Do We Really Believe Jesus Is The Only Way?

As a Christian, I believe that salvation from our sins comes only through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross at Golgotha. I know that many share this view with me. I know also that there are those who believe that there are alternative routes to heaven.

Some will say that being a good, moral person is the route to take. Many in this boat also believe that the branch of "religion" used isn't important as long as you're sincere and this "religion" leads you to being a good, moral person. What is the determining factor of being a "good, moral person?" One's view of morality might be drastically different than another's. In this argument, the line of admission (remember those "you must be this tall to ride signs"?) is blurry.

Others will say that as long as your "good" outweighs your "bad," then you'll go to heaven. I have a couple of questions about this:

1. How do you determine what is "good" or "bad"?  This would call for a source that more than likely has a road attached to it.


2. Is it a one-for-one ratio (one good thing cancels out one bad thing) or are their different levels of good and bad?

The issue that I have with this is that we will be honest with ourselves, we hope that the good outweighing the bad is not the case.  We hope this because we have all done much more "bad" than "good" in our lives.  Think about how many times that you have lied... cheated... taken what was not yours... thought ill of others...

The truth is, and thanks be unto God for this, that the grace of God through His Son, Jesus, is the only thing that can make us right before a holy God and get us into heaven.  With this in mind, here's the question that is in my mind:

If faith in Jesus is the only way to heaven, then why are those who have received this gift not sharing it with others?

I like something that Danny Akin, President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, shared in his sermon to the Southern Baptist Convention earlier this week.  He asked something along the lines of "If Jesus were to come back today and ask the Church why millions of people have not heard the Gospel, what would the Church say?"

This is a great question.  If we truly believe that faith in Christ is the only way to heaven and a right relationship with God, then why in the world are we keeping it to ourselves?  Why is it not being shared with those who have not heard?  The early disciples stood on this fact and let it drive them that "there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12 HCSB).