Three Truths About an Exclusive Gospel

God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

–Romans 5:8

How do you communicate the truth of salvation to people who believe there are multiple ways to heaven? There are three things I say to people who object to the exclusivity of the gospel.

First of all, I say, “Your argument is with the Bible, not with me.” It’s important to point people to what the Bible says about salvation. I remind people of Jesus’s words in John 14:6: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” And Peter’s words in Acts 4:12: “There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” And Paul’s words in Romans 10:9: “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” These verses come from the three most prominent Jews in the New Testament. Jews can’t be saved through Judaism, and Protestants can’t be saved through Protestantism. We can be saved only through faith in Jesus Christ.

Second, “God wants to save as many people as possible, not as few as possible.” That’s the heart of God. Paul wrote, “God our Savior . . . desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3–4). Jesus said about Himself, “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Though not everyone will be saved, it is God’s desire that everyone be saved.

Finally, “The fact that God has provided a way of salvation demonstrates His love, not His hatred.” Imagine you wake in the middle of the night to a blazing fire in your home. You can’t find a way out through all the smoke. Suddenly, a firefighter crashes into your bedroom and says, “Follow me! There’s only one safe path out of here.” Would you accuse the firefighter of being hateful because he said there’s only one way of escape? Of course not! However, it’s not enough to believe that the firefighter is telling the truth–you have to trust him to lead you safely outside. In the same way, it’s not enough to believe that God has provided the way to escape hell–you have to receive the gift of salvation by trusting in Christ to save you from your sins. John 1:12 says, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” Salvation is a gift from God.

Today’s devotion is adapted from “What Every Christian Should Know About Salvation” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2022.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.