FIVE VIEWS OF SALVATION
1. Pluralism:
Many are the roads to the One
a. Many
roads lead to God.
b. No
religion can claim to be the exclusive way or a superior way to God.
c. This
view has strong appeal due to the emphasis upon the cardinal cultural virtues
of acceptance, tolerance, and non-judgmental.
i. Five
Arguments for this view:
1. Exclusive
way to promote tolerance in an oppressive world.
2. What others adhere to in their worldview is
livable for them.
3. Historically,
world religions develop geographically. Thus, “How can Christianity claim to be
the ‘best’ or ‘only’ way?
4. Exclusive
religions, such as Christianity, fail to produce ethically superior adherents.
5. Popular
pluralism views assume that all religions teach the same basic truth.
ii. Problem:
1. They
necessitate the abandonment of distinctive truths claims regarding the Trinity,
the incarnation of Christ, the atonement, and the resurrection. They do not,
however, single out Buddhism, which rejects some of the literature of Hinduism.
2. They
avoid the issue of truth. World religions give contradictory solutions to basic
questions. Therefore, it is incorrect that all religions teach the same basic
truth. (ex:
a. God
is personal (Christianity; Judaism) vs. God is impersonal (Vedantic Hinduism)
b. There
is one God (Christianity; Judaism; Islam) vs. Many gods (Shintoism; Mormonism)
vs. No God (Theravadic Buddhism)
c. Humans
are guilty of rebellion against a holy God (Christianity) vs. Humanity’s
problem is ignorance (Hinduism) vs. suffering (Buddhism)
d. Salvation
is the transformation of the individuals (Christianity) vs. Salvation released
from the cycle of rebirths (Hinduism; Buddhism)
3. Adhering
to the god Moloch. One is to sacrifice children.
4. A
proper method of evaluation of the ethical system should occur rather than the individual
believer (ex:
a. Buddhism
claims to be a compassionate religion, yet says an individual may suffer
because of bad karma in their past life.
2. Universalism:
All things reconciled to God
a. All
human beings are reconciled to God.
b. No
person will be eternally punished or separated from God.
c. They
do not base their position on Scripture but appeal to ethical and theological
principles for support—namely, the injustice of an eternal hell and the eternal
love of God.
i. Problem:
This view takes away the freedom of man. God denies human freedom.
3. Inclusivism:
Salvation by general revelation
a. Agrees
that Jesus is the only Savior but believes in the possibility that some people
can receive salvation without an explicit knowledge of Jesus.
b. “God’s
forgiveness and acceptance of humanity have been made possible by his death,
but the benefits of this sacrifice are not confined to those who respond to it
with an explicit act of faith.”
c. Insist
that devout believers of other religions will be saved, but only on the basis
of Christ’s atoning work.
i. Problem
1. Scripture
indicates one must believe in Christ in order to be saved: “And they said,
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts
16:31).
2. Scripture
also indicates one must repent of their sin to be saved: “And saying, ‘The time
is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the
gospel’” (Mark 1:15).
4. Postmodern
Opportunity: Getting it right the second time
a. People
receive an after-death opportunity to develop faith in Christ.
b. An
individual who has heard the gospel message in this present age, this
postmodern occasion functions as a second chance for salvation.
c. An
individual who never heard the gospel message in this present age, this
postmodern opportunity functions as the first chance for salvation.
d. One
advocate of this view says that hell is as a hospital for sick souls who can
receive a cure if one receives the medicine.
5. Restrictivist:
Salvation in the name of Jesus only
a. Jesus
is the Savior of only those who have explicit faith in Him.
b. Another
name for this view is exclusivism
c. Throughout
the New Testament, faith is stated as a prerequisite for salvation.
d. Romans
10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be
saved.”
