Soli Christo
June 13, 2004
John 14:6
2nd Sunday after Pentecost
Galena-Warwick United Methodist Charge
Warwick & Galena, Maryland
Rev. Dr. Lawrence D. Jameson
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Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and
the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6
Some people get offended
when they hear Christians say
"Jesus is the only way to God".
They might say, "That's exclusive. That’s intolerant."
Well, no one complains
about the laws of gravity.
No one says,
"The law of gravity is exclusive and intolerant."
No one says,
"People should be able to decide for themselves
if gravity applies to them."
The truth is,
gravity always applies.
It is something you cannot argue about. It is just true.
Truth is exclusive.
It excludes what isn't true.
Christianity makes an amazing claim.
Here it is: Jesus of Nazareth is the only way to God.
Either that is true, or it is not.
There is no middle ground,
no other twist or interpretation.
Acts 4:12 says,
"Salvation is found in no one else,
for there is no other name under heaven
given to men by which we must be saved."
Those words were spoken by the Apostle Peter
when he stood before the ruling Jewish council
in Jerusalem.
His words were not popular then,
and they continue to be unpopular today.
Q: Where did Peter get this idea from?
A: From Jesus himself.
Jesus said,
"I am the way, and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14.6
If this sentence is false, (if other ways do exist)
then Jesus is a liar.
If what Jesus said is true,
then he is who he claims to be,
the only way to God.
IT’S A THEME
If Peter's testimony in Acts 4.12
and Jesus' words in John 14.6
were isolated statements in the Bible
then a case might be made
that this doctrine isn't central
to Christianity.
But those verses are not isolated. There are more.
In Matthew 11.27 Jesus said:
"All things have been committed to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father, and
no one knows the Father except the Son
and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
In John 3.36 Jesus said:
"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever rejects the Son will not see life,
for God's wrath remains on him."
In Luke 12.8 Jesus said:
"I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men,
the Son of Man will also acknowledge him
before the angels of God.
But he who disowns me before men
will be disowned before the angels of God."
Luke 13.22 records a conversation which says:
Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going
to be saved?" He said to them, "Make every effort to
enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell
you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once
the owner of the house gets up and closes the door,
you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir,
open the door for us.' But he will answer, 'I don't
know you or where you come from.'
You won't read any quotes from Jesus
in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John
that say otherwise.
WHAT JESUS DID NOT SAY:
1) "It doesn't really matter what you believe
as long as you're sincere."
2) "We all make up our own rules for life.
So do what you want."
3) "Maybe Christianity is true for you,
and if it is, that is cool.
But if it isn't,
there are many other paths to God."
4) "All religions are essentially the same."
( quotes inspired by an article in
Discipleship Journal
Issue 83 Sep/Oct 1994 page 55 The Navigators/NavPress )
EITHER / OR RELIGION
Christianity is an either/or religion.
In other words,
you cannot be both a Christian
and a Moslem.
Jesus requires you to choose.
He will take nothing less
than 100% commitment.
That’s why becoming a Christian
involves making a choice.
In order to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior
one needs to consciously choose
Jesus over every other option, loyalty, and power.
Do you remember Billy Graham’s television program?
He called it “the Hour of Decision”.
He was right.
The Christian religion requires a choice.
This idea that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven,
and that we need to make a choice about that
isn’t new.
The Protestant reformers of the 1500s had a phrase for this.
They called it Soli Christo.
This is one of the ideas
that defines who we are as a church.
NO ROOM FOR A SUPERIOR ATTITUDE
Does the doctrine of Soli Christo
mean that Christians are better people
than non-Christians?
NO! Absolutely not.
Christians are sinners, saved by grace.
Non-Christians are sinners, pursued by grace.
God's grace, love, and compassion is the same for all.
Christians are no better than anyone else.
We live in a multi-cultural, multi-everything world
where Buddhists, Moslems, Jews,
and many other non-Christian people abound.
Christians are called to be peacemakers.
We reach out to people who
don't believe as we do.
Jesus wants us to let our light shine.
We are his witnesses.
WHAT ABOUT?
What about people
who never heard of Jesus?
If Jesus is the only way to heaven,
will God send millions of innocent people to hell?
First off,
the Bible says there are no innocent adults.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
Romans 3.23.
Secondly,
in Romans 1.19-20 we learn
nobody can say they didn't know there is a God.
"what may be know about God is plain to them,
because God has made it plain to them. For since the
creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal
power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being
understood from what has been made, so that men are without
an excuse." Romans 1.19-20
Nobody can pretend that they are innocent (or sin-free),
and no one can pretend they didn't know God exists.
God is just and fair.
He would not send innocent people to hell.
That just isn't his style.
I believe God will judge non-Christians
according to the light they have received.
For those who never heard about Jesus,
God will take that into account.
And for those who have embraced
a non-Christian religion
God will take that into account.
If God chooses to forgive and bring
someone into heaven
who never heard about Jesus,
it will not be a contradiction of the Bible.
It will be based upon the
death and resurrection of Jesus
and the justice of God.
Jesus died for the sins of the whole world.
He died for the people who would never accept him.
That's how much God loves us.
God's plan of salvation
doesn't have a Plan A and a Plan B.
There is only one plan, Plan J for Jesus.
CHRISTIANS DON'T DEBATE
WE WITNESS
Here is great news!
Christians don't debate.
It doesn't matter if people believe us or not
that Jesus is the only way to God.
We don't debate. We witness!
We don't convince. We introduce!
We don't win arguments. We win hearts!
The great commission doesn't say,
"Go into the world and make them think like you."
It says,
"Go and make disciples" (Matthew 28.19)
That means bringing people into a personal
life changing relationship with Jesus Christ.