Is Jesus the Way?
More Christians than ever are befriending advocates of other religious traditions. And many more Christians are learning about the beliefs in these religions. In light of this, Christians must clarify their claims about salvation.
Summarizing what Christians think about salvation is not simple! Views about salvation vary in the Bible and in the Christian tradition.
“I am the Way”
One of the most poignant biblical passages about salvation comes from John’s gospel. John quotes Jesus saying these words, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (14:6).
Christians have interpreted these words to mean various things. I believe, however, they provide a helpful basis for affirming Jesus as the way of salvation. Explaining in detail what I mean when I affirm that Jesus is the way goes beyond the scope of a blog. It would take at least one book!
I do want to make some general observations on this crucial issue. I hope my observations can help Christians understand the sufficiency of Jesus Christ for salvation, while also making sense of the broader biblical witness about salvation. And I hope to clarify to nonChristians how at least some Christians — especially me — think about salvation.
Jesus, Not Religion, is the Way
Many Christians rightfully distinguish between Jesus being the way and Christianity being the way. The most important theologian of the 20th century, Karl Barth, rightfully distinguished between placing our trust in religion and placing trust in Jesus.
As important as Christianity is as an institution, community, historical trajectory, and set of ideas, we should not equate Christianity with Jesus. As a religion or institution, Christianity sometimes does not reflect well the love of Jesus Christ or the will of God.
Some Are Saved Who Have Never Heard of Jesus
It may surprise some, but the Bible frequently talks about salvation for those who do not know the name of Jesus. For instance, Paul writes:
“When Gentiles, who do not possess the law, do instinctively what the law requires, these, though not having the law, are a law to themselves. They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, to which their own conscience also bears witness; and their conflicting thoughts will accuse or perhaps excuse them on the day when, according to my gospel, God, through Jesus Christ, will judge the secret thoughts of all” (Rm. 2:14-16).
The story of Cornelius being “an upright and God-fearing man” (Acts 10) despite having no knowledge of Jesus seem to illustrate this passage in Romans. This incident prompts Peter to say, “God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him” (34). Peter goes on to proclaim that in Jesus Christ, God sent a message of peace.
Biblical writers regard many who did not know Jesus — especially people in the Old Testament — as saved, righteous, and/or holy. Their salvation does not depend upon their conscious awareness of Jesus.
Prevenient Grace Says God Offers Salvation to All
My Christian tradition – the Wesleyan theological tradition – stresses a view called “the doctrine of prevenient grace.” This idea is derived from the Bible, although the words “prevenient grace” are not found in scripture. It says God acts first and provides the possibility of salvation to all people. If people respond appropriately to God’s empowering and inspiring provision, they can experience salvation.
“The grace of God through Jesus Christ is freely bestowed on all people,” says my denomination’s statement on prevenient grace, “enabling all who will turn from sin to righteousness, believe on Jesus Christ for pardon and cleansing from sin, and follow good works pleasing and acceptable in His sight.”
Given these preliminary comments, I move to my two main points. These two points support my belief that Jesus is the way and that no one comes to the Father except through him.
A helpful and decidedly biblical approach to understanding’s Jesus’ words comes from the Christian creedal confession that Jesus is the “God-man” – both divine and human. Looking at both aspects of this confession brings light to my belief that Jesus is the way.
1. As the Christ, Jesus is the Source of Salvation
As divine, Jesus is the source of salvation. I strongly affirm the oft-repeated idea in the Bible that God alone is the author of salvation. No one can find salvation outside God.
When Jesus says, “I am the way,” we might best interpret this declaration as identifying the divinity of Jesus as the God-human.
Of course, we may not always be aware that God is the source of our salvation. And there are advantages to having that awareness. But all who experience the good life of salvation have God to thank.
2. Imitating Jesus’ Love Provides Salvation
As human, Jesus’ love is the means and purpose of salvation. We cannot find salvation outside love – God’s love for us and our response to God by fulfilling the greatest commands to love God and others as ourselves.
Jesus’ life, words, actions, death, and resurrection proclaim the supremacy of love as the key to salvation. The Apostle Paul says it well: “the only thing that counts is faith working through love” (Gal. 5:6).
This does not mean that our love earns our salvation. God loves us no matter whether we love in response. But we must respond to God’s gift of salvation and live lives of love. If we do not, we cannot experience the good life God wants for us.
A Wesleyan View of Religions
Al Truesdale has written well about how the Wesleyan tradition generally thinks about Christianity in relation to other religions. I want to offer a few quotes from an essay he wrote for the book Postmodern and Wesleyan? Truesdale writes…
“A Wesleyan answer regarding Christianity and other religions contains four elements. First, we affirm the New Testament’s witness to Jesus Christ as God incarnate.”
“Second, we affirm that the promised Spirit of God unfailingly and creatively acts in the world. The Spirit seeks to draw all people to eternal life in Christ and prepares the way for the gospel’s proclamation. We must seek to discern and cultivate the Spirit’s work.”
“Third, we affirm that religions can become vehicles the Holy Spirit uses to draw people to Christ. But religions are at best incomplete anticipations of the fullness of God manifest in Christ.”
“Finally, we Wesleyans abhor mean-spirited opposition to other religions. Instead, we seek to understand and dialogue with those from other religions. We dialogue because we want to serve, not obstruct, the Redeemer’s prevenient work.”
Conclusion
Of course, we both could and should say more about these important issues than what I’ve offered in this blog. But let me simply say that I find the classic Christian view that Jesus is divine and human helpful.
Christians would be wise to remain Christocentric: they should keep Jesus at the center of how they understand salvation. God is the source of salvation, and we experience salvation when we follow Jesus’ example and love.
To the question, “Is Jesus the way?” I answer, “Yes!”
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Comments
Thank you Tom for this post, it is at the core of my concern with a “New” Christianity. Conspicuously absent in your treatment is any mention of the Cross and the Resurrection. These are decidedly Christian tenets which would seem inseparable to the person of Jesus. Perhaps this would be areas best fit for subsequent chapters of the book the blog cannot be, but I would ask; How we could speak of salvation as the participation of God from the Love of Christ without a necessary confrontation with the Cross? A Pew study is mentioned in the December issue of the Christianity Today as pointing out that fewer Christians hold to an exclusivity in Christ with respect to salvation. Another interesting thing that I have watched was a monologue by Julia Sweeny: Getting over God where she wrestles with what she was taught about God to the eventual atheism.
It seems that the embrace of Pluralism can all to easily dismiss away Christ so I think you are correct in stating initially that this is
Thanks for your response, Ron.
I do mention Jesus’ death and resurrection briefly in the blog essay above, but you’re right that I don’t develop their importance.
My failure to do so doesn’t mean I think them unimportant. They are central. And I think many whom I label “New Nazarenes” would agree about their centrality.
My failure to develop the important themes of cross and resurrection is an unfortunate result of trying to keep my comments brief. One of these days I’ll have to develop them by writing a book on these subjects! : )
Thanks again…
I would love to see you write a book on this important subject. Can I pre-order my copy? While I deeply love the church – your reminder that salvation is in Jesus is wonderful to think about. Keep thinking out loud Tom.
Tom,
Thanks for your blog and the subsequent comments about the Cross and Resurrection.
Another example of course is the woman from Samaria in John 4. She starts from her cultural perspective as it pertains to genuine worship, despite her personal track record, but earnestly wants an answer to her search for a meaningful relationship with God.
