The Exclusivity of Jesus Produces Peaceloving, Humble Followers

The first chapter of Tim Keller's book The Reason For God outlines the argument against Christianity because as opponents would say, "there can't be just one true religion."  Furthermore, the exclusive claims of Christianity and other religions produces hostility toward others that aren't like you.  Therefore we should just all "play nicely" and admit that all the religions probably have some good and offer truth to add to the puzzle.

Keller does a masterful job of showing that almost everybody has exclusive faith commitments that they base their lives on whether conscious or unconscious.  And he even goes further to state that one's fundamental commitments defines their religion - or worldview.  Perhaps one of the most helpful parts of the chapter was the secular relativist analogy of the elephant and many blind men gathering around it touching different parts of the elephant.  The analogy follows that each man knows a part of the whole truth, but no religion could claim exclusive rights to the truth.  It sounds nice and humble for one the relativist to try to bring people together... but there is one fatal flaw - the analogy assumes that there is someone who sees (and knows) the whole elephant and the blind men and therefore has the right perspective concerning truth.  And of course, the relativist is inconsistent on his own terms because of his exclusive truth claims. 

There is a "slippery slope" that religion can create in the human heart when one claims to know the truth.  However, as Keller says, "within Christianity - robust, orthodox Christianity - there are rich resources that can make its followers agents for peace on earth." (page 18)

Think about the gospel... it says that we are saved by sheer grace.  That there was nothing good in Christians that commended them to God, but God in His sovereign grace saved them.  Grace, rightly understood, will never produce pride.  How could it?  "God's grace does not come to those who morally outperform others, but to those who admit their failure to perform and who acknowledge their need for a Savior" (page 19).  Grace pulls the rug out from underneath human pride.  1 Corinthians 1:30-31 says,  It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

Additionally the gospel shows us that Jesus dies for His enemies.  So again, the Christian message rightly understood will not make us hostile toward those who don't believe like we do, but loving, peaceable, and self-sacrificing.  When speaking of the self-sacrificing love of early Christians, Keller says, "At the very heart of their view of reality was a man who died for His enemies, praying for their forgiveness" (Page 18).  Romans 5:10 says, For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

What a challenge to hold tightly to the gospel and be changed from the inside out by it and yet to be thoughtful and winsome in how we would bring the unique, precious message of God's grace in Jesus to others in an increasingly pluralistic world.

what good news

Righteousness is our greatest need because it is what we lack most.  That is why the gospel is the good news that Jesus provides a righteousness that we could never attain to.  Paul says, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

God provides a righteousness that is outside of us - Christ's own righteousness so that when I trust in Jesus, His completely perfect record in everything is counted as mine.  What joy!  What peace!  What assurance!  What hope that God is for me, not only now, but forever!  No condemnation... ever - rather set free in the Spirit!


My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness.  Trust in Him alone.