12/8/18 Jaime (click here for video)
When it comes to life after death, can we create our own
reality?
I often come across people whose first reaction to my
question about life after death is to say “It depends on what you believe”. This is usually an initial effort to be
courteous, to respect everyone’s beliefs as equal to one’s own.
But is that really possible?
Are we really prepared to defend, say, the slaughter of human sacrifices
of the Aztec death cult, or the mass suicide of the Jonestown Peoples temple as
just as valid as established world religions that have stood the test of
time?
Once we decide that some religions are better and more valid
than others, we pretty much need to acknowledge that, yes, there are
differences, and yes, those differences matter.
I’m sure Jesus was aware of other religious beliefs in Judea
when He said “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is
the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the
gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matt.7)
And I don’t believe He was lying when He said “I am the way
and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” in John 14.
How can we convey the exclusivity of Christianity when we
come across people like a man I talked with while grocery shopping named Jaime,
who wants a universal religion so much that he has come to believe we create
our own afterlife depending on what we believe and our state of mind at our
moment of dying?
While the Gospel is exclusive in that Jesus is the one way
to salvation, it actually is universal in many ways:
1.) We all must face death someday. I usually start out my outreach conversations
by asking the universal question “What do you think happens after we die?”
2.) We all have a God-given conscience. While not all believe it is God-given, I
haven’t met anyone yet who doesn’t think there are moral standards for right
and wrong behavior that go beyond culture and personal preference.
3.) We all violate
our own moral standards from time to time.
We share a common problem in that we will all be called to account
before our Creator for violating His moral laws, and outside of Christ we are
all condemned as guilty sinners.
4.) Salvation through
faith in Jesus is offered universally to all.
Of course, people do bring up the obvious issue that not all people have
heard about Jesus, but the very people who say this is a barrier to their own
faith in Christ are the ones who are hearing about Him. If this is truly the issue, why not trust
Christ and then go out and share the Gospel with those who haven’t heard yet?
Jesus is the unique solution to a universal sin problem. He is unique because He alone saves us from
the consequences of our sins rather than requiring us to do the impossible – to
save ourselves. “Everyone (universal)
who calls on the name of the Lord (exclusive) will be saved.” (Romans 10)
Forgiveness and a right relationship with God forever are
given freely through faith in Jesus. Even
if it were possible, why would we want to create any different reality?
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