In Jesus’ response, He notes “the gift of God” (Jn 4:10 NIV) and again when referring to the water He will “give” (4:14). God is willing to offer that gift to anyone who asks. That certainly seems to transcend Christianity, for seeking to know God is global. It is the person of Jesus that makes God known.
Certainly that woman, as did Samaritans in general, had a concept of Messiah from which to start. My question, will we love others enough to know their cultures and “gods” in order to pronounce Christ like Paul did at the Aerogapus for their “unknown god”?
It is at this point the discussion of the Cross and Resurrection becomes important to share.
While I find this a lovely articulation of one way of forming core Christian convictions, I find it unfulfilling and inadequate. Is Christ the only way to the conviction that God is love and that the way to God is by way of love? Hardly. Devotional theism is a common feature in a variety of traditions. Even Pure Land Buddhists can and do affirm that we cannot be saved other than by the compassionate grace of Amida Buddha.
Also, why not radicalize John 14:6? To affirm that Jesus is the Way is to affirm that his way of living life—the cruciform life—is the only way to God. But if so, then only those who live the cruciform life can come to God not merely those who affirm with their lips some conviction in the proposition that Jesus saves.
It would follow then that all those who live the cruciform life—and we would do well to affirm that such a life cannot be lived apart from the empowering grace of the Spirit—are walking in the way to God. But that would surely include a cloud of non-Christian witnesses, bearers of compassion to the world that God loves.
A core Christian conviction: only God can bring us to God. God is not merely the Goal but always also the Way. But this is not only a Christian conviction. To confess that Christ is the way for Christians need in no way rule out the wideness in God’s mercy that insures that God will be the way for others in other ways. All this we can affirm as Christians from looking hard at the love of God disclosed in the Christ.
At any rate, thank you for engaging this vital conversation.
Many emergent writers and Greg Boyd in The Myth of Christian Religion regard religion itself as an enemy of God’s purposes. Much of this attack on religion has focused on Christendom and a post-modern/emergent rejection of it’s distortion of Jesus and his mission. To be consistent, we can not limit a critique of religion just to Christian expressions. Perhaps religions (including the Christian forms)are more a tool of the enemy than God.
Christ’s experience with the Pharisees, Christian history, and experiences on the mission field suggest that the most religious people are the most resistant to the gospel. In both Africa and India the gospel has spread more quickly among the animists than among the Hindus and Moslems.
Do you have any examples where the Holy Spirit has truly used religions to draw people to Christ? Aren’t they far more often a hindrance? How can we engage in a serious critique of the “Christian religion” without extending that critique to all religions? Don’t all religions lead to a spiritual pride that keeps us from humbly accepting grace and gift of Jesus?
Tom, nicely said.
This subject was the subject of my MTh thesis in which I argued for “salvific optimism” because Jesus is the Way. Salvation is never in spite of Jesus but always because of Jesus. I remember Brian McLaren saying that too many Christians quote John 14 with the implication that Jesus “in in the way” of salvation and not the way to salvation. The debate for Christians might be epistemological, regarding what must be known about Christ for our salvation, but should never be ontological. Christians must be unified on the affirmation of Jesus being the way to life.
“A core Christian conviction: only God can bring us to God. God is not merely the Goal but always also the Way. But this is not only a Christian conviction. To confess that Christ is the way for Christians need in no way rule out the wideness in God’s mercy that insures that God will be the way for others in other ways. All this we can affirm as Christians from looking hard at the love of God disclosed in the Christ.” This would be my response as well. I chose the path of Jesus but I believe that there are many paths to God. Others are on a different path and for me only God can and will decide who is in and who is out. I will share my story and the Jesus story to any who would want to listen but there is no way that I would ever tell someone they are on the wrong path.
IMO, the pre-existent Christ/Logos is the only way any person in any faith tradition is convicted of the fact that God is love, and the Christ incarnate in Jesus born, lived a sinless life, died, and resurrected is the only way to full relationship with God, whereas the gift of the Holy Spirit necessarily empowers all people to good works, but acceptance of the Christ is necessary lest we fall short with any of our Cruciform works – no matter how many, and how true they are. Moreover, lest Christians become foolishly arrogant, it is not Christianity that is salvific, but only the Christ .. and we can certainly more of the fullness of Christ in relating well, and favorably with our neighbors be they of other faith traditions or of no faith tradition.
Christ the Wisdom and Power of God
18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”c
20Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.
-1 Corinthians 1:18-25
Thanks to all of you for your helpful comments. One of the joys of writing a blog is learning from the helpful responses. I’m sure if I were to write this post again it would be improved in part thanks to your good comments.
I want to respond briefly to Mark’s questions about religion. I tend to see religions as necessary forms and structures without which we would likely become more disoriented than we already are. But we always face the temptation to idolize the forms and structures at the expense of the Spirit. We must continually beware to resist this temptation, without demonizing the forms and structures themselves. At least that’s how I see things…
Tom, sisters and brothers in the family of God:
Thank you for the many interesting comments.
Just wanted to add a few quotes that have been helpful on my journey of being with God:
“One can be wrong in truth and right in grace.” Late Dr. Joe Davis of SPU.
” God has not asked me to keep the score but only to play the game.
Suggestion for reading “Wideness in God’ Mercy” by Clark Pinnock.
Another quote:“It’s all right to believe certain things just don”t let certain people know you believe them.” – Dr. Joe Davis again.
First, I agree wholeheartedly that Jesus is the way. Second, I also believe in God’s prevenient grace that works with people even before they know anything about Jesus. I think that there are ideas of value in every religion and Christianity is often too hostile toward anything different from itself.
October 12, 2013
I enjoyed reading your blog. Thank you for sharing.
Jesus is the only way! The scripture John 14:6 was one of the scriptures that I heard the night that I gave my life and heart to Jesus and became born again of the Spirit by grace through faith. It resonated with me because I was looking for the truth for some time and felt empty and sinful. I encountered Christ that night at the age of nineteen and was totally washed from all sin in my life. I have been a church girl all my life. Growing up Methodist, I believed in Jesus since I was a little girl. This night in a Nazarene Church, I learned God is a personal God for everyone who would choose Him, and we can know Him! I chose Him that night, and I am grateful for His love, grace, salvation, mercy and blessings.
Word Count 150
I rejoiced as I read this affirmation of the centrality of Jesus for a person’s salvation. Although God may use other religions to bring people closer to Himself, as He uses many other things, without accepting the good news in Christ there is no salvation.
It was a little puzzling, though, to read about the emphasis on the distinction between Jesus and Christianity. It is clear that we are saved by God alone; that the community of believers is not perfect; etc., but still, it is in the context of the Church that God has chosen to bring those seeking salvation. Christianity is built on the teaching of Christ.
Thank you for this short and clarifying blog. I loved the book With Cords of Love: A Wesleyan Response to Religious Pluralism as well. The key with it is that Al never compromises the aspects of the belief that Jesus is the only way. I would affirm the 4 elements of Christianity and other religions. I also affirm that we should never be intolerant to other religions. I appreciate that we should approach all aspects through love, the same love as God’s love for us and all of creation. However, being loving, and affirming and Christ-like, does not in anyway mean watering down or softening the message of Jesus Christ. Paul is a great example. He knew the Gospel was for everyone, he knew that Jesus is the way, but he never pulled any punches and proclaimed God’s love through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I fully agree with prevenient grace and the work of God going before us, speaking to all humanity with our work being to recognize God’s prevenient grace and proclaim the essence of that grace through and in the person of Jesus Christ. I am not sure though, that God’s grace can and does work through all facets of religion. There has to be times when extreme religious practices take a person further from being able to recognize God’s grace. Death, mutilations and practices that represent evil are not grace and far from loving. It is in these that a solid stance on the justice of God against sin will take on the life it needs through the death and resurrection of Christ to give pardon to even the worst sin is important.
