Jesus Christ very clearly stated in John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.‘”. After Jesus’ resurrection and return to heaven, the Apostle Peter, preaching, said it quite clearly as well, “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:11-12)
I know in today’s world, there are those who argue, “well, we don’t really have to believe in Jesus Christ, we can just believe in that fact that there is a God…whatever “god” we choose.” And these people argue that by teaching what the Bible clearly states, we are being to “narrow minded”. However, I remind you as Jesus Christ also taught, “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:14)
We can look at the clear example of Cornelius in the book of Acts. Cornelius was a Roman soldier. And look what the Bible says about him in Acts 10:1-2 “At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.” Note, how it says he “feared God, gave alms, and even prayed!” Yet, we read that God sent the Apostle Peter to preach to him. If he already believed in God, he was already a Christian, right? Sorry, but nope.
He believed in God, which is a step in the right direction, but He still had not believed in Jesus Christ. And we see that when Peter came to him, he told him about Jesus Christ. “…And he [Jesus] commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he [Jesus] is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him [Jesus] all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him [Jesus] receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”(Acts 10:42-43) The Bible tells us, “While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.” (Acts 10:44) It was when Cornelius and his household heard about Jesus Christ and believed in HIM that salvation came! Before Peter came and told them the Gospel, they were not saved…it was only AFTER they heard the truth about Jesus Christ!
People may argue “Well, that doesn’t sound very fair, to make people believe in Jesus Christ and not just God” But I remind you of Romans 9:14-18; “What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.‘ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.’ So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.”
God is sovereign. He can do whatever He wants. And John 3:16-18 so clearly teaches; “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him [Jesus] should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him [Jesus]. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)