Suppose I wanted to get to Miami by tomorrow? I live in Indianapolis, so I would have to set my GPS for Miami and head south on the highway until I reached my destination. If I accidentally set the GPS for Phoenix or LA, I wouldn’t arrive in Miami tomorrow, even if I believed I was traveling in the right direction. It wouldn’t make a difference if I was a courteous driver along the way and the weather began to feel warmer; I still wouldn’t make it to Miami, no matter how well-intentioned I was. Millions of people believe they will end up in heaven one day because they follow a way that seems right. This is an eternal tragedy in the making because Jesus warned that there is only one way to heaven (Proverbs 14:12).
For most people, coming to terms with the fact that everyone dies isn’t necessarily frightening. The unknown about what happens after we die is what tends to worry them. In an attempt to circumvent fear associated with the unknown about the afterlife, people come up with all sorts of ideas about ways to get to heaven to soothe their conscience. Our human capacity to rationalize what we can’t control is on full display when people make sweeping statements about eternal destiny and God’s character. I bet many of you have heard or even said statements like this: The God that I know would never send anyone to hell. When people make assumptions like that, it’s an attempt to fashion a god of our own liking while ignoring what the true God said about Himself (Romans 2:4).
One of the worst lies ever spoken is that there are many ways to heaven. On the surface, this statement sounds like one of the most loving and inclusive things you could say. In reality, it is spiritual deception masquerading as truth. The problem with this statement is that it creates a false sense of eternal security and negates the exclusivity of Jesus and what He accomplished on the cross. Jesus came to this earth on a rescue mission to save sinners. He boldly proclaimed that He is the only way to the Father in heaven (John 14:6).
Like any lie, some will accept it as truth if told enough. When the weight of fame and celebrity is added to the lie, it becomes palatable to the masses. Here’s what some well-known people have said about God and the way to heaven:
“Well, I am a Christian who believes that there are certainly many more paths to God other than Christianity.” – Oprah Winfrey
“I spent a lot of time in India with my father. I don’t know all about their religion. But I know they love God. And I don’t know, I’ve seen their sincerity. So I don’t know.” – Joel Osteen, Interview on Larry King Show speaking on the exclusivity of salvation through Jesus.
Satan never shows his true nature but appears as an angel of light. When someone says there are many ways to heaven, they are deceived into believing this lie because it sounds all-inclusive and loving. The Bible warns us about those who teach a different gospel in Galatians 1:8. Why does God take this ‘different gospel’ so seriously? Because people are being deceived into hell by believing there are other ways into heaven besides Jesus.
If I were driving along a road and found that a storm had just washed the only bridge over a deep gorge away, the right thing to do would be to stay there and warn people to turn around and go in the opposite direction. It would be unthinkable to agree there are many ways over the canyon, even if they say it’s their truth and they are sincere.
What if a deadly category 5 storm was nearing a coastal city? Could you imagine the outrage if the meteorologists failed to warn the public because they wanted to let them find a less offensive road instead of telling them about the only evacuation route to safety? Sadly, this is the thought process of many people, including some Christians, of how people can get into heaven in many ways, but it leads to destruction.
The Pew Research Center conducted a survey in 2008, and they found that approximately 72% of evangelicals say that many religions can lead to salvation. That survey was almost fifteen years ago, and I wonder how many more Christians have been deceived into believing something that Jesus didn’t teach about the way to heaven. The reality of hell and the possibility of people spending eternity there is so repulsive to our human sensibilities that some will continue to believe the lie that there are many ways when Jesus warned us there is only one way to heaven.
“The vague and tenuous hope that God is too kind to punish the ungodly has become a deadly opiate for the consciences of millions.” – A.W. Tozer
Friend, if you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, you are in eternal danger. If you have tried to work your way into heaven by doing enough good things to outweigh the bad or trust in anyone else for eternal salvation but Jesus, you won’t go to heaven. Jesus warned about eternal torment in hell for everyone who trusts in anyone else for salvation but Him in John 3:36.
I want you to know that God loved you and sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for you and raise Him from the dead. Jesus paid for every sin you have or will ever commit. You need to believe this, repent, and be born again (Acts 20:21 and John 3:3). He’s the only way to heaven, so please come to saving faith in Him today. If you want to know more about salvation through Jesus, click here.
Anyone who takes a realistic look at our world today can see it all coming to a climatic point of no return. Jesus is coming soon. If you are a Christian, I want to remind you of what’s at stake. Billions of souls need Jesus and the salvation found in Him alone. It might not be politically correct or popular to warn people that Jesus is the only way to heaven. You might be marginalized, canceled, or even persecuted for it. But eternity will show it’s the truth and a loving thing to do for people’s souls.
All for Him,
Howard