John 10
In his book, Christian Dogmatics, Francis Pieper asks the question, “How many
essentially different religions are there in the world?” We might be tempted to
think that there are thousands; Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Taoism,
Wicca, and a plethora of nature gods and goddesses. Pieper however states that
there are, “but only two essentially different religions: the religion of the
Law, that is, the endeavor to reconcile God through man’s own works, and the
religion of the Gospel, that is, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, belief wrought
through the Gospel by the Holy Ghost that we have a gracious God through the
reconciliation already effected by Christ, and not because of our own works.”
(vol. I, p. 10)
Jesus laid out a similar dichotomy in
John 10. There is the one who enters by the door who is the shepherd of the
sheep, and there is “he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs
in by another way.” And then He goes on to say that He is the door to the
sheep. In this way we can say there really are only two religions in the world:
those who seek to get into God’s kingdom apart from Jesus (which Pieper
identifies as the method of works) and those who enter through Jesus, who lays
down his life for the sheep and takes it up again.
We live in a pluralistic society that
sees every religion as valid and imagines that there are many pathways to God.
Jesus’ message, however, is that there is only one entry point into God’s flock
and that He is that entrance. This requires some clear thinking and careful
communication as we witness to others. Frankly, the world finds our message to
be exclusive and offensive. That is a cross we must bear in our service to the
Lord and to our neighbor. Yet in love for God and our neighbor it is essential
that we confess this truth about our faith – that there is no other name given
under heaven, given among men, by which we must be saved than the name of
Jesus. Yet that must be done lovingly and patiently, and certainly not rudely
or argumentatively.
Jesus says the thief comes to steal and
kill and destroy. This is what the religion of works does in people. It steals
their joy, kills their spirit, and destroys their hope. It is not a loving
thing to ignore that in another person’s life. But He continues saying, “I came
that they may have life and have it abundantly.” And He laid down His life to
win it for us.
Lord, help me believe and lovingly testify
to the one true faith. Amen.
Comments