Somewhere in this world, the Christian Bible is outlawed. There are children and adults seeking the truth, perhaps in Hinduism, maybe Islam, and they cannot find the relational love they so desire. Missionaries try to share the gospel, but it is dangerous and they do not have enough resources. The fundamental would say “Oh well, they should have stood against their government to find Jesus!” However, is that all Salvation is, a matter of instruction? Is this true, the more we grasp in terms of knowledge the more we are saved? Uhmmm, is this enlightenment theology? I once prayed for hours over this debate, could a person be saved without hearing the “Gospel” for this is an important question for our theology. God calmly and distinctly answered, “let me worry about them!” In short, God has been saving the lost long before Christ (thanks Doc Oord) and long after Pentecost without the help of Paul, Peter, Reverend Billy Graham, you and I. So in short, I do not believe in false Gods, but I believe the Love of God goes beyond our intuitional teachings and human evangelism techniques. Thanks Dr Oord for being diplomatic yet frank.
In light of Oord’s statement: “Christians must reaffirm and clarify their claims about salvation.” History may help to illustrate the importance of friendships with those of other faiths and our clarity and reaffirmation of our beliefs…
Prophet Muhammad’s most memorable encounter with the gospel came through “Bahira” (Sergius), a Nestorian monk in the Syrian Desert in 582 A.D. Tradition accepts Sergius as the monk who influenced and may have even lead the youth Muhammad to Christ. Tradition also records that Sergius cautioned Abu Talib (Muhammad’s uncle) to protect Muhammad from the Jews because he recognised young Muhammad as a potential prophet of God.
I contend it is the same Sergius who later became Bishop of Constantinople (610A.D). It would make sense if a young Sergius (as a monk), was wrestling with the strong Eutychianism which overran the Nestorian Christian community in Najran. Sergius may have shared his thoughts with Muhammad, concerning the deep debate which existed between Eutychianism and Nestorianism. His conclusions would have then been monothelism (singular will), a response which proposed a “happy medium” between two personalities and two natures of Christ. He promoted this when he became Bishop of Constantinople .
The “monothelism” teaching of Sergius may have lead Muhammad to believe Jesus as being completely controlled by the will of God eclipsing His nature and will. It may shed light on Islamic theology’s emphasis on the absolute will of God! It would also then render Jesus as a good man completely under the control of the Supreme will of Allah (God)! The Christianity Muhammad encountered was not that of the established Christian faith but a confused medium between Nestorianism and Eutychianism.
So, Christianity was open to friendship and peaceful dialogue even before the establishment of Islam as we know it. Is it possible that the early church missed its opportunity to influence Muhammad because of its own internal divisions and controversies and a lack of understanding of its own Christological beliefs? Seems to me Prevenient Grace should also be taken seriously as it has the potential to rewrite the future or change history. Ultimately friendships with those of other faiths are vital but so is our Wesleyan, Christian unity and reaffirmation of our own beliefs.
I too affirm that Jesus is the way! But, since Jesus is “fully God” as well as “fully man”, couldn’t we say just as fervently that “God is the way”? Particularly when we think about those who have not heard the gospel and believe that through God’s prevenient grace, salvation might be available to them?
As much as I do affirm the truth that Jesus is the way, I struggle with the notion that billions are doomed to separation from God simply because of where they were born and the community of faith that they were raised in.
I will do my best to proclaim the truth of the gospel that I have experienced, and to lead as many as I can on that path. But that doesn’t mean I don’t hold out hope for Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, etc.
The answer to the question Is Jesus the Way? is really broken down in this blog into two further questions… #1 Is Jesus the only Way? and #2 Is Jesus the means to salvation? It seems to me that the blogger answers #1 in the negative and #2 in the positive. If one can be saved unto God without knowing Jesus, as the blogger suggests, then Jesus is not the only way but, rather, prevenient grace is the Way. Jesus, if I understand the blog correctly, provided the means for grace to flow more extensively.
It’s funny how we have to be reminded to keep Jesus at the centre of our faith because one would think that is such a basic foundation to Christianity that to steer away from that would be (potentially) destructive to nearly all else in Christianity. So often people cling to certain doctrines, moral or political issues, or maybe even specific scriptural passages as the centre of their faith. But our faith is brought to fruition and actuality because of Jesus, and if we do not keep a Christocentric faith than we are not truly living out a Christian faith.
Your article was helpful and it is important to understand how we, as wesleyans, understand who Christ is. Although I think this article is helpful, I think the beginning of the article was a bit overstated. It seems that your statement suggest that christians who are comfortable with other religions have lost sight of their foundation in Christ. I believe even though someone can see potential in other religions does not mean they have lost Christ. I think everyone, not just those who befriend other religions, need to reaffirm Christ. We can lose sight of this in our everyday life.
The discussions surrounding religious pluralism run deep in the fearful veins of modern evangelicalism. When I think about these issues, I consider the person living in a secluded tribe with its own religion and traditions. If this person responds in kind to the light that has been given, to whatever goodness Holy Spirit has revealed though not necessarily Jesus, are they saved? My core reaction is that they would, but theologically this becomes difficult to me. I affirm that Christianity has the soundest explanation for the world, the person of Jesus, and the human condition. It also is most satisfying to me. However, to those who have not been exposed to Christ, I want to say that God’s grace covers them. Then the question changes for me regarding those who have been offered Jesus and the Way but have rejected it in favor of their own religions. It seems to me that this would be a rejection of the full light that had been revealed to them. Although there may be some truths within these other religions, the fuller revelation of truth should move them to a life within Christian community.
I think this discussion is very appropriate and needed within the confines of Christian religion. We so often approach our faith as a religion. We approach our faith as a hope for a better life, a list of rules, and a selfish intent of benefit. This should be discouraged once we come to religion. Religion is said vehicle for sure, but should be used to move towards Christ and a true relationship with him that has not selfish motivations. We are loving and engaging Him because He is the way, not because He is the way we get to Heaven. The love we experience from Him should motivate us to live a “Christian life”, not us living a Christian Life so that we can get to God. Our focus should purely be on Christ and modeling ourselves after Him, and nothing else. Religion is a vehicle, not a means to an end. We move from Religion to a Christ centered faith.
I struggle sometimes to say that Jesus Christ is the only way to God. I know that may sound odd, but I think God is much bigger than we tend to depict God as in the world. I do agree that Jesus Christ death and resurrection on the cross was significant to the purposes of salvation, but I do not see that loving work to be something that does not affect everyone in a way that could not lead all of creation to salvation. This is something that I am processing through in my own life and will continue to do so, but I think you blog has helped me to start rethinking something about the Christian faith in regards to salvation.
It’s always good to be reminded that Christians should be Christocentric. It seems obvious, but it’s not hard to see how often many Christians get too caught up in other aspects of our faith to a point that the focus on Christ is lost. I like the idea (which might not be exactly what is stated in this post) that we don’t necessarily have to say people must have a certain knowledge and understanding of who Jesus is, in order to affirm that Jesus is the means to any salvation that is attained. Also, keeping Christ’s love and grace in mind can help us to remain hopeful and trust that God can work salvation out of any situation.
