Isn’t Christianity Arrogant To Claim To Be The Only Way To Heaven?

"Christianity Questions and Answers" podcast CQA 024

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You’ve probably heard people say how offended they are that Christianity claims to be the only way to heaven. Perhaps you’ve thought that yourself. Is Christianity arrogant to claim to be the only way to heaven?

Dr. Hal Seed

In this podcast, Dr. Hal Seed, gives a wonderful answer to the question: Isn’t Christianity arrogant to claim to be the only way to heaven?

You can listen by hitting the play button above.

To listen via iTunes, click HERE.

Who is Hal?

Hal is the Founding and Lead Pastor of New Song Community Church, in Oceanside, CA. New Song is a multi-site church that has seen over 18,000 come to Christ and is one of the Outreach 100 Fastest Growing Churches in America.

Hal’s Pastormentor ministry provides tools and training to grow bigger and better churches. He has authored six books, including The God Questions, and his latest book I Love Sundays.

Hal and Lori have two grown children and who are working on the next generation of “Seedlings.” Hal’s website is: www.pastormentor.com

Here are a few verses to consider in addition to Hal’s excellent answer about Christianity as the only way to heaven:

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6 ESV)

“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)

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV)

“So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.’ They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.” (1 Peter 2:7-8 ESV)

For more help:

To receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord click HERE.

To develop your relationship with God, get my free eBook “10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth” click HERE.

To learn more about this podcast and how to submit questions, click HERE.

Here are some of my other articles, podcasts and a vlog that consider issues related to the Christian faith and salvation:

• Six Reasons all Roads DON’T Lead to Heaven

• Five Questions for Those Who Think Many Roads Lead to Heaven

• Why Your Sincerity Can be Deadly

• Podcast: Is salvation found in various faith traditions? (religious Pluralism)

• Podcast: Does salvation come only through faith in Christ?

Does Becoming A Christian Require Turning Over A New Leaf?

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As we enter a new year, here’s a question about new beginnings: Does becoming a Christian require turning over a new leaf?

You can listen by hitting the play button above. 

To listen via iTunes, click HERE. 

Does it bug you to see people who call themselves Christians, but who don’t seem to be any different than before?

Does it bug you that you often don’t seem any different than before?

It certainly bugged the Apostle Paul. He wrote: “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” (Romans 7:19-20 ESV)

So it seems we can be Christians but not be everything we want to be or are called to be.

On the other hand, Jesus said clearly that “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21 ESV)

Which is it, does becoming a Christian require turning over a new leaf or not?

To resolve this issue, give this podcast a listen and find out the answer to the question: “Does becoming a Christian require turning over a new leaf?”

You can listen by hitting the play button above.

To listen via iTunes, click HERE.

For more help:

• To receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord click HERE to learn how.

• To develop your relationship with God, get my free eBook “10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth” click HERE.

To learn more about this podcast and how to submit your questions, click HERE.

For more help with the topic of sins, forgiveness and salvation, see these resources on my website: 

• 3 Acceptable Sins You Can Enjoy Today…or NOT!

• Why I Burned My Sister at the Stake

• How to Handle Guilt and Stop Holding a Grudge Against Yourself

• Who Needs Jesus, I’m a Good Person

Was The Virgin Mary The Ark Of The New Covenant?

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This is an interesting question relating to the Virgin Mary’s role as the mother of Jesus. Was the Virgin Mary the Ark of the New Covenant as the Roman Catholic Church proposes?

Here is the main Scripture that this teaching about the Virgin Mary the Ark of the New Covenant is based on: “And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm. A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.” (Revelation 11:19-12:2 NASB)

You can listen to this recording by hitting the play arrow above.

The more important question than “Is the Virgin Mary the Ark” is the overall role of the Virgin Mary and her role in salvation.

On this issue we must consider the clear teaching of Scripture in many places such as these:

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5 NIV)

“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)

While calling the Virgin Mary the Ark of the New Covenant is not a huge concern, what is a big concern is the elevation of Mary to roles in salvation that the Bible clearly does NOT assign her.

Some in the Roman Catholic Church have tried to recast the Virgin Mary as Co-Redemptrix or co-redeemer along with Jesus. This article on Mary as Co-Redemptrix has a very interesting quote:

“In the early 1990s Professor Mark Miravalle of the Franciscan University of Steubenville and author of the book Mary: Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, Advocate launched a popular petition to urge Pope John Paul II to use Papal infallibility to declare Mary as Co-Redemptrix. More than six million signatures were gathered from 148 countries, including those of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Cardinal John O’Connor of New York, and other cardinals and bishops.”

Wow, all those people, including top Roman Catholic leaders, wanting to declare Mary a Co-Redemptrix, in contradiction to very clear teaching of Scripture which says that ONLY Jesus can save us!

Please consider these additional Scriptures which so clearly teach that Jesus alone is the redeemer and our Savior from sins:

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21 KJV)

What was Mary’s role? To “bring forth a son.” She gave birth to the Messiah who would “save his people from their sins.”

Note that Mary did the birthing, Jesus does the saving.

Mary did the birthing, Jesus does the saving. | CLICK TO TWEET

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36 ESV)

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6 ESV)

The Bible’s teaching is clear—Jesus is the one and only way. 

To listen to this podcast via iTunes, click HERE. 

For more help:

• To receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord click HERE to learn how.

• To develop your relationship with God, get my free eBook “10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth” click HERE.

To learn more about this podcast and how to submit questions, click HERE. 

For more help in understanding what the Bible says about Jesus, Mary and the importance of faith in Christ see these resources on my website: 

• Podcast: Is it right to worship or pray to Mary?

• Podcast: Does salvation come only through faith in Christ? (Exclusivism)

• Four Powerful Proofs Jesus Lives

• 3 Motives for Rejecting Jesus