How Can You Claim There Is Only One Way To God?

Hi again, welcome back to the second of our Questioning Christianity series, where we

take a look at some of the hard questions that are asked today. Maybe you have those

questions or you know people that have had them and we hope this will be a helpful way

to begin to explore that by looking at what the Bible says and having a think together.

Our question today is, how can you say there is only one way to God? So I'm going to read

a part of the Bible and then we'll think about it and I'll pray and then we'll sing at the end there.

So our passage today is words of Jesus from John chapter 6 beginning at verse 27.

John 6 · chapter mention

Where Jesus says,

Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will

give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval. Then they asked him,

What must we do to do the works God requires? Jesus answered, The work of God is this,

to believe in the one he has sent. So they asked him, What sign then will you give that we may see

it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness. As it is written,

he gave them bread from heaven to eat. Jesus said to them, Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who

has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.

For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.

Sir, they said, always give us this bread. Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life.

Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

But as I told you, you have seen me, and still you do not believe. All those the Father gives me

will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven,

not to do my will, but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me,

that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's

will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will

raise them up at the last day. Those are the words of Jesus. Now, last week,

I was watching a travel documentary where a father and son travelled to Papua New Guinea,

and while on their travels, they went to a very remote island, were met by a villager there who

showed them around the island and took them to this cave. And in this cave were a series, a large

collection of skeletons and especially of skulls. And he explained that previously his tribe had been

cannibals. They would kill and eat their enemies. And he said, we used to be cannibals until Christian

missionaries came, and then that all stopped. Now, was that a good thing? Or was that an imposition

of a different set of values? This week, we're going to think about a question, isn't it arrogant

to say your religion is superior and to try to convert others to it? Perhaps you've heard the

objection, aren't other religions also equally good at providing fulfilment and meaning for their

followers. So why impose Christianity on them? Or maybe the argument runs that to claim exclusive

truth is narrow, it divides people, it can lead to conflict, and indeed it has led to conflict.

So that initially, and certainly on the surface, it might sound much more tolerant to say

all beliefs are equally valid. All religions are equally valid. To borrow the title of a Manic Street

Preachers album, this is my truth, tell me yours. Is it arrogant to say that one religion, the Christian

religion, has the truth? Let's explore that together. Three questions to briefly touch on. First of all,

is it arrogant to claim there is exclusive truth? Is it arrogant to claim there's only one way to God?

And is it arrogant to try and convert someone else to your view? And all along the way, and especially

as we draw our thoughts towards a close, where does Jesus fit into the arguments? But let's begin with

that question. Is it arrogant to claim there is exclusive truth? Now let's begin by being honest. The claim of

exclusive truth is a big hurdle towards someone accepting the Christian faith. You and I probably know

people who have used truth as a weapon, as a power play. We know that truth and claiming the truth can be abused,

that it can be used to tear others down and to create division. Now of course that's not just a problem

for Christianity, but it still remains a hurdle. And I think a sort of an additional layer of complexity,

complexity as it were, is that we are now considered to be living in a post-truth society. 2016 post-truth was the word

of the year, where how I feel is often regarded as of greater significance than is it true? Where the personal can be

valued more highly than the objective? Now Rebecca McLaughlin in her excellent book, Confronting Christianity,

points out that things can be both personally true and objectively true. One example she cites is the

Me Too movement and those stories of sexual abuse survivors. Their powerful personal stories are just that,

they're personal, but they're also objectively true. So truth can be both personal and objective. In fact, Christian

testimony, the testimony of a Christian like myself would say, yes, I believe Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that He is my

only hope in life and death. And on my best days, He shapes everything in my life, how I think and feel and act. And that's

profoundly personal. But I also believe that it's grounded in history, as we thought last week, grounded in the

reliability of the Bible. A truth that is personal and truth that is objective at the same time. Because

Christianity, as we said last week, and we need to keep saying, is grounded in historical facts. Now we instinctively

know that to deny history is wrong. So I studied history at university and I think it was towards the end of my time

there, a significant scholar down in England was sort of being discredited because he was a Holocaust denier,

trying to say, trying to suggest that the figures were inflated. We know that's wrong. Turkey's refusal to own its

genocide of the Kurds in 1930 is wrong. We in the United Kingdom, we need to recognise, own up to, confess our

relationship to slavery in the past. We cannot deny or gloss over history.

