“I think you’re being very narrow-minded.” That’s what the very educated recluse said to me, proudly standing amongst his plethora of books. By God’s providence a friend and I had located his home in the middle of nowhere and were sharing our Christian faith with him, a man content to live alone, far away from others. I recall our conversation years ago as something of a parallel to the dialogue between “Christian” and “Mr. Worldly Wiseman” in Bunyan’s famous allegory, The Pilgrim’s Progress.
“Well after all,” I replied, “The Bible does say, ‘Narrow is the way that leads to life.’” With that rejoinder, the man became very agitated and sternly replied, “That’s not what I meant!”
Okay, maybe I would have said it a little differently today–but I still would have said it.
Jesus Himself says it in Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
According to the Bible, salvation and the forgiveness of sin are found only in Christ. In what is perhaps the most “narrow-minded” verse of the Bible, Jesus declares: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6).”
Make no mistake: Jesus’ words here are unambiguously narrow insofar as describing a salvation found exclusively in Him.
Other verses similarly describe a way of salvation that is very narrow in size and scope. Referring to Jesus, Peter says in Acts 4:12, “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” And Paul states in 1 Timothy 2:5, “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
Truth, by nature, is inherently narrow. Truth is the precise assertion of a fact that never can be proven false. 2+2 can only equal 4, every single time. It can never equal anything else. Try defending some other answer before a mathematics professor and you’ll find yourself in a losing battle!
Arthur F. Holmes famously wrote, “All truth is God’s truth wherever it be found.” Indeed, whether found in the discipline of mathematics or in the pages of Scripture, truth is a creation of God Himself.
My argumentative challenger was suggesting Christians need to be more “open-minded” on theological issues. My suggestion is that when it comes to theologically precise statements such as John 14:6, a reverent “narrow-mindedness” allows the words of Jesus to stand on their own.
The implication that one must be more “open-minded” on clear biblical truths carries an intrinsic danger: one can be so open-minded that his brain falls out of his skull!
While Christians rightly engage the unbelieving culture around them, they are wise to avoid the peril of jettisoning narrow truth for an easy stroll down the wide and broad way that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13).
What About You?
- While this post underscores the appropriateness of being “narrow minded” on certain issues, when is being narrow-minded not good?
- What other biblical texts teach that salvation is found only in the God of the Bible?
- Do you know Christ as your only Savior? If not, trust Him today.
Anonymous
Only one way to enter. Thank God for Grace!!!