Many have a problem with Christianity's claim to exclusivity, yet logic demands it. They say it is arrogant for Christians to assume what they believe is better than what everyone else believes, and that people can know anything for sure. Everyone is prone to err, no human is omniscient, and only fools never change their mind; but I would submit to you that we can know some things for sure, Christianity demands exclusivity to the truth, and it is by far the most complete and rational worldview.
Though some may deny it, I do affirm that we know certain things for sure. One such example is the laws of logic. Upon the self evident truth that a statement and its negative cannot both be true, the entire system of logic and reason depends. The entire thinking world, to my understanding, holds this as solid truth and uses it to reason between truth and error. Monotheism understands this truth as a way for us to think according to God and therefore as eternally true and applicable. The infidel uses it only because it works, but has no basis in his worldview for its eternal truth, other than to say it ever first began would inescapably lead to contradictions and leave the infidel without a way to reason at all. In other words, the atheist must borrow logic from the monotheist with no way to consistently affirm it within his own worldview.
This leads us right into the reason Christianity demands exclusivity. This does not mean that other religions don't have any truth. I believe all religions may have a share of truth, some certainly more than others. Even lies begin with some basis in truth before running into some concealed contradiction. But if the God of the Bible is true, then all other gods are false. So insofar as one's beliefs are supported by the teaching of this all-wise God, every opposite view point cannot be true, has no utility, and must be discarded. True Christianity is based on the Holy Bible, which claims to be the inspired word of God. Therefore, directly from the self-evident laws of logic, Christianity demands that all opposing views are not alternatives but ultimately a lie and corrosive to the good of man. This is a death knell to the popular notion of relative truth, and the notion that if it makes you happy, then it is good for you. For what good is it for someone to be happy with a lie? What good is comfort in a delusion? It is as good as not knowing that the vessel that is currently sailing you to a promising destination has a hole in the keel and will sink you before you arrive.
Seeing then that Christianity cannot abide with other religions, why should we take it over other religions? The answer is Christ Jesus of Nazareth who said he is the way, the truth and the light. I want to share an extended excerpt from Hassell's Church History, because I cannot give a more sure evidence that Jesus proves the sublime truth of the Bible. It can be found on pp. 4-5. Thanks to pbministries.org for having this in electronic format.
The composition of the New Testament in the first century of the Christian era inevitably implies not only the pre-existence of the Old Testament for hundreds of years before that time, but the reverent belief of Christ and His Apostles in the divine inspiration of the Old Testament. Christ is both the main substance and the chief witness and guarantor of the truth of the Old Testament Scriptures. Believers before the flood dimly beheld Him as the suffering but victorious seed of the woman. Abraham rejoicingly saw Him as his own seed in whom all the families of the earth were to be blessed. Jacob viewed Him as the descendant of his son Judah, the Shiloh, unto whom the gathering of the people should be. Moses saw Him as the Prophet whom the Lord God would raise up like unto him, from among his brethren, to whom they were to give ear. Job, in the depth of his affliction, beheld Him as his Divine Redeemer, who should stand at the latter day upon the earth. David saw Him as his own Son and the Son of God, the anointed King of Zion, yet agonizing before God, and pierced in His hands and feet by the assembly of the wicked, and going down into the dust of death, but not seeing corruption, and rising from all the humiliation of His earthly life, and passing, as the King of Glory, within the everlasting gates, and sitting down on the right hand of God, the almighty and gentle Shepherd of Israel, ruling in the midst of His enemies, making His people willing in the day of His power, making them lie down in green pastures, leading them beside the still waters, restoring their souls, leading them in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake, accompanying them all the days of their lives with His goodness and mercy, giving them the victory over every foe, even death, and making them dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Isaiah beheld Him as Immanuel, God with us, a child born, a son given, whose name was Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace, the sure foundation-stone laid in Zion, tried and precious, and as the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, bruised for our iniquities and healing us with His stripes. Jeremiah saw Him as the Lord our Righteousness. Ezekiel