Theological Term of the Week: Exclusivism
Thursday, June 16, 2022 at 3:30AM 
The belief that Jesus Christ is the only Saviour and faith in him is necessary for salvation.
- From scripture:
That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? (Romans 10:9-14 ESV)
- From the Westminster Larger Catechism:
Question 60: Can they who have never heard the gospel, and so know not Jesus Christ, nor believe in him, be saved by their living according to the light of nature?
Answer: They who, having never heard the gospel, know not Jesus Christ, and believe not in him, cannot be saved, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, or the laws of that religion which they profess; neither is there salvation in any other, but in Christ alone, who is the Savior only of his body the church
- From The “Very Destestable and Pernicious” Doctrine of Inclusivism by Robert Reymond:
The Bible is solicitous that Christians understand that the nations are lost, unsaved, and perishing without God. They are under divine condemnation, not just because they have never heard of Christ, but more primarily because they are transgressors of God’s holy law. Christians should pray that God will melt their own hearts and remove all that would blind their eyes that they may see their world as it really is—a world on a collision course with the flames of divine judgment! And they should pray that God will empower them and send them to that world with the “good news” of his redeeming love in Christ who is the only true Savior of mankind.
Learn more:
- Got Questions: Inclusivism vs exclusivism - what does the Bible say?
- Kevin DeYoung: Clarifying Inclusivism and Exclusivism
- James Anderson: Is There Only One Way of Salvation?
- Sam Storms: 10 Things You Should Know About the Exclusivity of Jesus Christ or the Scandal of Particularity
- R. C. Sproul: Is It Arrogant to Say Jesus Is the Only Way?
- Alistair Begg: Is the Exclusivity of Christ Unjust? (video)
Related terms:
Filed under Isms and Salvation
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