Man was created to live in a vibrant relationship with God. When we live apart from that reality we live in a habitat not conducive to our fullness of life. True salvation can only come from one source for it is only one source that brings true life. Our life force is sapped dry by separation from God and we can only find the eternal life in which we were designed to live from God.
When Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life," he was making an incredible declaration. He is not only the source of life, He is life itself. Moreover, He is the way to Himself and the Truth. Salvation is not given by Him. Salvation is Him. He is the life we need and when we come to Him through Him He communions with us making us one with Him as He is one with the Father. Thus salvation comes only from Him who is the Savior. It cannot be separated from Him, for it is His identity.
Jesus stunningly stated that, "before Abraham was, I am." He was on the verge of being stoned for saying such an incredible statement. He was not only uttering the name of the Lord God given to Moses thousands of years past, but He was uttering it as His own name. The magnitude of this choice of words was not lost on the crowd as those who did not receive him, picked up stones to levy upon him.
People often want to believe that salvation could come from a variety of sources or a diversity of paths, but in reality we desire that because we do not trust in the goodness of God. We think that surely there must be other ways, because a good God would not want any to perish. We don't trust His ways as being good. We think we might have a better way and we cheapen the Gospel to accommodate when in reality we create a situation that keeps people from the life of Christ instead of bringing them to Him.
It is quiet true that God would not want any to perish; this is precisely why He sent His Son to take all the sin and corruption of this world upon Himself thereby redeeming the life of all creation. The Son of God, who knew no sin, took on our sin and died for our sin so we can have life everlasting. Jesus said He came to the world, not to condemn the world, but to give anyone who desires eternal life. Every tribe, tongue, and nation has the same way to the Father.
Reports are coming out of the Middle East presently of Muslims having dreams and visions of the risen Lord giving their lives to Jesus without ever meeting a missionary or reading a Bible. Whole communities of believers are forming in the midst of Islamic nations to worship Jesus.
Jesus has a way of getting past religious barriers to the hearts and desires of people. He is not just the God of the Jews or the God of the Christians; He is the God of the nations. Jesus was talking to His father in John 17 and He said that the world will know we are of Christ by the love that we have for one another. It is this testimony of love that will show the world that God has sent Jesus to the nations to redeem them.
Jesus further instructed his disciples in John 13:34 -35 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Looking for another way to God other than Jesus doesn't help bring the nations to the Father for Jesus says that no one comes to the Father except through Him. He even said if you have seen me you have seen my Father. To point away from Christ, is not to help the world, but to hinder the world. Our lives and words should reflect and point to our Lord. This is the way to bring salvation and restoration to the nations. Philippians 2: 16 relates that believers "shine like stars in the universe as [we] hold out the word of life . . ." We want the world to know the love of God; we do that by loving them as Jesus loves them.