A Painful Truth

Original photo by flickr user greengirl24

According to the Pew Forum, there are 2.2 billion people in the world that associate themselves with Christianity. That doesn't look at differences in denominations inside Christianity. That number just represents people who claim belief in the name of Christ. Since the total world population is somewhere around 7.2 billion, that leaves about 5 billions people in the world that do not claim the name of Christ for salvation.

How does that fact hit you? Maybe you have heard those numbers before and you are accustomed to them. Maybe you are like me and the word "billion" is kind of an abstract thought that you can't really wrap your mind around. So let's do it this way...if you put a random world sample of 100 people in a room, 71 or 72 of them would deny faith in Christ. If you claim belief of Jesus, you would be one of the 28 or 29 in the room who do.

Now is it more real? What do you feel when you hear that? Are you ok with it? I would guess that the number who hold Acts 4:12 as an absolute truth would be even smaller than the 2.2 billion who claim Christianity in some form or fashion.

Why? Because it is much easier to disregard this statement that Jesus is the only way. To believe that means that 78 other people in the room cannot have salvation. It makes us seem narrow minded and hateful to some. It makes us uncomfortable when others accuse "our" God of being unfair to cast most of the world's population into hell because they have not accepted, or in some cases, heard the name of Jesus the Christ. If there are other ways to God, then I don't have to worry about those other people. I don't have to feel compelled to explain the name of Jesus to them. I don't have to take time away from work, from pleasure, from family, from rest to labor in the vineyards and explain the effects of sin and the grace of God in Christ. I don't have to study to understand why I believe in the name of Christ instead of the name of Muhammed, or Buddha, or Moses.

But if it is true...

If there is no other way to God than through Christ...

If the only path to salvation truly is the way and the truth and the life...Jesus...

then my heart must be broken for those who have not heard or accepted that name!!

So what do you believe? Do you really believe that there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we can be saved? I'll warn you...be careful how you answer.

Because if you answer yes, but you decide not to do anything about the other 78 people in the room wh would answer no, then there are only two options:

1. either you have not understood the severity of sin and the love and grace of God and are therefore still unconverted yourself. Or...
2. you are living in direct violation of Jesus' command to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey all things I have commanded you," and you are living in direct violation of the second greatest command to "love your neighbor as yourself."

There is a well-known video (you can view a portion of it here) of the comedian Penn Jillete, who is an atheist, discussion a Christian who offered him a Bible after one of his shows. The comedian talks about his respect for that man and his disrespect for Christians who do not "proselytize." He asks the question, "how much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?"

He's right. If we really believe what we say we believe, then regardless of the cost, regardless of the sacrifice, regardless of the possible rejection...we must act.

So where do you stand? Do you believe Acts 4:12 is true? Then what will you do about it?