Lies We Believe #13: It’s Arrogant to Believe That There is Only One Way
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"—John 11:25-26
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”—John 14:6
The lie goes something like this: “It’s arrogant to believe that Christ is the only way to God. How could he be the only way? What about all of the other religions of the world? Are they all wrong? It’s wrong for us to impose one religion upon anybody. It’s best to simply let a person believe whatever they were raised to believe, or whatever they want to believe, as long as it is sincere.”
This lie is especially prevalent among people in our society today who are considered educated or enlightened. The lie is based upon the belief that all views (or religions) are right and equal and should be considered as such, Christianity being one of those views. If Christianity were esteemed as “higher” than the others, then it must be brought down on equal footing, because it is arrogant to believe that it is any better than any of the others. All must be treated as equals.
The lie maintains that if one religion is espoused over another, then it should be put down, dismissed, or vilified and labeled the worst possible label the world can throw at it: intolerant. All views or religions are to be tolerated, provided they don’t exclude or devalue the others. And if one religion promotes its own truth over any other then it is wrong. But this is an enormous fallacy, for this view violates the very premise it espouses. By refusing to tolerate other views (those that are supposedly intolerant), they are being intolerant themselves. So, by commanding that all be tolerant, but then refusing to tolerate those who are deemed intolerant, they themselves have become intolerant. They want to be able to apply the label without being labeled themselves. It’s impossible, shortsighted, and completely illogical.
Is it arrogant to believe that Christ is the only way of salvation? No. It’s only arrogant if it’s not true, but if it’s true, then it is perfectly fine to proclaim Christ as the only way. Christ Himself maintained that fact (John 14:6). We do not have the freedom to mold or revise who Jesus is. He proclaimed to be God and He must be evaluated upon those terms. He is either a fanciful legend who rose up over generations through fanciful storytelling, or a lunatic (for only lunatics make such claims as He did), or a complete liar. He can’t be anything else. Right?
Consider for a moment Jesus at the grave of his friend Lazarus. Lazarus had died four days before Jesus arrived on the scene. Once arriving, He made His way to see Lazarus’ two sisters, Mary and Martha. After talking to Martha about what happened, He told her that her brother would rise from the dead. She agreed and said that he would rise on the “last day” at the end of time, but Jesus quickly corrected her thinking by saying, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"—John 11:25-26.
After Martha replied in the affirmative, Jesus asked to see where Lazarus had been entombed. Upon arriving at the tomb, He commanded that the stone be rolled away. Such an incredulous command was more than Martha, Lazarus’ sister, could stomach. She replied, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days." It didn't take modern science to know about body decomposition.
Undeterred, Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?" The stone was rolled away and the utterly remarkable happened. Jesus prayed to God the Father and then spoke some of the seemingly craziest words ever spoken by a man in front of a mausoleum: “Lazarus, come out."
Now to anyone standing around Him, such words were crazy. Who speaks to dead people? Even crazier, who speaks to dead people by commanding them to come back to life? What arrogance! What shame! Does He not have any sense of decorum?! These sisters are in mourning! They just lost their brother and He goes and says something like that?!
Such statements as Jesus made in John 11:25 smack of arrogance — unless, that is…they're true. If He speaks to the dead man and then the dead man lives, then it’s no longer arrogance—it’s terrifying! Because no one has power over death—it’s the great equalizer that no one—I repeat, no one, ever returns from. If He made such claims as He did in John 11:25 and wasn’t able to back them up—then He was a liar or a lunatic. But, if He was able to back it up, then He must be... LORD.
Placing our faith in Christ means believing who He claimed to be—God and the only means of salvation (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). It also means doing what He asked us to do. He has commanded us to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20), acting as “ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God”—2 Corinthians 5:20. He is going to judge the world one day, and for us to maintain a belief that another religion was true, and that Christ was less than God, then we would be making Him out to be a liar, which He is not. The world might label us as “foolish,” “arrogant,” or “intolerant,” but we continually preach “Christ crucified” because we know that He is the Savior of the world and will save those who come to Him in repentance and faith. Amen.
