There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
–Proverbs 14:12
Jesus said there are two roads in life that lead to two very different destinations. He explained in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
In seeking to be inclusive, a lot of Christians say things like, “Different religions are just different paths up the same mountain.” No, there are not multiple ways to heaven; there is one way. Jesus Himself said in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
Think about this: if a person can go to heaven regardless of which path he follows, then the death of Jesus Christ was wholly unnecessary–He need not have endured the agony of the cross. In fact, that is what Jesus prayed for in the garden of Gethsemane before He was crucified: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me” (Matthew 26:39). But heaven was silent. God said nothing because there was no other way. There is only one pathway that leads to heaven–Jesus said it is a narrow road, and few people are on it.
One of the most common arguments against the exclusivity of Jesus Christ for salvation is the existence of other religions. People say, “How could all those other people be wrong? Are you saying most people are going to hell?” Yes. Jesus said the majority of people are not on the narrow road to heaven; they are on the broad road that leads to eternal death. The fact that a minority of people profess to be Christians simply affirms what Jesus said.
At the end of the day, there is not a dime’s worth of difference between all the other religions in the world, because they are all based on what you have to do to make it into heaven. That is the broad way that most people are on: salvation by works. It is an appealing way to try to get to heaven because you get to play a part in it. Your salvation is based on your own merit. However, remember Proverbs 14:12: “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
Christianity and Christianity alone is about what God has already done for us–sending His Son, Jesus, to cover our sins. But we have to choose to accept His forgiveness and follow the narrow road to heaven instead of the broad road to hell.
