7 Ways the Particularity of Scripture Underlines the Exclusivity of Christ

The Particularity of Scripture Calls Us: Christ Is the Solely Means

I just lately encountered once more a standard bumper sticker: “Co-exist.” Twenty-first-century philosophical pluralism meets the American bumper sticker. Drivers with this bumper sticker might merely be urging folks from all ethnicities, cultures, nations, and religions to narrate to 1 one other with civility, kindness, and love. If that’s the case, as Christians we heartily agree. In any case, we observe a Lord who taught and demonstrated love for the outsider, even enemies. However my suspicion is that many affix the “co-exist” bumper sticker on their automobiles to evangelise the gospel of philosophical pluralism (which rejects any notion {that a} explicit ideological or non secular declare is intrinsically superior to a different).

In such a context, it’s arduous for a lot of to listen to the phrases of Jesus when he boldly asserts: “I’m the way in which, and the reality, and the life. Nobody involves the Father besides by way of me” (John 14:6). Many are appalled at Jesus’s declaration that he’s the one manner. However those that settle for biblical authority discover his assertion to face firmly within the broader biblical story and worldview. In a number of overarching methods, the particularity of Scripture underlines the particularity of Christ.¹

First, Christ as the one manner is grounded on the biblical instructing that there’s just one God, the triune God of the Previous and New Testaments, who’s Creator, Lord, and Decide. If there have been multiple God, there would probably be multiple option to the gods. However the particularity of God factors to the particularity of how God is understood, adopted, or embraced.

Second, Christ as the one manner is grounded on the biblical instructing that the one true and dwelling God has communicated with humanity. He has communicated actually, even when not exhaustively; and people can perceive, even when partially, who he’s and relate to him. If fact had been merely subjective and never rooted in God or everlasting realities, then claims to exclusivity can be a stretch. But when the one true God graciously reveals himself to us, then in search of to know and observe that revelation shouldn’t be vanity however humility and faithfulness.

Third, that every one of us are sinners, fall in need of God’s glory, and stand responsible earlier than God additionally shapes how we view this subject. The biblical instructing on that is unambiguous: we can’t be our personal option to salvation by being honest, good, good, or nice.

Fourth, that Christ is the one manner flows from the biblical instructing that God is the covenant Lord who determines if and the way he’ll relate to people. He freely and graciously units the phrases of the covenant; he freely and graciously units forth if and the way he’ll forgive, justify, undertake, reconcile, redeem, or save sinners. Thus, not solely can we people not be our personal option to salvation; we additionally can’t devise our personal manner.

Fifth, and really a lot associated to the final level, Christ as the one manner rests on the essential fact that Jesus alone is ready to function the Savior. Because the absolutely divine and absolutely human mediator, he’s uniquely capable of save. Because the sinless and obedient second Adam, he’s uniquely capable of signify us. Because the obedient Son and the substitutionary sacrifice for our sins, he’s uniquely capable of forgive us. Because the resurrected one, the firstborn from the useless, he’s uniquely capable of give us new life. Thus, Christ is the one manner due to his uniqueness. Many individuals died on crosses, however none however Jesus may save.

Sixth, Christ is the one manner within the sense of being the distinctive Savior. And Christ is the one manner within the sense that religion in Christ is the one option to obtain the advantages of his saving work. The advantages of Christ’s saving work don’t circulate to us by way of our good works, non secular scrupulousness, or relational sincerity. Salvation comes solely by way of Christ’s work, by grace by way of religion. That Jesus is the thing of our religion highlights his uniqueness, particularly his deity (final religion in somebody apart from God is idolatry) and utter worthiness. Certainly, that Christ saves by way of religion underlines each his sufficiency and our dependency, and each glorifies him because the giver and advantages us because the recipients.

Salvation comes solely by way of Christ’s work, by grace by way of religion.

Seventh, that Christ is the one option to salvation additionally assumes that those that should not have religion in Jesus are on one other path, and never the one to salvation. All of us have sinned and fallen in need of God’s glory. And all are justly condemned and punished by God. Fortunately, many embrace Jesus as Lord and can obtain the blessings he has gained for them. Sadly, many don’t and won’t observe Jesus; and Jesus will consign them to hell, a spot of punishment, banishment, and everlasting demise.

Perhaps framing these things in reverse can be useful: if different methods of salvation existed other than Christ, what may they be or the place may they arrive from?

• May different gods convey such salvation, nevertheless the gods and salvation could be outlined?
• May we people change into good, non secular, honest, and so forth, and thereby change into our personal manner?
• May we devise our personal manner?
• May there be one thing or another person moreover Jesus who may accomplish this for us?
• May one thing apart from religion in Jesus be the means to obtain the advantages of his saving work?
• May individuals who don’t observe Jesus in some way obtain salvation anyway?
• Or may the query be dismissed out of hand because of a scarcity of any actual, goal fact?

Apparently, the biblical portrait disrupts every of those potentialities and asserts that Christ is the one manner. It does so by pointing to the oneness of God, the truth of goal fact, the universality of human sin, the character of God’s covenant lordship, the distinctiveness of Christ, the need of religion in Christ, and the horror of hell.

As the one option to salvation, Jesus is worthy of our love, belief, and worship. He’s additionally worthy of our gospel witness. Could our recognition of Jesus’s uniqueness burden our hearts for the misplaced and stir our toes to take the excellent news about him to our universities and thru them to the nations.

This text is by Christopher Morgan and is customized from Confident Witness: Evangelism and Apologetics for the 21st Century edited by David Dockery.

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