This is a highly affirming and helpful blog, but I would like to see the Christian Church do a much better job of this. In recent years, it has improved. For instance, a picture that began circulating the Internet during the Arab spring was of Egyptian Christians surrounding praying Muslim protesters to protect them from police violence during prayer. This is the image of the Church that has remained in my mind and the one I wish to pass on to the people I pastor. Wesleyan churches can be expected of nothing less than being radically loving toward peoples of other faiths. If we truly believe in prevenient grace, then we should look toward points of contact and connection rather than hastily jumping toward the areas of divergence.
I am okay with accepting that Jesus is the only way, truth and life as long as it can be understood like Paul understood and that people who don’t even know Jesus can still follow and obey the laws that they know to be true. I’m still not sure how I feel about people of the OT having salvation through Jesus. It makes me a little uncomfortable because the Israelites in the OT and more than likely Jewish people today had no concept of the trinity as Christians claim. What they had to offer was a relationship with God through sacrifices and carrying out the laws of the Lord, amongst other things, and there was no personal savior. It’s easy for Christians today to say that all prophecies led to this God-person that is Jesus Christ, but I don’t think it should be so easy to say that the source of salvation is through the person of Christ. I like the idea behind prevenient grace in that God comes before and offers salvation to all, but I’m pretty sure this wouldn’t have been an entirely acceptable answer for most people living in the OT times, and maybe even today.
Tom,
This is a great explanation of how Christ remains at the center of salvation as opposed to Christianity. Christianity does not equal Jesus, which is not always an idea that is very easy to explain. By placing Jesus at the center of salvation for everyone, including those who lived before him, the idea of salvation becomes more than just a reality for each person living here and now. It is a universal offering of relationship with God as opposed to only those who are “lucky” enough to be born into a situation where they would hear the name of Jesus. Salvation comes from the loving sacrifice Jesus made as opposed to any worldly symbol.
I think that the points that that Tom makes are very important. I know that we all agree that Jesus is the only way to salvation. Can we obstruct the work of God in other’s lives because of our lack of love for others…no matter who they are? If prevenient grace is always calling others toward Him, by our own lack of faithfulness, are we obstructing the work of the Spirit to move among the people because of the way that we treat others? If we are filled with the love of Christ, should that not consume our lives and be reflected in our actions towards others? An additional interesting point that Tom makes that I think correlates with this issue is that Christianity should not be equated with Jesus. We fall into our own denominational views and forget that maybe the lines that we have drawn may not be what Jesus intended if we are excluding others from experiencing Christ.
Tom-
First , I love your clarification regarding Christianity and Jesus. You are right. It is important to recognize Jesus is the way rather than saying Christianity is the way. Christians and Christian institutions have contributed great things – but they have also made some awful and hurtful decisions. We should look to Jesus first.
The concept of prevenient grace is absolutely key when discussing the idea that God could be at work – even in other religions. I loved Truesdale’s words here: “We dialogue because we want to serve, not obstruct, the Redeemer’s prevenient work.”
But are we really dialoguing as much as we could? I am not so sure. This is something I would like to see more of.
Tom,
I think your comment about God’s prevenient grace being at work for all people is critical to how we understand and respond to others of different faiths. Attacking and going on the defensive is not how I believe Jesus would have his followers respond to anyone. We will never compromise the Gospel message, but live it as a light to the world. In this way we can reach others.
God, out of God’s infinite love for us, is at work in our lives before we even recognize our need for God’s love and reconciliation. Before we even realize that we stand separated from God, God’s prevenient grace is flooding our lives and softening our hearts to the wooing of our loving Creator. Even more, this love is not picky – it does not discriminate based on the choices we have made (or have not made) in life. Instead, God’s love is for all; and God’s love for all is so deep, so fierce, that God gave God’s Son in order that we may have a way to God. Even amid all our sin, even with our backs turned to God, the incarnate God lived as a human, suffered as a mortal and died as a criminal so that we may have life everlasting. Our religion cannot save us, but the Author of our faith most certainly can!
Oh, how I love Jesus!
Prevenient Grace is the essential part of partaking in what Christ accomplished on the cross. Without prevenient grace our relationship with God is still separated by sin thus, there is no relationship with the Father without acknowledgement of Christ. I appreciate the Wesleyan approach to understanding Christ as the center of our lives and examining our religion through the lens of Christ. When Christ is our lense to look at the world and decisions that we make daily, it becomes very apparent that without Him we are very lost creations without a purpose.
Tom,
In your blog you make mention of Karl Barth and his idea of the difference between religion and Jesus with regards to salvation. This is important because it is true that church, nor doctrine, nor anything else but Jesus can bring salvation. It is when we lose sight of this and start placing our salvation on other things that we get into trouble. Your second point I found interesting because you mention we cannot find salvation outside of love. When looking at this, I believe you are right in that God is love, and therefore our salvation, our love comes from Him. I have often heard people use the term love, who knows not God or Jesus, and think that if God is love, how can they truly know what it is to love or be loved? Interesting blog on a foundational scripture passage, I enjoyed reading it.
As I was reading this blog I was thinking about Acts 17 where Paul finds an idol to an “unknown god.” I think that this is somewhere along the lines of what we are talking about here. There are people in this world who do not know Jesus, and who have never been given the opportunity to hear the Gospel. There are other people of have been hurt by a perverted version of what people call Christianity. These people may be serving or seeking after him but not be aware of whom they are seeking. They may be following and serving Jesus more than many people who identify themselves as Christians. To some this idea that people may be able to find and serve Jesus outside of “Christianity” may be a reason to not worry about evangelism. To me it encourages me to be like Paul in Athens and inform people about the “unknown God” whom they are serving.
Tom,
Thank you for your thoughts! I loved how you made a distinct difference between Christianity as the way and Jesus as the way. I feel that so many times Christians are wrapped around the logistics of their particular religion and forget that ultimately, Jesus is the only way. As a children’s pastor I have had parents question as to if my curriculum was denomination based. They did not want me to teach out of our denominations theology. I am grateful for the passion they have towards our denomination, at the same time they need to realize that it’s Jesus first, He is the only way.
This blog reminds me of the question I heard in my undergrad, what matters most, to follow doctrine or to follow Jesus?
As you have stated we need to keep our focus on Jesus and the grace, love, and relationship we can have with Him. If we start to get muddled in the other things of our belief systems we might lose sight of Jesus. Although other areas and topics are important when it comes down to the questions of how do we get to heaven or have eternal life the answer is Jesus.
I also think the emphasis on prevenient grace is important when thinking about those who might not encounter God directly. God reveals himself to everyone in different ways. The grace of God does not play favorites but rather is all inclusive for anyone to receive.
I think that this approach is significant. I think that there are many Christians in the world who hear about the possibility of God welcoming people into his kingdom in ways we have not thought possible and hoped that those words could be true. Instead of arguing against Scripture and looking for loopholes, Tom has done the important work of showing how this could all be possible with just a slightly different interpretation of Scripture.
While this blog entry is not an exhaustive work, I do not think that is what most of us need. I think we feel in our hearts that our loving God would not damn so many to hell, but our ideas of theology leave no room for God to work. This entry opens the door for God to have that kind of freedom to love without violating, and perhaps not even being in conflict with, what most of us would consider orthodox Christianity.
