Is Christianity Exclusive? Unequivocally Yes ... and Absolutely Not

Every belief system is exclusive, so let's just get that out on the table.  Even those who believe that all or certain "religions" are equally valid are being exclusive in that belief.  Agnostics and Atheists believe what they believe exclusively.  Same with Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc.

So yes, in that way, Christianity is exclusive because Jesus said quite clearly, "I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one goes to the Father except through me."

But absolutely not.  The free gift of salvation is offered to everyone.  Everyone - no matter what.  You simply have to accept the free gift.

I like this quote from Robert Taylor of Gateway Church:

"Stop getting upset that Christ says He is the only way, and start getting excited that there IS a way."  

He provided it.  The only other way is to live a perfect life from start to finish.  How are you tracking on that?  No one but Jesus has ever accomplished that.  But you don't need to worry about your sins if you have Christ.  He paid the bill for all your sins - past and future - making you clean as snow.

Yes, Christianity is the only way.  I don't say that to be hateful or intolerant.  I say it to be truthful.

Accept the gift today.  It's offered to you, too.  And the difference between now and eternity with or without God could be only a heartbeat away.  So please, please, please make it a priority.

Much love and God bless.

Fact: God Reveals Himself to ANYone Who Seeks Him

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 

Jeremiah 29:13 

Waiting for God to show Himself to you personally?  Here's a tip:  Take a leap of faith and seek Him.  If you're sincere, He will reveal Himself.  So many run through life saying, "I don't believe because [fill in the blank] ...".   But these same individuals have never truly sought Him.  They've never asked Him to show Himself.  And they've never waited on His timing for the reveal.  

He's waiting so patiently.  He's waiting on you.  And He has all of eternity to wait.  But you don't.  

Seek Him.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 

Matthew 7:7

Obnoxious Optimists | Philippians 1:6

Paul was an obnoxious optimist because he knew.  

"... he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."  Philippians 1:6

We should be filled with gratitude and gladness.  Not plastic cheerleaders who continue their superficial cheering as their team is destroyed by the opposition, but true optimists in a world that spends most of the time complaining.

We need to argue with our whiney selves better than we do.

"Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."  Psalm 42:5

Win that argument.  Hope in God.  Trust Him that he will carry it to completion.

This does not mean always be cheery just to be cheery.  Council others.  Speak truth when appropriate, but mourn and weep with others as appropriate.

But KNOW, as Paul knew, that God's promises are true.  

Rest in that truth and be obnoxious about it. ;)

God is Compassionate AND True

Compassion without Truth is unloving.
Truth without Compassion is cruel.

As love and justice are equally infinite traits of God, so are compassion and truth equally infinite in God ... and should be equal in us. 

God's truth has felt hurtful to me at times because it was stopping me from, or condemning me for, doing something He commands us NOT to do.  But in retrospect, it was loving and compassionate of Him to tell me NO.  In other cases, it was not clear in retrospect.   But that's okay.  His ways are above mine. As it should be.  And I trust Him, as my perfect heavenly Father, to know better than me.

God is Loving AND Just

Some who say they believe in God tend to believe in a god they want rather than the actual God.  Many want a God who is LOVE,  which is true and is good. But they don't want a God who is JUST, as well. 

But God is equally infinite in all of His characteristics. He is not more loving than just. He is infinitely loving and he is equally just.

False narratives

I reject the false narratives spoken by today's culture.  A culture that won't even be remembered in 1,000 years.
My allegiance is to God.  Not to America.  Not to Texas.  Not to anything but God.

Jesus is Lord of my life ...
I say:  "I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."

Why is God invisible? The answer is simpler, more logical, and more reasonable than you might imagine.

While God did come in human, natural form (in the person of Jesus Christ), generally speaking God is invisible to us. His affects are quite obvious, not unlike the effects of wind or gravity ... or love.

But why is He invisible?  The answer is much more rational, simple and logical than you might imagine. You see, at the beginning there was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  This was before any time or space existed. In fact using terms like was  or is or will be are inappropriate , because he is outside of past, present or future.  He is not affected by the ebb and flow of our culture or our opinions. This is the first thing we need to understand about our almighty, omnipotent, all knowing God:  that He is timeless, outside of the natural world that we live in ... that He created.

God is not visible to us because he is not of the natural world. He is the cause of the natural world. The uncaused cause that - if we think logically and rationally - must have started this universe that we live in ... must have started life ... must have given us the rational, thinking minds that we use to even ponder this topic.

God is infinite. And by definition His Holiness, his perfection, his wisdom, his power, and His grace are unlimited. But he himself is invisible to eyes that only see what is natural.

But our hearts detect and ultimately know that He is there.