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<\/source><\/picture>Muhammad Ali was proud of his boxing prowess and often exclaimed, \u201cI am the greatest!\u201d To some, Ali was stating the truth. They considered him the greatest of all time. To others, Ali was being arrogant. Arrogance can be subjective.<\/p>\n
What makes a claim arrogant? Any definition that is applied to a claim will still make it disputable. The veracity of a claim is independent of whether one deems it arrogant or not.<\/p>\n
The Gospel invites people to repent, so people can get emotional and seek to undermine it by applying labels. I remain convinced that the Gospel is indispensable to humankind by its unique message of God\u2019s grace, and a charge of \u201carrogance\u201d is inappropriate.<\/p>\n
The Gospel answers the question of whether Jesus of Nazareth was Christ. What\u2019s at stake is of ultimate significance. If Jesus was indeed equal with God, then the Gospel\u2019s meaning for humankind is serious. The supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ would take precedence over all other religions and worldviews, and the message becomes all or nothing. Do you see how easily it can become an emotionally charged topic? That is why proponents of the Gospel are sometimes perceived as making arrogant claims.<\/p>\n
Intellectuals have always arisen to contest the Gospel, and Christian apologists were urged to respond. The classic trilemma of C.S. Lewis sought to provide a rationale for belief in the deity of Jesus. Lewis reasoned that when Jesus spoke of Himself as equal with God, He was either insane, lying, or telling the truth. A brilliant teacher like Jesus could not have been crazy. Lying was inconsistent with His overall teaching and there was no motive to mislead people.<\/p>\n
Lewis concluded that the reasonable position was that Jesus was revealing the Truth. There have been critiques of Lewis\u2019s trilemma; notably, that there could be other alternatives that require consideration. Nevertheless, I believe that Jesus is Lord because any alternative belief will not harmonize with the New Testament\u2019s teaching on the efficacy of God\u2019s grace. In other words, if Jesus is not Lord, then He was just another martyr and no martyr can offer the regenerative experience of God\u2019s grace. Only Christ can say to everyone throughout the ages, \u201cCome to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest\u201d (Matt. 11:28).<\/p>\n
Furthermore, let\u2019s note a rule of logic that has withstood the test of time, and is germane to the conversation. The law of the excluded middle is that a claim is either true or false. There is no middle option and an opinion of arrogance is in any case irrelevant. Nowadays I find that skeptics disregard this rule because they don\u2019t like the conversation\u2019s direction. When Jesus said, \u201cI am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me\u201d (John 14:6), He was either speaking the truth or He was not. There is no middle option. Open-mindedness should concern itself with exploring the truth of this claim while dismissing emotionalism.<\/p>\n
Now the Gospel doesn\u2019t predetermine the efficacy of grace based on gender, race, level of education, socio-economic status, or political affiliation. Neither does it have an ulterior motive. It invites repentance, and \u201call have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift\u201d (Rom. 3:23). It promises forgiveness, new life, peace, and a living reconciliation with God. This can either be accepted or declined. A perception of arrogance stems from a convicted heart that desires an excuse because self-centeredness is considered of more value than repentance.<\/p>\n
Here skeptics push back by underscoring that the Gospel threatens unbelievers. Ironically, this fails to acknowledge that the Gospel’s purpose is to save people from sin and from a world that is constantly threatening humanity with nuclear war, violence, human and drug trafficking, greed, malevolence, and exploitation. All inhabitants of the world are vulnerable to these threats. Perpetrators of the foregoing can be redeemed and regenerated to make better contributions to the world. Otherwise, God is our Maker and He has the right to impose ultimate justice. The clich\u00e9 that \u201cJesus is our only hope\u201d remains a marvelous truth.<\/p>\n
Finally, the Gospel does not vet or prefer anyone. Jesus taught, \u201cGo therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find\u201d (Matt. 22:9). Those who accept the Lord\u2019s invitation receive a white robe from Him. After Paul recited sinful behaviors, he wrote: \u201cAnd such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God\u201d (1 Cor. 6:11). <\/p>\n
The Gospel is gracious, merciful, indiscriminate, and loving. It\u2019s also unassuming, unpretentious and humbling, and these are antonyms of \u201carrogance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marlon De Blasio is a cultural apologist, Christian writer and author of\u00a0Discerning Culture<\/em>.<\/a>\u00a0He lives in Toronto with his family. Follow him at\u00a0MarlonDeBlasio@Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST<\/strong> newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nFree<\/span> Religious Freedom Updates<\/h2>\n