Nothing is more offensive to the typical modern American ear than Jesus’ claim of exclusivity expressed in statements like, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).  Instead of giving in to a knee-jerk reaction of offense to such a claim, we should ask ourselves, "Why does Jesus make such a claim?  What does His claim to exclusivity say about Him and about us?"  It turns out that Jesus' statement is not arbitrary; it is grounded in solid biblical doctrine. For example, Jesus is the only way because:

  • All people are sinful and stand condemned before God (John 3:18, 36; Romans 3:19, 23)
  • No sinful human being is capable of saving themselves, not to mention other fellow sinners (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 8:8; Hebrews 5:3)
  • No other creature is capable of atoning for human sin (Hebrews 1:5; 10:4)
  • Jesus is uniquely qualified to effectively atone for our sins (Acts 4:12; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 9:11-12)

So, when Christians affirm that Jesus is the only way to heaven, they are not saying anything other than what Jesus Himself said.  They are not trying to be narrow-minded or politically incorrect.  They are not boasting in themselves or judging others.  They are simply affirming what the Bible says about human depravity and the unique sufficiency of Jesus Christ to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).  The simple truth is: if you are trusting in Jesus for the salvation of your soul, you have the gift of eternal life because of what Jesus did for you (John 3:16; 5:24; 1 Cor. 15:3-4).  If not, then you are still in your sins (John 8:24).  Don't judge God because He has provided only one way of salvation.  Praise God that He graciously saves all sinners who turn from their sins and trust in Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29; Heb. 7:25)!  Come to Jesus today (Matt. 11:28)!