I was just talking to a friend at breakfast. We are frequently on opposite sides of the fence, but enjoy the banter. At one point today, while on a different subject, he said that that there are many ways to God.
“Then do you reject Jesus’ words as something someone made up?” He answered that if the Bible said that, he rejected it.
If you reject what Jesus says in the Gospels, then you have no reason (other than a philosophical agreement with Jesus’ teachings) to be a Christian. BUT, if you reject Jesus’ words about himself, you have no way to know what His philosophy was. The Sermon on the Mount? How do you know He ever said those things if you do not accept that He said other things? Your philosophical following of Jesus makes no sense.
Christianity is not a buffett. “I think Jesus said this, but not that.” Or “I agree with Jesus on this, but not that.” Christianity is not even a philosophy–it is a Person. Eye witnesses recorded His bodily resurrection from the dead. If that is not true, as Paul said, then we are of all people to be most pitied. Eye witnesses tell us that He said, “No one comes to the Father except by Me.” His resurrection proves that he was telling the truth.
This isn’t just about what many feel is Christian “exclusivism”. Ask an Islamic person, or a Jewish person if they believe that what their religion teaches is right and true; ask them if they accept the words of their holy writings? Christians seem to be among the few religions that has members who believe only what they feel like believing.
If you disagree, sit down and do some study–make an informed decision on what you believe about the religion that you claim to follow.
Denominational doctrine is not the question here. The question concerns whether you accept Jesus as He presented Himself. If not, then on what do you base your Christianity?