Dr. Oord,
I couldn’t agree with you more in this context. I love how over and over you bring the focus back to Christ who is the center of salvation. This has always been a struggle for me with friends I have from other denominations. Sometimes they say that their Christianity or the fact that they are Christians is what brings them Salvation. But I get quite frank with them because I wonder…
“Where is Jesus and God in all of this? And whether what he went through happened for nothing.”
While I doubt they that their intent was to show me that they didn’t affirm that, it was like to an assumption. I think clearly being Christocentric as you have stated in this blog is the way. It is not such much about our religion or faith itself. It is more about keeping Jesus the center and then remembering what it is he did for us. And affirming he didn’t just do it while just human, or just divine. It was a dual characteristic process that held both parts.
I have been a student of the Bible for multiple years now. However, one question that leaves me perplexed every time I think about is, what happened to the souls pre-Jesus Christ era, those in the Old Testament? I, similar to what you stated, would find it appealing that those lives held Jesus Christ as their Savior, but am hesitant because i feel that it slightly dilutes the initial acts of Jesus Christ that resulted in humanity being liberated from the bondage of sins.
A further study is required on my end.
Lately, I have had a lot of questions regarding Jesus’ importance. While I know that he is supposed to be important to my faith and salvation, it’s been difficult for me to understand the practical side of it. I am the person you were talking about in the beginning. I have been learning about other religions and practices, wondering why mine is actually better. This was a great reminder to me that it is important to keep Jesus at the center of my faith. His life as both God and human needs to be central. I am glad I read this, and thankful for the reminder tonight.
When I think about the centrality of Jesus, keeping in mind Karl Barth’s initial emphasis on the correct focus on Christ as Christians, I cannot see how those before him (Barth) associated faith in Christianity. It makes sense that I would understand Jesus as the way, but only because we have been taught it, because of recent theological emergences. I am not sure I understand how someone would believe anything differently when giving significant emphasis on the importance of Christianity. Jesus is the reason for Christianity, how can they not be associated with one another.
Thank you for the reminder that is so frequently forgotten, Jesus Christ is THE WAY to salvation. If we take the Gospel seriously, this is a no-brainer. Frankly, I don’t understand how we could think anything else. I understand that God is BIG and omnipotent, but I also understand the Gospel and the gift Jesus has made possible for all of humanity. John 14:6 says it clearly, there is no other way to the truth and the life. According to the Gospel, Jesus is THE WAY and I think we should take that seriously.
However, I am curious about when you quoted that the Spirit UNFAILINGLY acts in the world. I think that the Spirit is constantly working in the hearts of people and there are people who still reject this calling. I am not sure I want to agree with this. I am still processing these thoughts so I have not decided on anything, I just think it is interesting to think about. Thanks for the post Dr. Oord.
Dr. Oord,
I found it fascinating to read about the distinction of Jesus Christ in terms of Him being the only way in relation to all the religions around the world claiming to be “the” way. In a world flooded with different religions claiming to have it all put together, I find it necessary to be firm in Jesus Christ through faith. I found it quite insightful to the words you said towards the end of this post, “Christians would be wise to remain Christocentric: they should keep Jesus the center of how they understand salvation.”
As someone who did not grow up in the Church of the Nazarene and had no idea what a “Wesleyan” was until I came to NNU, this article was very helpful in better understanding a Wesleyan perspective of Jesus being the way. Many Millennials today struggle with the idea of Jesus being the way, the truth and the life and there being no other name under heaven by which we all can be saved. Before I really began to understand the life,death, and resurrection of Christ I could empathize with the unrest of there being an absolute way or truth in our now post-modern world. But as I learned more about the L, D, and R of Christ I realized there is no better way (although difficult to follow) and there is nothing more true than Jesus.
I wonder how the “moral exemplar” theory of atonement works in regard to this. It seems that it invariably requires knowledge of Christ for the incarnation to be valuable, if indeed the place-taking (on the cross) in the retributive formula proves irrelevant.
One might argue that Jesus’ example started the snowball of human “Christlikeness”. The Early-Victorian (Christian) Atlantic, for example, seems irreplaceable in the creation of modern day philanthropy, though this might have little bearing on the Christlikeness of a young woman living in Pakistan.
There might be a defense in discussing the nature of God->Human revelation regarding the Spirit (and thereby, some form of prevenient grace) as being enabled by the cross, regardless of epistemic access.
I loved that one of the first thoughts mentioned was the difference between Jesus and Christianity. In my eyes, it will do no good for people to leave a religion to follow Christianity. They will come across the same hang-ups and shortcomings. However, If someone were to leave a religion to follow Jesus, that is where healing begins. For any religion can do its best to be all it is supposed to be, but nothing on Earth can replace Jesus himself.
Furthermore, saying that Jesus is ‘the way’ is not saying that Christianity is the only way. There are other religions who see Jesus as the central figure. There are people outside of Christianity who have accepted Jesus as their savior, but simply claim a different denomination. There is absolutely no issue with this, besides, Jesus didn’t have a religion.
Your article has helped me understand what Wesleyans believe on this subject. I fully agree that “Jesus is the way” and the only way to salvation. I believe also that Jesus is fully man and fully God and that he is a God of Prevenient Grace. I do believe that we are given the call to be proactive and spread the word of Jesus’ redemption so as to a means of grace. It is not the religion that gets one into heaven, it is saying sorry to God and believing that Jesus Christ saves your sin and turning your life around to follow Christ. It really is as simple as that. The relationship with Christ is the essential part, not the name of the religion.
I agree with most of what your have pointed out here. I think it is important to understand that Jesus is all we need for salvation, not other works or acts that we do ourselves. He is truly the only way to salvation. It think that today, many Christians get caught up in the legalism of religion and view faith as more of a checklist of things they must do in order to receive salvation. I think that greatly hinders a true and pure relationship with God. It is good to affirm that Jesus is truly the way.
I appreciated the thoughts on the distinction between Jesus and Christianity, and I think that it is important to understand that these are very vital together, but also have important implications. Not only this, but the whole topic on Jesus being “the” way has brought up some thoughts for me. I think that in this world we have a lot of different religions and denominations that claim that theirs is the dominant, and the way to whatever sort of salvation they have. How do we know that Jesus, our “one,” is the one? Regardless of this, I find it vital to hold on to our roots in Christ in the midst of all the other religious circles, and I think that this article does a good job of reminding us what we believe and why.
I very much enjoyed this blog, and it has been greatly enriched by the thoughtful comments. Having attended Northwest Nazarene College (a place I loved) as a non-Nazarene, I did not find this statement to be true: “Finally, we Wesleyans abhor mean-spirited opposition to other religions. Instead, we seek to understand and dialogue with those from other religions…” I grew up going to a variety of churches from Assemblies of God to Baptist to 4 Square to community churches.
It was at college where I often heard of how wrong and strange all these other churches were. I did not encounter this fierce openness mentioned here.
In what was radical declaration of Jesus to say, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” has been central to the argument against exclusivism. Yet, as you so wisely pointed out Christianity does not have all the answers, but God/Jesus does. Christians, myself included, need to correctly re-examine our course on this. Though we do not have the answers, we do follow the One that does. Not only does this take the eyes of others off of Christianity, it directs them towards God. Why does some of the world have a bad taste lingering in their mouth from Christianity? It is because it is full of humans. In this essence we can begin to see part of the truth found in the proverb to lean on God and not on our own understanding. How radical could that be in our world today?
Thanks for the great clarification, contrasting Christianity and Jesus.
