What is the central teaching of the Christian faith? The following verse is the thesis statement of the entire Bible and the single thread that runs through every doctrinal teaching of Holy Scripture:
Acts 4:12, NIV: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Jesus Christ is the only path to eternal life after death. Not Jesus and Krishna, not Jesus and Buddha, not Jesus and Mohammed, not Jesus andthe angel Moroni, not Jesus and the ascended masters and spirit guides, and not Jesus and you or I.
Salvation is in Christ alone. Period.
This is the verse that offends most non-believers and causes trouble for most Christians. This is the verse that others use to accuse us of intolerance and bigotry. This is the verse that caused the most trouble for the Apostolic church who refused to acknowledge the false Gods of pagan Rome.
But if a person rejects this basic teaching of Christ and the Apostles then they have no justification to call themselves followers of Jesus. Christ said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, NIV). If we are not worshiping Christ alone for salvation then we are not Christian.
This is THE essential teaching of Christianity that must never be compromised. God loved us enough to send Jesus on a rescue mission to save humanity from total destruction. Jesus offers a free gift of salvation to all who trust in Him. But we must trust in HIM and in HIM ALONE. This is the faith that moves the mountains of our guilt out of the way of eternal life.
~Stephen Beagles