7 Ways the Particularity of Scripture Underlines the Exclusivity of Christ
The Particularity of Scripture Calls Us: Christ Is the Only Way
I recently encountered again a common bumper sticker: “Co-exist.” Twenty-first-century philosophical pluralism meets the American bumper sticker. Drivers with this bumper sticker may simply be urging people from all ethnicities, cultures, nations, and religions to relate to one another with civility, kindness, and love. If so, as Christians we heartily agree. After all, we follow a Lord who taught and demonstrated love for the outsider, even enemies. But my suspicion is that many affix the “co-exist” bumper sticker on their cars to preach the gospel of philosophical pluralism (which rejects any notion that a particular ideological or religious claim is intrinsically superior to another).
In such a context, it is hard for many to hear the words of Jesus when he boldly asserts: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Many are appalled at Jesus’s declaration that he is the only way. But those who accept biblical authority find his assertion to stand firmly in the broader biblical story and worldview. In several overarching ways, the particularity of Scripture underlines the particularity of Christ.1
First, Christ as the only way is grounded on the biblical teaching that there is only one God, the triune God of the Old and New Testaments, who is Creator, Lord, and Judge. If there were more than one God, there would likely be more than one way to the gods. But the particularity of God points to the particularity of how God is known, followed, or embraced.
Confident Witness
David S. Dockery
Written by scholars from various Christian universities, these essays explore evangelism, discipleship, and apologetics to help educators and students understand the importance of sharing the gospel in every generation.
Second, Christ as the only way is grounded on the biblical teaching that the one true and living God has communicated with humanity. He has communicated truly, even if not exhaustively; and humans can understand, even if partially, who he is and how to relate to him. If truth were merely subjective and not rooted in God or eternal realities, then claims to exclusivity would be a stretch. But if the one true God graciously reveals himself to us, then seeking to understand and follow that revelation is not arrogance but humility and faithfulness.
Third, that all of us are sinners, fall short of God’s glory, and stand guilty before God also shapes how we view this issue. The biblical teaching on this is unambiguous: we cannot be our own way to salvation by being sincere, good, nice, or pleasant.
Fourth, that Christ is the only way flows from the biblical teaching that God is the covenant Lord who determines if and how he will relate to humans. He freely and graciously sets the terms of the covenant; he freely and graciously sets forth if and how he will forgive, justify, adopt, reconcile, redeem, or save sinners. Thus, not only can we humans not be our own way to salvation; we also cannot devise our own way.
Fifth, and very much related to the last point, Christ as the only way rests on the important truth that Jesus alone is able to serve as the Savior. As the fully divine and fully human mediator, he is uniquely able to save. As the sinless and obedient second Adam, he is uniquely able to represent us. As the obedient Son and the substitutionary sacrifice for our sins, he is uniquely able to forgive us. As the resurrected one, the firstborn from the dead, he is uniquely able to give us new life. Thus, Christ is the only way because of his uniqueness. Many people died on crosses, but none but Jesus could save.
Sixth, Christ is the only way in the sense of being the unique Savior. And Christ is the only way in the sense that faith in Christ is the only way to receive the benefits of his saving work. The benefits of Christ’s saving work do not flow to us through our good works, religious scrupulousness, or relational sincerity. Salvation comes only through Christ’s work, by grace through faith. That Jesus is the object of our faith highlights his uniqueness, especially his deity (ultimate faith in someone other than God is idolatry) and utter worthiness. Indeed, that Christ saves through faith underlines both his sufficiency and our dependency, and both glorifies him as the giver and benefits us as the recipients.
Salvation comes only through Christ’s work, by grace through faith.
Seventh, that Christ is the only way to salvation also assumes that those who do not have faith in Jesus are on another path, and not the one to salvation. All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. And all are justly condemned and punished by God. Thankfully, many embrace Jesus as Lord and will receive the blessings he has gained for them. Sadly, many do not and will not follow Jesus; and Jesus will consign them to hell, a place of punishment, banishment, and eternal death.
Maybe framing these items in reverse would be helpful: if other ways of salvation existed apart from Christ, what could they be or where could they come from?
- Could other gods bring such salvation, however the gods and salvation might be defined?
- Could we humans become good, religious, sincere, and so forth, and thereby become our own way?
- Could we devise our own way?
- Could there be something or someone else besides Jesus who could accomplish this for us?
- Could something other than faith in Jesus be the means to receive the benefits of his saving work?
- Could people who do not follow Jesus somehow receive salvation anyway?
- Or could the question be dismissed out of hand due to a lack of any real, objective truth?
Interestingly, the biblical portrait disrupts each of these possibilities and asserts that Christ is the only way. It does so by pointing to the oneness of God, the reality of objective truth, the universality of human sin, the nature of God’s covenant lordship, the uniqueness of Christ, the necessity of faith in Christ, and the horror of hell.
As the only way to salvation, Jesus is worthy of our love, trust, and worship. He is also worthy of our gospel witness. May our recognition of Jesus’s uniqueness burden our hearts for the lost and stir our feet to take the good news about him to our universities and through them to the nations.
Notes:
- For more, see Faith Comes by Hearing: A Response to Inclusivism, ed. Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2008); also, see D. A. Carson, The Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996).
This article is by Christopher Morgan and is adapted from Confident Witness: Evangelism and Apologetics for the 21st Century edited by David Dockery.
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