No other name

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." – Acts 4.12

One of the accusations of Christianity is that it is an exclusivitist 'religion.' It upsets people that Christians say 'Only Christians go to heaven.'

From one perspective I guess it does seem exclusive.  The Bible does teach that only those who put their faith in Christ are going to be in heaven. I remember witnessing to woman in our home in Dublin many years ago. She made a comment something like 'it sounds like an us and you situation. Like you have something we don't.'

I explained to her that she was right. There is a bit of  'us and you' about salvation. It is a dividing line. It does make a difference.

But I went on to explain that it is not exclusive at all because though salvation is only in the name of Christ it is open to everyone. No one is left out. Christ’s invitation to salvation is 'whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

In reality our Christian faith is the opposite of exclusive. It is open to ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord’ no matter what.

There is indeed ‘no other name,’ but whoever calls on that name can be saved.