I remember a discussion while still in seminary, as I was training for pastoral ministry. Our professor posed the question to our small group – “is Jesus the only way to salvation”? There were about 10 people in our group and only two answered, “yes” to that question. The sad thing was that the professor himself denied the exclusivity of Christ. In the years since then I have come to realize that this view is not uncommon among professing Christians. More and more people deny that faith in Jesus is the only way to be saved. This is tragic.

The bible is crystal clear that Jesus is the only way to God and the only way to be saved from sin, death, and hell. I have Christian brothers and sisters who differ on views on baptism and eschatology (last things) and other theological issues. We can agree to disagree on those “secondary” matters. However, this is not in that category. The Scriptures are clear – to deny the exclusivity of Christ is to deny the truthfulness of the Bible. It is another way of casting doubt upon the veracity of the Word of God.

There are plenty of Scriptures that point us to a theology of “Christ alone.” Verses like John 14:6 and Acts 4:12 immediately come to mind, but I would like to focus on Romans 10:13-17 for the remainder of this article.

Paul writes, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us? So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he powerfully makes the case for justification through faith in Christ alone. That is the assumption he brings to this passage. It must be asked, therefore, if Jesus is not the only way, then why support missions? If Jesus is not the only way, then why do evangelism? If Jesus is not the only way, then why not let the lost find some other means of salvation? However, as Paul makes clear, “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

Friends, there is no other way. There is only one way, and that is through Jesus Christ, our Lord. The Bible says, “There is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). That is why the gospel must be proclaimed the world over.

Today I visited the website: www.joshuaproject.net where I learned that out of 17,443 people groups in the world, there are still 7386 unreached people groups. This translates into 3.4 billion people or 42.5% of the world’s population. I praise God that there are thousands of missionaries all over the world working to bring the gospel to the unreached. In many cases, these missionaries labor in countries and environments very hostile to Christianity. Indeed, there is much to be encouraged by, but much work remains.

Again I ask, if Jesus is not the only way, why risk dying for those who have never heard? Would it not make sense to let these people find some “other way” to be saved? But these missionaries know that Jesus is the “only way” to salvation. That is why they press on and “endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Timothy 2:10).

May it be said of us that we did the same. And may the name of Jesus be praised and worshiped among the nations. “Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!” (Psalm 67:5). Amen.

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Rev. Daniel Stegeman serves as pastor of Pine Glen Alliance Church in Lewistown. He blogs at pastoral-theology.com and is the author of “Help! I Want to Be a Loving Husband.”