Last week, we thought about the fact that Christianity stands or falls on the basis of historical facts that centre

on the life of Jesus, his coming into the world, his life, his death, and especially the historical facts

around the resurrection of Jesus. How do I feel about that? How do you feel about that?

We need to recognise that our feelings don't alter that objective reality of events that happened some

2,000 years ago. Either those events are true or they are false. So the onus falls on us to investigate.

But it's not arrogant to claim there is exclusive truth, particularly if it's grounded in historical facts.

But here's something that we need to remember as Christians in all of this.

That truth without love comes across as smug and arrogant and is profoundly off-putting.

We would do well to remember the words of Gandhi who famously said,

I like their Christ, I don't like their Christians.

So we need to watch how we hold on to the truths that we believe in.

Every claim of truth is by necessity exclusive.

Indeed to say there is no such thing as exclusive truth is an exclusive truth claim in and of itself.

So we need to see, sort of taking a bigger picture, Christianity is not the only religion and it's not the only worldview

that makes exclusive truth claims. All truth is by extension exclusive.

Truth always excludes its opposites.

Otherwise, all we have left is personal opinion.

But truth excludes.

Is it arrogant to claim exclusive truth?

Perhaps we could turn the question on its head.

Is it arrogant to claim there is no exclusive truth?

To claim a standpoint where we can say that all the religions and all people in all times have got it wrong

and we are the enlightened ones.

So moving from there, let's move to the next question to consider.

Is it arrogant to claim there is only one way to God?

Now Jesus, again in the book of John, chapter 14, verse 6, says this.

John 14:6

I am the way, the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

Now let's read that again with emphasis.

I am the way, the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

That's some radical claims from Jesus, isn't it?

Now are those fighting words from Jesus?

Is this arrogance?

Is it arrogant to claim there is only one way to God?

And that is through Jesus.

Let's take a step back.

Now you've probably heard at some point, possibly heard the story of a group of blind men who encounter an elephant

and they begin to examine the elephant to discover what it's like.

And one person takes hold of the trunk and says an elephant is like a snake.

Another wraps its arms around a leg and say an elephant is like a tree.

Another finds the tusk and say an elephant is like a spear.

Another finds the tail and says an elephant must be like a rope.

In a sense it's an amusing story but there's an assumption lying behind that story

that the religions of the world hold part of the truth

but they are blinded to the whole picture.

The storyteller alone sees the whole.

He knows the whole truth.

The blind people only see a part.

Now there are significant issues with that story.

Not least the fact that it is not respectful

to the differences that there are between religions.

When it claims that when there are claims that all roads lead to the same God

or that all paths to God are equally valid.

It flattens out clear differences and distinctions.

I will think about that in a moment.

But also as the storyteller from a distance claims not to be blind

claims to be able to see the whole elephant

there is a mocking tone.

There is indeed a sense of arrogance

in standing in judgment over other religions.

When we take a basic review of some of the major world faiths

we recognise there are significant differences

that they are not the same.

So one of the things that people would do

to sort of stifle debate and discussion

is say well all religions are equally valid

and should be treated the same.

But when we think about how do the different religions view God?

Well Buddhism as an example would say there is no God.

Buddha was very clear I am not God do not worship me.

Hinduism has many gods.

Islam has a God who is one and who is solitary

whereas Christianity has a God who is one

but that one is made up of three persons

Father, Son and Holy Spirit known as the Trinity.

Or we come to how do the different religions think about Jesus?

And some would say he is a prophet

many to say he is worthy of respect

but only in Christianity

is there the claim from the lips of Jesus

and from the teaching of the Bible

that he is the Son of God

and that he is the Saviour of the world.

So we can see that there are vast differences

and to flatten the differences

to treat all religions as a lump

is patronising and unhelpful.

More helpful is to see the struggle that people have

as they think about the differences.

Nabi Al Qureshi

was a famous recent convert from Islam to Christianity

that he died just a few years ago.

He wrote the book called Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus

brought up in a conservative Islamic home.

