Is Jesus the Only Way to God

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Is Jesus the Only Way to God?

• A Look at One
• of Christianitys
• Tough Issues

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Difficult Matters

• Is it intolerant to claim that Christianity is
  the only true religion?
• What about those who have never heard?

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Is one intolerant to claim that Christianity is
the only true religion?
3 Answers
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1. Tolerance is not always good

• Standards to prevent contamination of our
  drinking water
• Airport security

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2. Truth gt Tolerance

• One can be sincere but wrong. (Security at WTC
  told workers it was safe to return to their
  offices.)
• People can hold their own beliefs and still
  tolerate those with different views. (e.g.,
  Republicans Democrats)
• Tolerance that forbids the expression of other
  views is a self-refuting position.

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3. Truth Jesus

• He claimed to be the only way to God.
• He rose from the dead confirming those claims.

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Jesus his disciples claimed he was the only way.

• This is found not just in one or two verses, but
  throughout the entire New Testament and from
  numerous people.

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Jesus

• I am the way, and the truth, and the life no
  one comes to the Father but through me. (John
  146)
• He who believes in the Son has eternal life but
  he who does not obey the Son will not see life,
  but the wrath of God abides on him. (John 336)
• For unless you believe that I am who I say I am,
  you will die in your sins." (John 824)

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Jesus

• And I say to you, everyone who confesses me
  before men, the Son of Man will confess him also
  before the angels of God but he who denies me
  before men will be denied before the angels of
  God. (Luke 128-9)
• . . . no one knows the Son except the Father
  neither does anyone know the Father except the
  Son and to whomever the Son wills to reveal him.
  (Matthew 1127)

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Paul

• Brethren, my hearts desire and my prayer to God
  for them ie, the Jews is for their salvation.
  For I testify about them that they have a zeal
  for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.
  (Romans 101-2)
• For there is one God, and one mediator also
  between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (1
  Timothy 25)

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Paul

• Jesus will return dealing out retribution to
  those who do not know God and to those who do not
  obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will
  pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from
  the presence of the Lord and from the glory of
  His power. (2 Thess. 18-9)

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Peter

• There is salvation in no one else. For there is
  no other name under heaven that has been given to
  men through which we must be saved. (Acts 412)

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Author of Hebrews

• For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving
  the knowledge of the truth, there no longer
  remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying
  expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire
  which will consume the adversaries. (Hebrews
  1026-27)

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Therefore, we have 4 authorities including Jesus
himself, reported by 5 authors, in 7 first
century books and lettersall saying that Jesus
is the only way.
Not a single competing Christian source exists in
antiquity that presents a case for the salvation
of adherents of other religions.
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All claimed that Jesus is the only way to obtain
eternal life.
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Youre being intolerant.

• Tolerance is not always good
• Airport Security
• Truth gt Tolerance
• WTC
• Truth Jesus
• Claimed he is the only way
• Proved it by rising from dead

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Is it fair?
What about those who have never heard?
What about babies and the mentally handicapped
who die without knowing Christ?
Should these be eternally damned for not making
a choice that was unavailable to them?
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Biblical Perspective

• Opera Baseball
• Solomon (Ecc. 727-29)

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World Population
Filters Those Who Dont Care About God
Filters Authentic Christians Those Who Heard
Reject Gospel
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But what about those who care but have never
heard?Is it fair that they should be judged?
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Ask and it will be given to you seek, and you
will find knock, and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks
finds, and to him who knocks it will be
opened. -- Jesus (Matt 77-8)
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We observe this happening throughout the NT.

• God sent Philip to the Ethiopian eunuch
• He sends missionaries today
• God communicated in a dream to Cornelius
• He does this a lot today in 3rd-world countries,
  often with Muslims

We see that God has ways get the gospel to those
who havent heard and uses them to get His
message out to those who are seeking Him.
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What about babies and the mentally
handicappedwho die without Christ?Is it fair
that they should be judged?
It is easy to respond and say that God will be
merciful to them or talk about an age of
accountability.But on what biblical basis can we
hold such a position?
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Although the Bible is not explicit on this
subject, it may provide us with a helpful model.

• Moreover, your little ones who you said would
  become a prey, and your sons, who this day have
  no knowledge of good or evil, shall enter there,
  and I will give it to them and they shall possess
  it. (Deuteronomy 139)

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• God does hold us accountable for the knowledge we
  have received.

• God may not hold people accountable for what they
  could not know.

• In most cases, this is a full knowledge of the
  Gospel of Christ.

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Therefore, the issueis no longer the other guy,
but you.

• What are you going to dowith Jesus?

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