My father is one of my heroes. He was a faithful preacher of the gospel and a consistent witness for Jesus Christ in both his walk and talk. Just as important, he stood faithfully for the truth that Jesus Himself is the way, the truth and the life, and that no one could come to the Father except through Him (John 14:6).

One Sunday while serving as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Danville, Kentucky, he preached a wonderfully clear and articulate sermon on the exclusiveness of salvation in Jesus Christ. He said Jesus alone was fully God and fully man, and it is through faith in His death on the cross and triumphant resurrection that people may experience full forgiveness and complete salvation.

The next morning at the post office a well-meaning lady who had heard his particularly powerful oration begged to differ with his key point and premise. "Pastor Roberts," she began, "I believe that there are many ways to God and just like we both ended up here at the post office, having taken different routes and roads from our respective neighborhoods, so I believe everyone will reach the same place when they die."

In his wit and wisdom, my father answered, "That's an interesting and popular concept, but I have a major problem with it." She eagerly waited for his explanation. "And that is," he went on, "when I die, I don't want to go to the post office!" The point was made! Christ alone is sufficient. No other religion can ever offer the assurance of salvation because generally they are based on human performance, particularly conformity to religious rules and rituals. But the Christian gospel offers salvation full and free, because the basis of eternal life is centered on Christ and not on human effort. Insidiously, incrementally and perhaps even unknowingly "post office religion" (everyone can come in their own way to God) has crept into too many pulpits and too many Christians' worldviews. As a result, the edge for evangelism has been dulled and many believers' commitment to share Christ has been lost in the muddle.

What should the church do? The obvious facts of the faith need to be reviewed, reassessed and their implications reapplied to the church's evangelistic mission. Fact one is--all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Our personal struggles and the lives of many of our public officials bear graphic testimony to this fact. Or, as a friend of mine has put it--"People who don't believe in sin, original or otherwise, need to have children of their own!"

How true.

Fact two--Jesus is the Savior of the world and the sole way to the Father (John 14:1-6). He and He alone paid the price for sin. It should be patently clear that, being the God-man, He is both human--able to suffer, bleed and die for sin; and He is deity--able to pay an infinite atonement for us. This is good news! And it is the theology of the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14).

While post office thinking might appeal to popular thought, it is not consistent with the facts of scripture. Let's be clear that if it is heaven we desire, then it is Jesus Christ Who is the way.

Phil Roberts is director of Interfaith Witness Evangelism, North American Mission Board.