He came to a friendship with a Christian man

and he spent four years

wrestling with objections to the Christian faith,

wrestling with the claims of Jesus Christ

compared to the teaching of Islam.

And he talks about his day of converting from Islam

to Christianity and faith in Jesus

and he says he mourned the impact of that decision

because he recognised the impact

and the cost it would have

in terms of family relationships,

in terms of his place in his community.

So it's important for us

to see that respect recognises

the great differences there are

between the different religions and world views.

To say that all religions are equal

is to ignore the claim of the Bible.

To say that all religions are the same

is to deny what the Bible says

when it describes itself as revelation

and not speculation.

So it's not arrogant,

it's just recognising

that every world view

will claim its truth

to the exclusion of others

and all religions do that.

But again, we need to remember

attitude matters.

Particularly when it comes to

discussing between religions.

You know, in our culture,

which is often described as now

an outrage culture,

where we see cancel culture

happening a lot,

we need to see that

to disagree with someone

does not mean that we disrespect that person.

To take a different view of God

or of Jesus or of faith

does not mean that I hate the other person.

When we treat people as image bearers of God,

when we treat people as worthy of dignity,

whatever they believe,

then we should be able to disagree

without disrespect.

It is possible to hold truth

in high regard

and

to hold people

in high regard.

And the Bible would have us

do that.

And that leads us to think about

a last question.

Is it arrogant

to try and convert

someone else?

So having recognised

that everybody

who claims truth

is excluding the opposite,

having seen that there are

significant differences

in the truth claims

between religions,

should we ever

cross the boundary

to try and convert

someone else?

Maybe you remember

the story of John Allen Chow,

which hit the headlines

back in 2018.

He was killed

as he attempted

to visit the people

of the Sentinel Islands.

He wanted to share

the message

Jesus loves you

with them.

And as he landed,

he was killed.

And as people wrote

their opinion pieces

in newspapers,

many came to the conclusion

that Chow was wrong

and was arrogant

to try to convert

these ancient tribes,

to convert those

who were following

traditional religions

to Christianity.

arguing in some cases

that there's a connection

between religion

and conflict.

Maybe you would

agree

with that viewpoint.

But if we remember

what we just thought about,

we go back to our last point,

to share the truth

in love

is not to be

of necessity

arrogant

or hateful.

absolutely sometimes

the Christian church

has been

arrogant

in the way

that they have

tried to convert people,

that the church

has made mistakes

but it doesn't

necessarily have

to be that way.

And indeed,

sometimes

we think about

everyday life

persuading someone

of truth

can be

an act

of

love.

I smell gas.

You should get out

of here.

You are ill.

You need

treatment.

That kind of

persuasion

is loving.

Now,

if we are persuaded

that Christianity

is true,

then we recognise

it has

an urgent

life or death

message.

So the truth

has that

motivating quality.

That we believe

Jesus is Lord

of all,

that he is King

of kings,

that he is also

the judge

of the living

and the dead,

that we are

by nature

enemies of God,

that we have

rebelled against God,

we've broken

his law

and we stand

under the judgment

of God

with the certain

prospect

of eternal

punishment

in hell.

Now,

those are

difficult

concepts,

but we believe

them to be true.

We also believe

it to be true

that God

in his love

and mercy

sent Jesus

to take

our place

and to die

in the place

of every

sinner who

would put

their trust

in Jesus

to have

forgiveness

and eternal

life.

so that

the Christian

message

has implications

for now

and has implications

for life

after death.

There is an

urgency to it

and so part

of our

motivation

is that we

want to

persuade

of that

truth

and we want

to do that

out of love.

Some people

would say,

no,

we should just

keep our views

out of public

life.

failing to

recognise,

I think,

that everybody,

whether we're

religious or

not,

we all have

strongly held

views,

we all come

to a particular

agenda or topic

with certain

biases

and it seems

rather arrogant

to suggest

that only some

views are

valid at the

table,

only some

views are

acceptable in

public life

and Christianity

is not one

of those.