I appreciate the way your blog entry kind of “nut shells” Truesdale’s book regarding a response to pluralism. Your interpretation offers a simple yet profound system for talking about what we believe/teach through a Wesleyan lens. I especially appreciate the statement, “We cannot find salvation outside love – God’s love for us and our response to God by fulfilling the greatest commands to love God and others as ourselves.” How long the church has attempted to find salvation and hope for love. Instead, salvation is found inside of love.
Great post! I much appreciated the portion near the end related to the work of the prevenient grace of God at work in our pluralistic world. It was interesting how you stated that “religions can become vehicles the Holy Spirit uses to draw people to Christ.” By stating “religions can become” a means of salvation assumes they may not. Some might take issue with including religions other than Christianity as a means for salvation through Christ. In addition, some might also take issue with including subgroups of Christianity such as Catholic, Anglican, or Protestant as a means for salvation through Christ. In your blog, you made it clear in various ways that it in Jesus, not religious systems, salvation is found. I am excited to see how the Church lives missionally in an effort to “discern and cultivate” the work of prevenient grace in our world.
It is amazing how sometimes Christians have gotten in their own way when it comes to sharing the good news of Jesus. To use the scripture from John, sometimes it seems as if Christians believe that , “I am the way the truth and the life and nobody comes to the Father except through the Christian church. So, Dr. Oord, I love the way you and Truesdale’s book share in the fact of Jesus being the way and that through God’s prevenient grace He can use other religions to spread this grace. Truesdale’s book spoke of God using other religions that shared in the characteristics of God being the ones that His grace can be seen, as he mentioned as well those religions that went against God’s attributes and character would not be avenues of God’s grace. This again I believe points to the fact that religion is not the way, but as this blog states Jesus is the way. Thanks for these words Dr Oord.
In this blog you mentioned, and affirm your thoughts in regards to Jesus being the only way. After reading the book, “Cords of Love,” it is important to understand the role of the Holy Spirit in regards to prevenient grace in others lives, and even within other religions. Having this new found understanding has helped me to move past my own prejudices, and presuppositions in order to better engage our pluralistic society. Being able to see Jesus as both fully divine, yet fully human I think is critical to keeping one’s focus stay Christocentric when thinking of their salvation and of others as well. I love what you wrote in the blog about Wesleyan’s should be willing to dialogue other religious followers in order to better serve without obstructing the work of the Redeemer’s prevenient work. In other words, we don’t get to choose sides, we simply choose Jesus as being the only way.
I think what is interesting in Truesdale’s four elements for a Wesleyan answer is that some have recently-historically neglected, at least in this view, the last two.
We don’t seem to have too much problem affirm Jesus as God incarnate. And I think that, while maybe lacking some robustness, most who affiliate as Wesleyans would “affirm that the promised Spirit of God unfailingly and creatively acts in the world” and that “We must seek to discern and cultivate the Spirit’s work.”
But affirming that religions others than Christianity (what exactly *is* “Christianity”? rarely is asked) can be used by Holy Spirit, or that Christianity is also an “incomplete anticipation of the fullness of God manifest in Christ”, is not something that has been readily acknowledged. And finally, I would say there has been a great deal of “mean-spirited opposition to other religions – both those outside Christianity and the various groups within.
I think the pattern that begins to emerge here is one of a decent (yet incomplete) understanding of our theological viewpoint, but a lack of understanding of how to properly live out that understanding – what does this actually *mean* for how we live, love, and interact with others? I have to look at myself first, no question – but I think on the whole it has been the application/putting it into action that has often been missing.
Dr. Oord,
You said, “…Spirit of God unfailingly and creatively acts in the world.” I love this thought. Somehow we have reduced the creativity of God to four walls and an institution. As a pastor, I often question at the end of the week, is this really what God has in mind?—graphics, board meetings, programs, fielding complaints about music and lights, church and more church. Is this what it means to be Christian or a follower of Jesus? Doesn’t feel very life giving or creative at times. But then I find myself in front of a student, a small group member and countless people throughout the week. As we enter into conversation I hear stories of one person investing in kids with learning disabilities, another forgiving an absentee father, a student inviting his atheist and agnostic friends for a time of dialogue, etc. I then realize it is the churches retelling of God’s story in Jesus that we practice and embody the narrative of love. Not only do we serve a God who creates and creatively acts, but a God who creates image bearers creatively acting for his redemptive purposes. I’m always amazed at what God can do with his people when they keep Jesus at the center.
Grace & Peace,
Brad Thompson
Thanks, Dr. Oord for these thoughts on “Is Jesus the way?”. I see the issue in the current Christian church is our understanding of “salvation”. If you would quiz churchgoers and even pastors about what “salvation” means, many will allude to a salvation from sin and hell, meaning salvation from the sinful state all humans find ourselves in, and to eternal bliss in heaven. The part that we are missing, and is becoming my full belief, is that salvation has nothing to do with afterlife, but more for this life. When one is confronted with our own selfish and “sinful” ways of life and desires and starts becoming a person whose life centers on love of God and others, salvation is achieved as well as continues to play out throughout a person’s life. The “way” of Jesus, is the way of salvation. When one, perhaps from a different culture, also has this type of experience and is ushered into living life differently, out of love, salvation experienced here as well. Jesus is followed even when “Jesus” is not uttered…the “way” of Jesus is fleshed out and salvation experienced.
Thank you for your blog comments and the call to consider whether we have made “I am the way, the truth, and the life” into a tool used for unintended exclusivism. I am not sure what the draw of such a narrow position really is anyway. Are Christians wanting less people in the club? Are they projecting that they want more people isolated from God forever? You mention the passages in Romans and Acts that discuss this subject of righteousness imputed without Jesus being present. Could it be that the many countless millions who had no chance to find Jesus as the way in this present life could find him in the next? Either way, salvation is for the Lord to determine, and we need to trust that an all-wise and just God does not condemn people who had the bad luck to be born at a time when they wouldn’t hear the name of Jesus.
Prof. Oord,
This was a great post. Thank you for sharing it. Jesus is the way and only through him we can find salvation. I think the biggest struggle for Christians is the question will God save those who have not explicitly accepted him/done the prayer of salvation? The answer for me is yes. This does not make Jesus less the way. His grace is offer to all humanity because he wants all humanity to be saved, and through his grace people can still find salvation. I have more problems with a God who does not offer opportunity for salvation those who have never heard the gospel, then a God who saves those who are accepting his grace, outside the church.
However, determining who will be saved or not is not our responsibility. Our responsibility is to be Christ because only in him people can experience salvation, and only in the context of the community of the believers, they can fully experience salvation in this world.
I would like to firstly take this opportunity to thank you Dr. Oord for your elaboration and the authentic statement that, Jesus is the Way to God the Father. In as much as we respect other religions, I think we have a reason to celebrate and affirm that, our trust and upholding Jesus as Lord and savior stands undoubtedly as a Way to God the Father. We have a story to tell the world without any apology until all have heard.
I also appreciate your statement or comment you made on those who never had opportunity to hear the Gospel and yet lived an upright life. I feel as Christians we should be careful and never to be judgmental but leave such situations in the hands of God. The examples you gave helps us to think critically about the prevenient grace of God even before Christ came in to this world. To that, effect, we can not totally claim that, only Christians will be saved. If that is the case, what about those who lived in the Old Testament Biblical times and though they had no opportunity to see Jesus, they were accredited as righteousness, because they had faith in God? Thanks again for sharing the blog.
