Michael A. Walrond Jr. leads a 10,000-member Church in
Harlem. He claims that the belief that Jesus is the only way to Heaven is
"insanity."
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There was a time when you would see people in
the pulpit say, “well, if you don't believe in Jesus you going to Hell.” That's
insanity in many ways because that is not what Jesus even believes. And so the
key is you believe in God. And whatever your path is to God I celebrate that.
Personally I celebrate that…we have enough in this world that divides us we
need to find those things that bring us together. And if God cannot bring us
closer together then something is wrong, not with God but in how we think we
know God and understand God. https://www.christianpost.com/news/belief-jesus-is-only-way-to-heaven-is-insanity-megachurch-pastor-michael-a-walrond-jr-says-221123/?utm_source=newsletter
Are there many ways to God? Jesus doesn’t give us the
slightest hint of this:
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Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth,
and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 ESV)
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I told you that you would die in your sins, for
unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24)
Jesus called those who claimed that they had another way of
salvation “robbers”:
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“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not
enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a
thief and a robber…So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I
am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but
the sheep did not listen to them.” (John 10:1, 7-8)
Jesus was not like Walrond. He did not “celebrate” multiple
ways to the Father. Nor did Jesus celebrate finding “those things that bring us
together.” Instead, Jesus highlighted the distinction between His disciples and
those of the world:
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And he answered them, “To you it has been given
to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been
given…This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see,
and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. (Matthew 13:11-13)
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“If the world hates you, know that it has hated
me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as
its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world,
therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant
is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also
persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.” (John
15:18-20)
Walrond claims that there is something the matter with our
faith if God cannot bring us together. However, Jesus taught that there is an
absolute and eternal distinction between two groups of people – saved and
unsaved:
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“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will
enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is
in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in
your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your
name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you
workers of lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-23)
Nevertheless, we are to love the people of this world, and
this doesn’t depend upon finding unity with the world:
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“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray
for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in
heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain
on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:44-45)
Where did Walrond get his convictions? It certainly wasn’t
from the Bible. However, these convictions do sell in our religiously plural and
multicultural society. Besides, if there are multiple ways to be saved, then
Jesus died in vain.
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