And when we

think about

the arrogance

question to do

with conversion

as well,

we need to

recognise

Christianity

is not

and never

has been

about morality

so we

should never

come across

it as arrogant

because we

don't believe

Jesus came

to make

bad people

good,

we believe

Jesus came

to make

spiritually

dead people

alive,

that we

believe the

only way

that we

can be

saved

and be

part of

God's

family

is because

of his

grace,

that free

undeserved

kindness he

gives us,

not by our

goodness,

not by our

moral performance.

Jesus is our

hope,

not ourselves,

so that should

always make

us humble

and Christianity

at its best

humbly follows

Jesus as

Lord.

Now,

where does

Jesus fit

into this

discussion?

We've already

heard him say,

I am the

way,

the truth,

and the life,

no one comes

to the Father

except through

me and then

we read

in John

John 6:27

chapter 6,

verse 27

onwards,

a catalogue

of exclusive

truth claims.

So we need

to recognise

that Jesus

made exclusive

claims,

he also

showed

amazing love

and Christians

look to follow

in his footsteps.

So Jesus

says,

for example,

in these verses,

I give

eternal life.

He says,

I have

the approval

of God

my Father.

He says,

if you want

to please

God,

you must

believe in

me.

He compares

himself to

bread and

says,

I am the

bread of

life who

gives

eternal

satisfaction.

He says,

I do

the will

of God.

My people

belong to

me as a

gift from

God my

Father and

I will

lose none

of them,

he says.

He says,

to believe

in him

is to

receive

eternal

life,

is to

have

resurrection

life.

And so

when you

start listening

to Jesus,

the central

figure in

our faith,

he makes

those huge

claims,

he is

unique among

religious leaders

in saying,

I am

God and

I am

saviour

and I

have come

to die

in the

place of

sinners

to give

the gift

of

eternal

life.

Jesus

is a

historical

figure.

Everybody

agrees on

that.

And as

Christians,

we are

persuaded

that the

Bible

contains

truth.

And

therefore,

the crucial

question

for us

and Jesus

asked it

is,

who do

you say

I am?

Who do

we say

Jesus is?

Because if

Jesus is

God,

then any

religion,

any

worldview

that doesn't

worship him

as God

must therefore

be false.

Every

religion or

worldview that

doesn't

worship him

as God

fails to

love God

properly

because they

fail to

love Jesus

as he

truly is.

Of course,

on the

other hand,

if Jesus

is not

God,

Christianity

fails and

is false.

But the

point is

that our

whole faith

rests on

historical

truth.

It's so

important to

examine the

life, the

teaching, the

death and

resurrection of

Jesus.

Because if

he is

true and

if what

he says

is true,

then you

and I

need him

and his

message has

life-changing

significance.

Now let's

pray together

briefly.

Dear God,

we have been

considering

some striking

words from

Jesus.

Jesus.

When he

claims to

be the

only way

to God,

the way,

the truth

and the

life,

the one

who can

give eternal

life,

giving life

beyond death,

giving true

and lasting

satisfaction.

God

and yet we

recognize in

Jesus,

someone who

was never

seen to be

proud,

but who

was humble,

who was

for the

weak,

who was

for the

oppressed,

who didn't

step on the

heads of

others to

get ahead,

the one who

willingly came

to the cross

to die.

Lord, as

Christians we

would confess

there are times

when perhaps

we have used

the truth

as a weapon

and we've

wanted to

win arguments

rather than

wanting to

love people

well.

But Lord,

we also

confess there

are times

when we

have failed

to overcome

our own

weakness or

embarrassment

to deliver

this life

changing,

life giving

good news,

this declaration

that Jesus

is the

King.

King.

Pray that

you'd help

each of

us to

wrestle with

the claims

of truth,

to be

willing to

investigate

and to

explore.

Pray that

you'd help

us with

that and

help us to

help one

another with

that.

We pray in

Jesus' name.

Amen.

So,

next week

we will

think about

the claim

that God

is good

and how

we can

marry that

up with

all the

evil and

the suffering

that we

see in the

world.

One of the

main

objections

to faith,

one of the

hardest

questions to

begin to

think about.

And so,

hopefully that

will be a

time where

we can

begin to

reflect on

that.

We'll look

forward to

that next

week.

We'll close

with a

couple of

songs just

as we did

last week.

And, yeah,

look forward to

sharing with you

again same

time next

week.

Take care.