Frank
Karl Barth would get an applause in many churches by saying that Jesus is the way, not Christianity, but many of those same people would function the opposite. Culture is a difficult thing to look past, and church has become, for many, the center of existence. The name of Jesus may be praised with the lips, but the actions of believers reject Jesus when serving him requires their moving out from the familiar.
Jesus is evident in every culture and has been evident in every culture. The question I have always asked myself is, “What about the Native Americans prior to the introduction of Europeans?” It would not be possible for them to know the name of Jesus nor be familiar with church culture.
Jesus is the power of God for the Salvation of everyone who believes and we desire to know more about God as we get to know him. Knowledge of God, however, is not a requirement. If it was we would have to determine how much knowledge was necessary for salvation, but that would put the means of salvation on humanity, at least partially.
As I read this post and the comments of those that have read this blog there have been a myriad of thoughts go through my head. However, the biggest question is how can we have Christianity with out Christ, and how can we have Christ without Christianity. I simply do not believe that prevenient grace works the way that several have said that it does. Yes, love wins. However, it does not win in the sense that Rob Bell assumes that it does. Love wins in the fact that God and his sovereignty will prevail in the end. Those that have made the choice to accept Christ will find life everlasting. Unfortunately, this means that those who have not chosen Christ will be judged accordingly. Prevenient grace is not the same as salvation, but it does open the way for us to find salvation when we make Jesus the lord of our lives.
“The story of Cornelius being “an upright and God-fearing man” (Acts 10) despite having no knowledge of Jesus is important.” I disagree with this statement. In fact, Scripture indicates that Cornelius indeed have knowledge of Jesus Christ. Acts 10:37-38 reads, “You KNOW was has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached – how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing food and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” (NIV) I find it difficult to believe that a centurion had no idea about the events that took place surrounding Jesus’ death. Cornelius knowing about Jesus does not take away from prevenient grace but rather also shows prevenient grace in action and Jesus being the only way to salvation.
Cornelius should serve as an example that one can have a knowledge of Jesus Christ without experiencing the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Although he devoutly served God and had a prayer life, verse 2, he still needed to be saved. Peter serves as our example why we need to be in prayer, be missional minded, and obedient. Had Peter denied the Lord’s calling to go and give testimony of his personal witness with Christ. Who knows what would have happened to Cornelius but Peter would have been guilty of following religion.
You mention Barth’s comments about the difference between placing our trust in religion (Christianity), and placing our trust in Christ. I can remember in my early days as a Christian (I came to faith as a teenager) hearing some people – let’s say they represented many in evangelical Protestantism – who would condemn Catholic liturgy as a sign that their adherents were putting their faith in religion instead of Christ. Yet I can also distinctly recall some of the same people declaring we must give a strict adherence to a three step plan and a “sinner’s prayer” in order to be sure someone was “saved.” Hmm…..
What comes to mind in Barth’s comments are Jesus’ own words that there will be many who come to him calling him Lord, professing their religious deeds and Jesus will say to them, “I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:22-23)
However, as you point out, there will be those who in good conscience are practicing their faith – even without knowing Jesus – and they will be deemed righteous. Truesdale’s discussion about the difference between the faith of a servant and the faith of a son is an excellent treatment of this (“With Chords of Love,” the sections called “Prevenient Grace and Evangelical Conversion” and “Salvation For Those in Other Religions?”, pages 148-152).
Dr. Oord,
Thank you for your important dialogue as this question is and will always be around in a pluralistic world. Obviously the view that one takes depends on if they have experienced a relationship with Jesus or if they are still strangers to Him. Is Jesus the way? Christians who answer yes are often labeled arrogant or ignorant in today’s world. Most Non-Christian religions have a process that humanity has to go through and if they are willing to go through it then they increase their chances “to some type of enteral life”. A process cannot love, lift up, give value or restore a person. But a relationship can offer love, lift up, give value and restore a person. The salvation promised by Jesus is not based on a process but on a relationship with God through the person of Jesus. Can God use the process of other religions to reach out to people in a revelatory manner? Yes He can and this is where Prevenient Grace truly is a primary necessity for salvation. The work of prevenient grace makes two possibilities, the first that should a person die without knowing Christ then he/she would have been judged though his/her general universal knowledge of God and his/her righteous acts based upon that knowledge. The second part was that it lays the foundation for when the Gospel is presented to the listener (non-Christian) to make the decision for Christ. It will still be Christ who will judge who enters into the Kingdom of God.
I like the pairing of Jesus’ love as a means and purpose for salvation with Al Truesdale’s statement about not being mean-spirited. I think Wesleyans could set themselves apart if they were to engage in loving dialogue more often. If we truly believe that prevenient grace is true, we should have no problem in this engagement. We should be hopeful that the Holy Spirit has already gone ahead and is moving in other religions to open these people to Him. As Truesdale mentions, our dialogue can be in work with the Holy Spirit, and should not oppose it. Many who enter into discussion only to prove their point, miss out on the gift of prevenient grace.
Dr. Oord, I really appreciated this blog because, even though it is a summary and not a book, it did answer nicely from a bird’s eye view of the question of Jesus as the way to salvation. I appreciated that you distinguished Christianity from Jesus at both points from the institution as well as the religion and I loved Truesdale’s input that people can find Jesus in other religions but they are incomplete. For so long we have drawn boundaries as to who can be forgiven, who wants to be forgiven, and then what they have to look like and do afterwards – but the focus is all on what we think and what we want and not the supremacy and grace of God.
I also really appreciate the strong Wesleyan view that Truesdale points out in his summary that we “abhor mean-spirited opposition to other religions.” I think it’s so valuable to point out that just because someone doesn’t believe what we believe does not give us, or anyone, the right to deface what God has placed His image into and if we are to love God, then we are to love people.
I guess my only question for clarification would be when you said, “If people respond appropriately to God’s empowering and inspiring provision, they experience salvation.” What would you define as an “appropriate” response?
I appreciated the discussion about how the Wesleyan perspective does not choose to be mean and unkind to those in other religious faiths but chooses in stead to serve them. Asking questions in love seems to get a better response. This is a counseling strategy actually! Trying to understand and then ask questions to clarify helps people think on things differently. That person does all the work. We just ask questions! I believe that this is a really good way to engage people who see the world differently. And lets be honest we all see the world a bit differently don’t we?
Thank you so much for the story of Cornelius as an example. When Al stated, ““Finally, we Wesleyans abhor mean-spirited opposition to other religions. Instead, we seek to understand and dialogue with those from other religions. We dialogue because we want to serve, not obstruct, the Redeemer’s prevenient work.” I felt like it all came together for me from his book and the blog post. After reading Truest’s book, I asked a friend of mine who identifies himself as an agnostic to do a Bible study with me. I said I wasn’t trying to recruit him or baptize him but I wanted to see Scripture through his eyes. He actually agreed and I fully expect for God’s Spirit to work in both of us as we try to see things from other side.
Jesus is the way! I think in this day too many people view the title Christian in a negative light. Many people who identify as Christian do so because they feel they are a good person and they believe there is a God. There is no relationship or transformation. I recently went to a teen retreat where the speaker said that instead of identifying yourself or other as Christians we should use the title, the one Jesus loves. When we look at everyone including ourselves as the one Jesus loves we share his story much differently.
Good article Dr. Oord!….
Good article Dr. Oord!
Are our pastors telling us the truth?
Are Christian pastors honest with their congregations regarding the evidence for the Resurrection? Is there really a “mountain of evidence” for the Resurrection as our pastors claim or is the belief in the Resurrection based on nothing more than assumptions, second century hearsay, superstitions, and giant leaps of faith?
