A podcast listener and a friend of ours, a woman writes in, Dear Pastor John, I live in

Singapore, a multi-racial and multi-religious small country in Southeast Asia.

Non-believer sometimes feel the gospel is offensive or extreme because we say that

Jesus is the truth and the only way to heaven.

I have had people reply by saying, so are you saying my religion is fake or I will go

to hell when I die?

All religions teach good things.

We should respect all religions.

So how should we handle such a reply, especially in the letter of comment about respecting

all religions?

In my society, I find it sensitive to tackle and to discuss this topic.

What would you say, Pastor John, about handling the offense of the gospel in a pluralistic

society?

I think the first thing to say is that the gospel of Jesus Christ, as the Bible presents

it, is offensive.

And it is extreme until God opens the eyes of the heart and calls people out of darkness,

the darkness of rebellion into the light of faith.

For example, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1.23, we preach Christ crucified a stumbling block

to the Jews and foolishness, to the Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and

Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

The words stumbling block and foolishness are very similar to the accusation that the

gospel is offensive and extreme and it's true until the calling of God opens their

...