Christianity: Inclusive Exclusivity

Have you ever wondered why Scripture makes such an exclusive claim—that Jesus Christ is the only way to God—yet at the same time offers an invitation so wonderfully inclusive that absolutely anyone may come? In a culture that views absolute truth with suspicion, the words of Jesus in John 14:6 can be difficult to accept: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." At first glance, this may sound like a closed door. But what if we have misunderstood the heart of this claim? What if the very exclusivity of Jesus is what makes the invitation of the gospel so remarkably inclusive?

The beautiful truth is that the gospel doesn't divide people into those who are good enough and those who aren't. It begins with a humbling reality: that we are all sinners, equally in need of God's grace. Our background, accomplishments, morality, education, or social standing cannot make us right with God. Nor does our past disqualify us from His love . . .