You MUST read this Christian pastor’s defense of the Resurrection and a review by one of his former parishioners, a man who lost his faith and is now a nonbeliever primarily due to the lack of good evidence for the Resurrection:
-A Review of LCMS Pastor John Bombaro’s Defense of the Resurrection-
(copy and paste this article title into your browser to find and read this fascinating review of the evidence for the Resurrection)
I am constantly telling my students that “It’s not about about religion. It’s always been about relationship.” At the beginning, center, and end of that relationship is God pouring out love on creation. Humankind’s response has often been to try to bottle up and form that relationship into something more tangible and controllable. We miss the point of Jesus, his birth, life, death and resurrection, when we focus on the exterior components instead of the outpouring of love. Religious and other wars have abounded as a result of people trying to impose their understanding and will on others. The only time we will find rest from this is when we find Christ at the center, not of a religious attempt, but instead through a relational encounter that forever changes our identity and approach to how we interact with God and others.
Placing our trust in religion will undoubtedly fail us. For Christians living in a pluralistic world the difficult part can be sharing our faith without offending people or pushing them away. Thankfully, we can be confident that God’s prevenient grace is at work despite our shortcomings. It’s also important, in many parts of the world, to share with people that Jesus is the way and Christianity isn’t, just as Karl Barth suggested. It’s unfortunate that our shortcomings as Christians have shown people that Christianity isn’t something that they want. But if we can show them that Jesus is something that they want, then that is the all that truly matters.
Interesting read. The topic of religion vs. Jesus is an important one. If we could live out Christianity the way God desires, then it would naturally lead people to Christ and his salvation. The problem is humans have a way of messing things up.
When I tell people that I’m not a religious person and they know I’m a pastor, they get confused. We must have a relationship with Jesus Christ in order to gain access to the Father. There is no other way. Religion is never going to get one there, in fact, as history reveals, religion has kept many from God. We must live how Jesus showed us, seeking ways to express God’s love daily in the name of Jesus Christ.
Blog response:
“Finally, we Wesleyans abhor mean-spirited opposition to other religions. Instead, we seek to understand and dialogue with those from other religions. We dialogue because we want to serve, not obstruct, the Redeemer’s prevenient work.”
We should not be afraid to preach the Gospel in this world; however, we must do it with gentleness, so our attitude does not cloud the message. We love and care for people whom we want to know Christ. In light of this, we should respect others and expose Christian beliefs not to crush people, but to bring them to life. Nevertheless, the community of believers needs to be open to learning about the world of the people they are serving among. They need to be sensitive in recognizing that the cultures of nonbelievers may reflect, in many ways, longings that will find their fulfillment in Christ. Christians should be careful not to “impose” the truth of their faith in their ministry of proclamation. Instead, they should be open to listening to people’s presuppositions and then share the story of Christian faith. In my opinion, believers should not want to have an exclusive demonstration of arguments with people, but conversations that will help the communication process between those who hold different worldviews.
There is a lot here to digest. I am in full agreement that Jesus is the way. I find it helpful to consider how his divinity and humanity help clarify what that means to those who follow him. Additionally, I am encouraged by the trend among Jesus followers to call others to focus on and come into relationship with Jesus, not the Christian religion. This is crucial in our disciple-making mission. The more we call people to follow the Jesus of the gospels, the more the Church will authentically be the Church.
I, too, am from the Wesleyan tradition. I firmly believe that the salvation Jesus offers as The Way is for all. I have to do some more thinking about whether or not merely Imitating Jesus’ Love Provides Salvation or not, or whether there are is salvation for those who don’t know the name of Jesus . My gut (conditioned?) response is to say that I disagree. However, I’ve learned lately that just because I haven’t previously thought of something in a certain light, that doesn’t mean it is untrue.
I am totally in line with Truesdale’s thoughts on our relationship with and approach toward people of other religions. Especially in these days when many people in our country (and of our faith) are not acting lovingly toward people of other religions, the Church can really be a beacon on a hill (and, potentially many will follow The Way) if we can get this right.
Dr. Odor thank you for your thoughts and an issue that not only Christians wrestle with but probably something all faith’s wrestle with in some respect. You make mention of as “Christ, Jesus is the source of salvation”. This of course means you are admitting that Christ is the place where salvation is found but it is not where it begins. If salvation begins with God and God has made Christ the source then it would seem that without Christ being present salvation is impossible. Do you agree with that? Your blog seems to imply that although you admit that Christ is the source of salvation that for those not able to know Christ that prevenient grace can offer an implication of the salvation found in Christ.
Also, your whole emphasis is in on the love of Christ as the source and then our response to that love. Yet there does not seem to be any mention of the recognition of guilty and the need to seek forgiveness. Is this not a necessity and is too much emphasis put on accepting or recognizing our guilt and then seeking forgiveness? I would have to say that people who never have the opportunity to know Christ and yet live a life of righteousness within the scope of their given knowledge probably never deal with the aspect of guilty and forgiveness in their relationship with God.
I have always seemed to have a rebellious nature towards the institution of the church since I was a young boy. There is something that irks me about a man-made and directed body that claims authority over others. So many people have been hurt or banished from knowing Christ because of our set rules and guidelines rather than embracing the true gospel of Christ. Because I know God is bigger than the Spanish Inquisition or the Crusades, I know there is hope in salvation outside of the church. Jesus is the way and yet we must come to an understanding that “the way” may not look like attending Sunday mornings or confessing creeds. I do believe there is a relative and personal component to salvation, but the vehicle of how one gets there is far bigger than my Sunday morning sermon or Wednesday night youth group.
“God is the source of salvation, and we experience salvation when we follow Jesus” I believe in the distinctive diversity of understandings of what it actually means to follow Jesus is where the true heart of the matter lies here. We can easily agree as Christians that God is the source of salvation but the infighting begins in our definition of “following”. I enjoyed your focus on the realities of the love of Christ playing out in our own lives as the evidence of our following and therefore enjoying the realities of salvation, or restored to the life God desires for all people.
When we begin to see and define salvation as anything other than living in the realities of His love we objectify something that truly cannot be. I also appreciate your attention to the reality that the scriptures are not as concise as we like to think when it comes to defining salvation. We like things neat and tidy don’t we. Say this prayer, do this or that and viola, eternal life for you! How much more challenging it is to determine to live a life of love than to utter a sentence prayer.
The answer here seems obvious, at least to me. But to others of different religions it might not be as obvious. Like stated in this blog post, we must first recognize that Christianity is not the way, Jesus. If we places our trust in a formalized institution our faith will become religious and not productive. We see in many churches today that a lot of people have fallen into the religious rhythm of Christianity and lose step with actually following the leading of Jesus.
Another thing that I found interesting in this blog posting was the idea that people could possibly come to salvation without actually hearing the name of Jesus and knowing the Gospel story. This is something that I am not sure I agree with 100% but I will definitely be doing more study on this.
The last thing I want to draw on from here is the final point under “A Wesleyan View of Religion.” I think that it is great that the Wesleyan tradition takes learning about other religions so seriously. I believe that this is important because we need to listen to others have to say before we can expect them to listen to what we have to say.
Tom, I enjoy your blog. For some reason it remind me when I was in Mexico about enter a home church when this Baptist preacher grab my arm and told not to go in and say I’m glad I’m Nazarene. I guess he thought we believe that our church save.