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”—John 14:6
The lie goes something like this: “It’s arrogant to believe that Christ is the only way to God. How could he be the only way? What about all of the other religions of the world? Are they all wrong? It’s wrong for us to impose one religion upon anybody. It’s best to simply let a person believe whatever they were raised to believe, or whatever they want to believe, as long as it is sincere.”
This lie is especially prevalent among people in our society today who are considered educated or enlightened. The lie is based upon the belief that all views (or religions) are right and equal and should be considered as such, Christianity being one of those views. If Christianity were esteemed as “higher” than the others, then it must be brought down on equal footing, because it is arrogant to believe that it is any better than any of the others. All must be treated as equals.
The lie maintains that if one religion is espoused over another, then it should be put down, dismissed, or vilified and labeled the worst possible label the world can throw at it: intolerant. All views or religions are to be tolerated, provided they don’t exclude or devalue the others. And if one religion promotes its own truth over any other then it is wrong. But this is an enormous fallacy, for this view violates the very premise it espouses. By refusing to tolerate other views (those that are supposedly intolerant), they are being intolerant themselves. So, by commanding that all be tolerant, but then refusing to tolerate those who are deemed intolerant, they themselves have become intolerant. They want to be able to apply the label without being labeled themselves. It’s impossible, shortsighted, and completely illogical.
Is it arrogant to believe that Christ is the only way of salvation? No. It’s only arrogant if it’s not true, but if it’s true, then it is perfectly fine to proclaim Christ as the only way. Christ Himself maintained that fact (John 14:6). We do not have the freedom to mold or revise who Jesus is. He proclaimed to be God and He must be evaluated upon those terms. He is either a fanciful legend who rose up over generations through fanciful storytelling, or a lunatic (for only lunatics make such claims as He did), or a complete liar. He can’t be anything else. Right?
Consider for a moment Jesus at the grave of his friend Lazarus. Lazarus had died four days before Jesus arrived on the scene. Once arriving, He made His way to see Lazarus’ two sisters, Mary and Martha. After talking to Martha about what happened, He told her that her brother would rise from the dead. She agreed and said that he would rise on the “last day” at the end of time, but Jesus quickly corrected her thinking by saying, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"—John 11:25-26.
After Martha replied in the affirmative, Jesus asked to see where Lazarus had been entombed. Upon arriving at the tomb, He commanded that the stone be rolled away. Such an incredulous command was more than Martha, Lazarus’ sister, could stomach. She replied, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days." It didn't take modern science to know about body decomposition.
Undeterred, Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?" The stone was rolled away and the utterly remarkable happened. Jesus prayed to God the Father and then spoke some of the seemingly craziest words ever spoken by a man in front of a mausoleum: “Lazarus, come out."
Now to anyone standing around Him, such words were crazy. Who speaks to dead people? Even crazier, who speaks to dead people by commanding them to come back to life? What arrogance! What shame! Does He not have any sense of decorum?! These sisters are in mourning! They just lost their brother and He goes and says something like that?!
Such statements as Jesus made in John 11:25 smack of arrogance — unless, that is…they're true. If He speaks to the dead man and then the dead man lives, then it’s no longer arrogance—it’s terrifying! Because no one has power over death—it’s the great equalizer that no one—I repeat, no one, ever returns from. If He made such claims as He did in John 11:25 and wasn’t able to back them up—then He was a liar or a lunatic. But, if He was able to back it up, then He must be... LORD.
Placing our faith in Christ means believing who He claimed to be—God and the only means of salvation (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). It also means doing what He asked us to do. He has commanded us to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20), acting as “ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God”—2 Corinthians 5:20. He is going to judge the world one day, and for us to maintain a belief that another religion was true, and that Christ was less than God, then we would be making Him out to be a liar, which He is not. The world might label us as “foolish,” “arrogant,” or “intolerant,” but we continually preach “Christ crucified” because we know that He is the Savior of the world and will save those who come to Him in repentance and faith. Amen.
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