The impropriety of salvation in Christ alone

When I shared why 10 businessmen and pastors had travelled to India for two weeks, he left the room. Without apology, I said we had journeyed to Delhi to encourage, pray with, and hear first-hand how our three missionary families were proceeding in their quest to witness to Delhi’s middle class with the hope that many would become Christians. I disclosed that we were bringing our findings home in order to see B.C.’s 300,000 Sikhs and others from Indian origin – these beautiful people, our neighbours and workmates – become followers of Jesus.

It was all too much for him to hear. While I had chatted about the novelties of travel – experiencing different sights, sounds, cultures, languages, foods, smells, and visits to historic and sacred sites – he had actively listened. His abrupt departure signalled that I had crossed a socially acceptable conversational line.

In his view, there was great impropriety in acting on the belief that salvation is in Christ alone. Religious beliefs ought to be held as private, never impinging themselves on the freedom of others’ conscience.

My listener was not a Christian, but I couldn’t help wondering if many Christians would also have left the room. In Canada, our political correctness, our multiculturalism, our socially celebrated religious pluralism have become “powers” that persuade many Christians to lean away from doctrinal positioning regarding our confession that salvation is in Christ alone.

Do we as Canadian Mennonite Brethren really believe what we confess to believe? Asserting, “we believe that the saving grace of God in Jesus is the only means of reconciling humanity with God. Although salvation is available to all, only those who put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ have the assurance of eternal life” (MB Confession of Faith, Article 17, “Christianity and Other Faiths”), is tantamount in some Christian circles to either shutting down conversation or intentionally picking an argument.

Learning from Indian believers

As we heard about the tremendous sacrifice incurred by Indian followers of Jesus, their testimony caused us to evaluate the depth and legitimacy of our own convictions. We witnessed sheer joy in the hearts of those experiencing oppression.

Particularly in the Punjab, the warm fervour of the Christians’ faith betrayed the harsh realities of their impoverishment, their subsistence living, and their daily struggle against spiritual warfare. They know they are rescued from hopelessly groping their way to heaven through the many paths of works-righteousness. In short, they praise God for their freedom.

We confess to believe “God loves the world and does not want anyone to perish. In sovereign grace God may communicate with people in ways that are beyond human comprehension.” This is certainly true, as we heard many testimonies of believers who had come to faith through miraculous healings, out-of-body experiences, dreams and visions, and constellations of unexplainable phenomena. Indeed, the 10 of us who travelled together will testify “God has not left anyone without a witness to the Creator’s goodness and power.”

When we confess, “while elements of truth may be found in other religions, Scripture warns against false teaching,” it doesn’t prevent us from treating “people of other faiths and philosophies with respect.” Rather, we unashamedly “but lovingly and urgently proclaim Christ as the only way of salvation for all peoples.”

Moving beyond “why?”

Recently, there have been many incidents of death, disease, illness, and accident in our Vancouver congregation, which have naturally caused us to ask “why?” We’ve been trying to discipline ourselves to move beyond this paralyzing question by asking a more productive one: “In recognition of what’s happened, how then should we live?” There is merit in thinking through this same question regarding God’s act of Christ amid a world of competing truth claims.

Let’s not be immobilized in our witness because we may not be able to adequately or sufficiently answer people’s “why Jesus alone?” Not all of us are apologists, but we’re all called to be witnesses. Let’s move beyond the paralysis imposed by society’s lines of propriety.

In light of what God has done in Christ, let’s testify – despite the powers, despite the opposition, despite unresolved mysteries – the good news of Jesus. In light of ultimate realities, we confess, “the eternal destiny of those who have never heard the gospel is in God’s hands. Our task is to proclaim Christ as the only way of salvation to all people in all cultures. The Judge of all the earth will do what is just.”

Ken Peters, pastor of Killarney Park MB Church, Vancouver, and chair of the Board of Faith and Life, was part of an MBMSI two-week excursion to India in September.