from their teachers or professors at school. When you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, I'll make sure you receive a copy of Not All Roads Lead to Heaven. If you already had that book, we have a brand new book for you this month called The Not All Roads Lead to Heaven Daily Devotional. It contains 100 daily readings about the exclusive gift of salvation. Did you know that we've established a simple way for you to automate your monthly gifts to Pathway to Victory? And this is a tremendous way to multiply your impact as well. As a Pathway partner, your monthly automated gifts become the foundation that allows us to expand our influence for the Gospel all across America and around the world. And in this special relationship, you'll receive some exclusive resources as well.

To become a Pathway partner right now, just follow the simple instructions at ptv.org. Please know that I remain deeply grateful for your partnership in ministry. Through your gifts, you're allowing us to bring clarity to this important reality that Not All Roads Lead to Heaven.

David? Thanks, Dr. Jeffress. Today, when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, you're invited to request your very own copy of the brand new devotional Not All Roads Lead to Heaven, 100 daily readings about our only hope for eternal life. To request your copy, call 866-999-2965 or visit online at ptv.org. And when you give an especially generous gift of $100 or more, we'll also send you, in addition to the devotional, the complete Not All Roads Lead to Heaven teaching series on CD and DVD that comes along with a personal or group study guide.

Plus, you'll receive the original best-selling book by Dr. Jeffress on which this series is based, Not All Roads Lead to Heaven. To request this special package of resources, call 866-999-2965 or visit ptv.org. If you'd prefer to write, here's that mailing address, PO Box 223609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. Again, that's PO Box 223609, Dallas, Texas, 75222.

I'm David J. Mullins, wishing you a great weekend. Then join us again Monday when Dr. Jeffress continues this message on sharing an exclusive Jesus in an inclusive world. That's right here on Pathway to Victory.

Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. Imagine waking up to the sight of Alaska's majestic coastline or spotting wildlife from the deck of a luxurious cruise ship. Experience these unforgettable moments on the Pathway to Victory Cruise to Alaska with Dr. Robert Jeffress.

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