Those Bigoted Christians

Have you ever tried to tell someone Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, only to be told you’re narrow-minded, bigoted, and intolerant?

How dare you be so exclusive as to say there’s only one way to heaven! Even Oprah come to the conclusion years back that she didn’t like that kind of God, a decision that has led her down the new age path with a vengeance as she happily rubs shoulders with Eckhart Tolle and Marianne Williamson.

Someone recently told me I was a bigot for supporting the Florida marriage amendment. I must admit, whenever someone says something like this to me, I feel more than a twinge of guilt and shame. I am, after all, a child of my generation and of the indoctrination I got not only in school, but which the culture tries to inculcate in all of us every single day.

I was recently listening to a sermon by Jon Courson and he had three great points to consider on the subject of why Jesus is the only way.

1) God did it for our protection.
There is one way to get to heaven and only one way. This makes it simple for us -- a black and white choice that even a child can make. Of course, we humans try to complicate the matter by adding various works, sacrifices, and a myriad of other stipulations on what we need to do to ‘earn’ salvation when it’s already a done deal. We can’t seem to leave well enough alone. It’s kind of like the law of gravity which works on the simple principle that what goes up, must come down. Gravity never fails to pull us back to earth anytime we step off into empty space, whether it’s a footstep on a path or a plunge off the Empire State building. However, gravity is also there for our protection -- otherwise we would all go flying off the face of the earth straight into outer space.

2) God did it as a proclamation for us.
In the olden days, a king would send a proclamation throughout the kingdom. Sometimes it was good news for his subjects like a celebration, just the way God’s proclamation of Jesus is good news for us. Sometimes it was more serious news, like a new law that had to be obeyed. You were then free to decide whether you wanted to heed the proclamation, knowing that if you broke it, you’d be hauled off to the nearest dungeon. God has graciously given us the same opportunity. It’s really pretty simple. God said this is the way it is and He can be as exclusive as He wants -- it’s His universe. Like the bumper sticker says, “There is a God, and you’re not it.”

3) God did it as provision for us.
Neither Muhammad nor Buddha nor anyone in any other religion died for your sins so that you could be made holy in the eyes of a perfect God. Only Jesus suffered for us and died in our place. There is no greater love than to lay your life down for a friend. I don’t know about you, but I never fail to cry at the beauty of such a sacrifice when I see it in the movies. Just recently, in the film AUSTRALIA, one guy stayed behind to hold off the bad guys so the rest of the group, mostly children, could escape. I had to get out the kleenex because tears were running down my cheeks at this heroic sacrifice which he undertook of his own free will. How much more gratitude, awe, and reverence should we feel when it comes to Jesus and His ultimate sacrifice? And why wouldn’t we want to take advantage of the most wonderful offer in the universe?

Think of all that the next time someone calls you narrow-minded.