You’ve heard the over-arching social rule of the day ad nauseum: Don’t judge. Here’s the irony – today’s religious “tolerance” paves the way for judgmentalism of the worst kind.
That’s because we have judged the truth itself — and found it wanting.
In doing so, we have judged Jesus and found him wanting.
Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but through me.” – John 14:6
He said, “Before Abraham was, I Am,” thus claiming equality to God and infuriating the religious leaders of his day.
Jesus still upsets religious people, including those who call themselves “spiritual, but not religious.”
When Jesus walked the earth, the issue was whether the Jews would see past their traditions, rules and blind spots to accept him as their Messiah. Today, we have a whole new set of traditions, rules and blind spots.
Our syncretist, smorgasbord approach to spirituality doesn’t leave much room for exclusive claims.
No, we are far more comfortable with a Jesus who is one of many ways to God, a Jesus who goes by other names like Buddha or Krishna, a Jesus who is just a nice, manageable human teacher from whose teachings we are free to pick and choose.
It’s okay to stitch a patch of Jesus onto our multi-hued quilt of spirituality. It’s okay to mention that he talked about love.
But talk about him as Lord and Savior, the only one worthy of our worship?
You’ll be looked upon with smug or pitying condescension by those who are proud of their artful collage of worldviews.
You’ll be judged. But so what?
Here’s what the apostle Paul had to say:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” – Romans 1:16
Boom. That’s the attitude I want.
Truth stands on its own merits. It has nothing to fear, nothing to hide, and nothing to apologize for.
It is what it is, and neither personal preference nor offense can change that.
So I am compelled to share the truth of the gospel, no matter if others judge me. The stakes are just too high.
It’s like this: Imagine there’s a swift, wide, dangerous river that every person must cross in order to escape death and reach safe shores.
Good news – there’s a boat! This boat — and this boat only — is guaranteed to offer safe passage to anyone in the world who gets on it.
Some gladly jump on board. Others get offended.
“What about these other boats?” they complain. “What makes this boat so special? They all go to the same place.”
But alas … no other boat is equipped to make the journey. The others go the wrong direction. They leak. They sink. Their passengers are lost.
There is only one way to gain eternal life — through accepting Christ’s sacrifice for our sins.
Only one boat will get you there – but everyone is invited onto the boat!
Everyone.
That’s the exclusive/inclusive truth, and I’m not ashamed of it.
In Why Jesus, Dr. Ravi Zacharias says, “In the end, truth will triumph. To sound grand and magnanimous by saying ‘I accept all religions’ is actually to either violate them all, or violate reason, or both.”
Syncretism appeals to our pride, but it won’t get people where they need to go.
Let’s speak the truth, unashamed.
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