Many critics have maintained that Christians that maintain that Jesus is the only way are exclusive and arrogant. To maintain this, one must say the same of Jesus Christ, as He also maintained exclusivity by His teaching. I will be the first to admit there are professing Christians who are arrogant, but this is not synonymous with exclusivity. Let me give you two illustrations.
- If I believe stepping in front of a truck driving at highway speed would greatly injure or kill me, it would be unfair to ascribe the character attribute of timidity to me. I may or may not be timid, but because of my belief system, is why I act the way I do. Their are only two ways to get me to step in front of that truck. One is to change my belief system, and the other is to have me not care about the value of my life. Likewise the only way an adamant follower of Christ can say other ways (religions or beliefs) are okay, is to either convince him Christ didn’t say what He did or meant something different, or to have him no longer care about following Christ.
- If at my high school, I decide to form a club of blond-haired, left-handed, sandwich eaters, it is not arrogant to not allow persons that are right handed, black-haired, or do not eat sandwiches to not be part of the club. As soon as I allow them to be part of the club it is no longer a blond-haired, left-handed, sandwich eating club. Now the key point here is Christians (little Christs) did not start the club or define the rules, Jesus Christ did, and they are only trying to follow Him as best they know how.
In areas of religion, and moral lifestyle issues e.g. homosexuality, Christians are not necessarily arrogant. In fact many of them, have even come from the same or similar situations. It is not that they do not love these people, but that because of their love and belief system, they believe the only way to eternal life is by forsaking our sin, our way, and turning to Jesus. For this reason, back to illustration #1, as long as they believe this, it would be actually very unloving and inconsistent for them to not care, and warn the sinner to turn from His wicked ways to the living Jesus, so he can be changed.
Down through time, and even in many countries today, history records that though these people live quietly in the land and are good members of society, yet because of their belief they have suffered horribly and been killed. Why do people do this? I believe the best answer is in Romans 1:28 “They did not like to retain God in their knowledge.” They have rejected the question of Lordship. My friend how about you, have you answered the question of Lordship?
