Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except by me.”  Yet, Gandhi said, “If Christians actually practiced what the Christ taught, all India would be Christian” and “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. ”  Why would he say that?  Well, because Christians are so unlike the Christ we say we serve.  Most of us are hypocrites, and Jesus was not a hypocrite.  He taught us to love our neighbor and he loved his neighbor.  We don’t.   He told us to sin not and he sinned not.  We sin often and some of us continually.  Some of us actually teach that God blesses us and affirms us in our sin, and teach others that their sin is really not sin.  Gandhi knew that Jesus taught that one should not steal, yet he saw “Christians” steal from his Indian countrymen continually.  No wonder he did not like us Christians!

So, we Christians know that we serve a God of truth, Jesus the Christ, and yet we act in ways that are not true.  For example, Jesus taught us that he loved the world.  He said that he loved it so much that he gave his life for it.  Did he lie?  Then why do we say that his death and resurrection mean nothing to most of the world?  Why do we so smugly preach that most of mankind will burn in hell?

    For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.  (1 Tim. 4:10 ESV) 

Do you hear this?  Jesus is the Savior of all people.  He died for the world, all of it!  He died to reconcile the world to God.  Did he fail?  No.  Then why do we preach that he did fail?  Why do we continue to hold to the doctrine that he will burn the vast majority of the world’s population in a burning hell forever?  Is this the kind of God we serve?  Do we serve a God who will send nine out of ten of his children to everlasting torment?  I don’t think so, but why is there so much difference of opinion on even this, one of the six foundational doctrines of Christian faith?

The reason is that none of us knows the truth perfectly.  The problem is that most of us, once we have a little bit of it, go off and broadcast to the world as if we possess it all.  “Let few of you be teachers,” said the apostle, “for teachers will be held to a higher standard and will be accountable for what they teach.”  In other words, be not hasty to proclaim your ignorance.  The Truth is profound and God does not give it easily away.  That’s why so few know it still.  Reading The Shack may help you begin to really know…