beheld Him as a man and yet as the Lord, of a bright, fiery appearance, seated upon a sapphire throne, and encircled with a rainbow. Daniel saw Him as a little stone cut out of the mountain, breaking in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold of Nebuchadnezzar’s image, and as the Son of man coming with the clouds of heaven to the Ancient of days, and acquiring universal and everlasting dominion, and as Messiah the Prince, who should come to the holy city, and be cut off but not for Himself, and should make an end of sins, and bring in an everlasting righteousness, and seal up the vision and prophecy, a short time before the destruction of the city and sanctuary. Micah beheld Him as the Ruler of Israel, whose goings forth had been from everlasting, coming out of Bethlehem-Ephratah. Haggai saw Him as the Desire of all nations, coming to the second temple, and filling it with greater spiritual glory than the first temple, and in that place giving peace. Zechariah saw Him as the King of Zion, just and having salvation, lowly, and riding upon a colt the foal of an ass into Jerusalem, betrayed for thirty pieces of silver, pierced by the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but bringing them to mourn with a great and solitary mourning for Him, and opening to them a fountain for sin and for uncleanness—as the Shepherd of God, a man, and yet the equal of the Lord of hosts, smitten by the sword of God, who them turns his hand of mercy upon the little ones. And Malachi beheld Him as the Messenger of the covenant, the Lord suddenly coming to His temple, and purifying the sons of Levi as gold and silver in the furnace, that they might offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness, and as the Sun of Righteousness arising, unto all that fear His name, with healing in His wings. And Jesus always refers, in the most reverential manner, to the Hebrew Scriptures as the infallible, the literally and perfectly true testimony of God. The same books of the Old Testament that we now receive were then received by the Jews and by Christ as canonical and inspired. Christ, in His sayings recorded in the New Testament, alludes to every period of the Old Dispensation. “He speaks of the creation of man, the institution of marriage, the death of Abel, the flood in the days of Noah, the destruction of Sodom, the history of Abraham, the appearance of God in the burning bush, the manna in the wilderness, the miracle of the brazen serpent, the wanderings of David, the glory of Solomon, the ministry of Elijah and Elisha, the sign of Jonah, and the martyrdom of Zechariah—events which embrace the whole range of the Jewish record.” Whatever, therefore, may be said by self-constituted, pretentious, ungodly and ignorant critics in regard to what they presume to call the incredible myths of the Bible, the children of God may be as perfectly assured of the literal truth of every word of the Old Testament, as well as of the New Testament, as if every word had been written by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
Clearly Jesus didn't just show up on the scene and claim for himself that he is the Son of God, he was foretold in detail by the law and the prophets. Only God can predict the future in this level of detail, and as a further proof of his work, he used many writers in many different times and places. He also declared himself God by the deeds he did, which only God can do. The writers of the new testament were not just relating stories that they heard, but things they saw first hand. 2 Peter 1:16. Christianity is a religion based not on blind faith; but on prophecies which are mathematically impossible for these prophets not to have been inspired, works which had multiple eyewitnesses sacrificing their lives even to death affirming it, by Jesus' own perfect doctrine, and ultimately his own resurrection. The huge masses who have believed this truth throughout the Christian age, have not put trust in one man's vision, but in an entire system of revelation indicative of only God. The Bible is not just a book. It is a hundred times better documented than any other book of antiquity, was written by some forty different authors in multiple regions and ages, with one spiritually unified message. It presents not just a contemporary answer to difficult questions, but timeless truth. Therefore it is always fresh and applicable to our life and the questions to which human philosophy is utterly blind.
In conclusion, Christianity alone gives the only worldview which give a complete, non-arbitrary, and consistent explanation of the existence of the world and the purpose for our lives. It is not arrogant for us to belief fully and, because we didn't discover or devise this, it has been revealed and proven to us. I believe it and therefore offer no apology for its exclusivity--however unpopular it may be--other than the law of contradictions, which is an essential aspect of the basis of all rational thought. May the love and peace of God, which surpasses understanding be with you all, and may we never be ashamed to say to anyone "Let God be true, but every man a liar."
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