The Gospel is Exclusive…and It Isn’t

   By Jerry McCorkle

After coming to New York City for more than 30 years, I can tell you that it truly is one of the most cosmopolitan places in the world.

People from every nation, culture, religion, and philosophy live side by side. It’s a place where you often hear statements like, “Truth is relative,” or, “You have your truth, and I have mine.”

At first, that can sound tolerant and appealing. But when you stop and think about it, the idea begins to fall apart. Truth isn’t simply what we prefer or what feels right to us. Truth is that which corresponds to reality. It’s loyalty to what is actually true, not merely what we wish were true.

By its very nature, truth is exclusive. If two contradictory statements cannot both be true at the same time and in the same sense, then not every belief can be equally true. If everything is true, then, in the end, nothing is uniquely true.

That brings us to Jesus.

Jesus didn’t merely claim to know the truth or teach the truth. He said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

That is an undeniably exclusive claim. Jesus doesn’t present Himself as one option among many or one spiritual path alongside others. He claims to be the only way to the Father. If Jesus truly is God in the flesh, then He alone has the authority to define how we are reconciled to God.

But here’s the beautiful part of the gospel: while Christianity is exclusive in its claims, it is radically inclusive in its invitation.

It doesn’t matter where you’ve been born, what language you speak, what your ethnicity is, how much money you have, what you’ve done, or what your story has been. At the foot of the cross, everyone stands on level ground. The invitation is extended to all. Scripture says, “Whoever will may come.”

That’s the beauty of the Christian message. The only way of salvation is Jesus Christ—but that way is open to every person. The gospel excludes no one who is willing to come to Him in faith.

As you walk the streets of your city this week, you’ll meet people from every background imaginable. Remember that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace. You don’t know whose story God is writing or whose heart He is preparing. 

So go with humility, love, and confidence, sharing the good news that while Christianity is exclusive in its claims, it is wonderfully inclusive in its appeal.

Looking for a bite-sized way to explain this concept? Check out our new series, 60-Second Theology!