Defending Christ's Exclusivity in a Secular World

The Assumption of the secularist is that all religions are not only equally tolerated under the law but that they are equally valid or invalid you know the American truth which is American as apple pie is that it doesn't matter what you believe as long as you are sincere there are many roads that go to heaven some go directly some by a more circuitous route but in the final analysis all that God really is concerned about is that you be people of Faith. [00:07:35]

God hates religion let me say it again he hates religion if what we mean by religion are those systems and practices that we invent with our own hands the the primary sin of Fallen Humanity as Paul tells us in the first chapter of his letter to the Romans is that we universally take the plain manifest revelation of God himself and distort it and twist it and exchange that truth for a lie and turn our attention to idols. [00:08:48]

To trade in his glory for an idol is the Supreme insult to his Holiness the only other insult that comes close is to mention the name of his only begotten son in the same breath with that of Buddha or Confucius Muhammad who are idols and not sons of the Living God but again there's nothing that we find more untolerable than exclusivity than to meet with the Christian assertion that there's only one way to God one way One Way only. [00:09:36]

I would say only a handful of professing Christians in our culture today will stand up publicly and say there's only one way to God and that's through Christ and the rest of us by denying that principle are guilty of nothing less than treason to the Son of God. [00:10:33]

I had to face the music and I saides ma'am I do and here it came full boore she raised her voice she looked at me she said that's the most bigoted outrageous narrow-minded arrogant and she used a few more adjectival qualifiers that I don't remember to this day she says of anything I've ever heard in my life and I was just sinking down into the chair trying to find some protection. [00:12:21]

Don't you see that if Jesus is one way and he says he's the only way and if he's lying about that he's not even one way but if he does say he's the only way and I saywell I'm a Christian but Jesus blew it on this one now you have unmitigated arrogance because what could be more arrogant than a disciple of Jesus to challenge his Lord's teaching on the way of Salvation. [00:14:45]

Suppose that once upon a time there was nothing no Universe the only thing that exists was God himself and that God creates all that is and of all the creatures he makes he takes one creature and he stamps that creature with his own Divine image and says to that creature you shall be holy even as I am Holy and gives the highest privilege that he can give under heaven to human beings. [00:16:05]

He clothes the creature covers the creature's nakedness gives them a promise of Mercy gives him a promise of forgiveness promises a messiah who would come and bear their sins for them he calls them out of Darkness he calls these people out of slavery where they're impotent before the mightiest ruler in the world the Pharaoh and he makes them his people and gives them his law the first of which is exclusive Thou shalt have no other gods before me. [00:17:14]

God says well here's how much I love them I'm going to send the Eternal second person of the Trinity my only begotten son and let him take upon himself the cloak of human flesh and live in the midst of this corruption and take upon himself the entire punishment that the whole world deserves on the cross and I am going to offer him to these people who are hostile towards me and then they kill him. [00:18:31]

If you'll just put your trust in my only begotten son because I only have one son and honor him I will forgive every sin that you've ever committed I will give you ever lasting life in a place where death is exiled in a place where there is no night where there is no sin where there's no pain where there is no harm I will give you joy and happiness like no creature has ever contemplated and all you have to do is honor my son and him alone. [00:19:12]

By what Authority by what power by by what name did you heal this man and they said well it wasn't Muhammad and it wasn't confusus and it wasn't Moses Isaiah Ezekiel Daniel or David it was by the name of Jesus of Nazareth whom you crucified and whom God has raised from the dead that's by whose authority and by whose power and by whose name this man was made whole. [00:20:55]

If you're a Christian you should be prepared to die for that affirmation if you're not you're playing at religion and you've missed the son of God. [00:21:50]