Everywhere I Go: Learning to See JesusSample

THE ONE-WAY OBJECTION One of the most frequent objections I hear to the claims of Christ is this: "How could God make only one way for people to get to heaven? All religions have some good in them; it doesn't matter what you believe." I can call this the "One Way Objection." As America becomes more of a melting pot, I hear it more frequently. Because we have no national religion and our country has become home to so many cultures, tolerance is the watchword of the day. But many have concluded that tolerance of other belief systems means that all belief systems are equally valid. They are not. Still the man or woman who says "It's Jesus only," is likely to be called a narrow-minded bigot. Peter Kreeft has only half-jokingly said that "fundamentalist" is "the new four-letter word." To believe in one way to salvation in our day is like attacking baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and motherhood. "What kind of God would have such a narrow requirement?" some ask. And the question itself is a serious charge against God, implying that He has not done enough to provide a way of redemption for mankind. My answer to the one-way objection is that God Himself, as an ultimate act of redemption, became incarnate in the person of His Son. That Son, Jesus, came into the world not to condemn it, but to save it. He was rejected, slandered, mocked, tortured and murdered. And God accepted that treatment of His Son as punishment for the very people who murdered Him! Instead of punishment, He offered them total pardon, if they would only believe in that Son, and worship and serve Him alone. Could that possibly be unloving and harsh? How could God have done more?