Christ Is the Exclusive Saviour

by Mike Ratliff

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:1-7 ESV)

I received a very nice email today from a very well known Bible teacher who is a fellow victim of slash and burn heretic who attempted to shut me down several years ago. The email stated that this heretic had listed him and his ministry right along side mine as examples of “heathen reprobates” who are leading God’s people astray. Why? Because we hold to the doctrine of justification by faith by God’s grace alone. I remember the several day encounter with this heretic’s cult and many of you may as well for if you dared to comment on what I posted then you received emails from them as well. In any case, what is noticeably missing in all cults is the correct emphasis on the necessity of the Cross of Christ and, therefore, a total misapplication of Him as our Exclusive Saviour. 

Carefully read the passage I placed at the top of this post from John 14. John 16:6 says, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” In response to Thomas’ question in v4, Jesus declared that He is the way to God because He is the truth of God (John 1:14) and the life of God (John 1:4; John 3:15; John 11:25). What we see in v6 is the exclusiveness of Jesus as the only approach to the Father is emphatic. Only one way, not many ways, lead to God and that one way is Jesus Christ (John 10:7-9; cf. Matthew 7:13, 14; Luke 13:24; Acts 4:12).

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12 ESV)

When Peter said, “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved,” he was referring to the exclusivity of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. There are only two religious paths, the broad way of works salvation leading to eternal death, and the narrow way of faith in Jesus leading to eternal life (Matthew 7:13, 14; John 10:7, 8; John 14:6). The religious terrorists whom our Lord opposed throughout His earthly ministry who opposed the Apostles and who have always opposed true Christianity are on the first path.

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:10, 11 ESV)

Works righteousness religions in all its forms are laid upon foundations other than Jesus Christ. Those foundations are sand because they are man-made. On the other hand, genuine Christianity is laid upon the foundation of Jesus Christ, which was laid down by Him not by any man. When we are obedient to the Gospel and the Great Commission we build upon this foundation. Think of all those ministries that proclaim to be Christian, but who prove to have man-made foundations of sand because they are unbiblical and pursue the mystical or the experience rather than obedience and repentance as commanded by the Word of God. My brethren, just calling one self a Christian or proclaiming a ministry to be Christian does not make it so. The proof is in whether it is laid upon the perfect foundation of Christ instead of  a man-made foundation of sand.

For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:4 ESV)

Apostate, false teachers disown Christ as Sovereign Lord and disdain any recognition of Christ as honorable Lord by their wicked behavior. Apostates, false teachers, and false religions pervert what Sacred Scripture declares is true about the Lord Jesus Christ.

My brethren, do you see what the breaking away point is between what is true Christianity and what is not? Orthodox Christianity, real Christianity, is so because it holds to God’s Word as His Word and does not accept any other source as having any authority over it. That means that traditions, councils, et cetera must submit to what the Word of God says, not the other way around. Also, when someone twists and distorts the Word of God insisting that they have their own interpretation and they are hearing directly from God and what they are saying contradicts what the Word of God clearly says then whoever is saying that is a heretic.

Soli Deo Gloria!