Word Count: 1238

The Exclusivity of Christ

The year 2005 has been an extremely full year for my husband and me. He faced his fourth battle with an extremely rare form of cancer, which necessitated a precarious, four-hour surgery and many subsequent trips for radiation treatment to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. His recent cancer accounts for ½ of 1% of all newly diagnosed cancers and, thus far, his treatments have proved successful.

This past February and after consultations with numerous doctors at Ochsner’s Clinic in New Orleans, I faced my own cancer scare with the strong possibility of colon cancer. Specialized testing had to be done at Mayo Clinic and, thankfully, their tests ruled out any malignancies.

But, what if the Mayo test had indicated that I had a terminal condition? I would certainly have exhausted all resources in searching the world-over for a cure, just as we had done for my husband. What if someone discovered a guaranteed cure, not only for colon cancer, but ALL types of cancer—ONE cure for ALL cancers, for ALL people, easily accessible, and FREE? Would any terminally ill patient be so foolish as to object to the “exclusivity” of the cure—the fact that it is the one and only cure? I think not, yet a similar and, yes, even more serious analogy is debated throughout our world on a daily basis.

Where on our planet, you might ask, would anyone dare debate “exclusivity” in such an untenable manner when the need for a cure for the terminal condition is so great? With so many lives at stake, why would the “singleness” of the cure become a stumbling block to the terminally ill? Why would any reasonable, contemplative person be offended or indignant with the notion of “one,” exclusive cure? Would not everyone be rejoicing at such wonderful and good news—telling every terminally ill patient whom they know?

However, when the topic of spirituality is discussed, many not only disdain and ridicule the notion that all of humanity is terminally ill “spiritually” (i.e., none is perfect and all are sinners born with the sin nature inherited from our forefather, Adam), but many also scorn the notion that The Great Physician has given us the single and most exclusive cure for our condition: Himself, in the Person of Jesus Christ. This Cure, by Definition and by Its very Nature, is Exclusive, for this Cure is God Incarnate. God is a “One and Only” God—The Most High—or else He would cease to be uniquely and definitively Almighty God. His uniqueness is demonstrated in the angelic announcement to young Mary of the birth of “The” Exclusive Being. The angel used what we might initially think is a somewhat crude descriptor of The Child, for he called Him a “Holy Thing,” yet, upon reflection, the description speaks volumes regarding His “Essence” and “Exclusivity.”

“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that HOLY THING which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

Jesus Christ as the Exclusive Way and Sacrifice for the sins of all humanity was foreshadowed in many visible, physical Old Testament examples, so that we might understand the unseen, spiritual import of His crucifixion and resurrection in the New: One (exclusive) seed of Woman to bruise Satan’s head; One (exclusive) door to the Ark of Noah; One (exclusive) window in the top of Noah’s Ark through which to view Heaven; One (exclusive) place of worship—the Tabernacle of Moses; One (exclusive) gate into the Tabernacle; One (exclusive) altar of sacrifice; One (exclusive) means of sacrifice—the blood and life of an unblemished, spotless, substitutionary, innocent lamb—offered twice daily as a continual burnt offering; One (exclusive) opening into the tent of the Tabernacle where the exclusive, manifest Presence of the Shekinah Light of God could be seen; One (exclusive) High Priest to enter the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle… and so on throughout the pages of the Old Testament. In the New Testament Christ reaffirmed with His own words that He was the long-awaited “Exclusive One” to which the Old Testament scriptures alluded:

“Jesus saith unto him, I am THE way, the truth, and the life: NO MAN cometh unto the Father, but BY ME” (John 14:6).

For Jesus to make such a mind-boggling statement of exclusivity, either He is God Incarnate, or He is just another deluded, religious madman from the Middle East. The grandiosity of such a statement forces the reader to make one of the only two possible, logical conclusions.

This Cure for mankind’s terminal condition, though Exclusive by Nature and by virtue of the very demands of the need (who else can impart the Life of God to all of humanity but God?), is, however, ALL-INCLUSIVE, easily accessible, and free.

“And WHOSOEVER WILL let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17).

“Ho, EVERY ONE that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1).

“…and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).

God, because of His Great Love for His Creation, is not likely to leave us with uncertainty as to our eternal destiny, neither with multiple choices. If NASA scientists, when coordinating the safe landing of man upon the moon, can rely upon the absolute that 2 + 2 always equals 4, then certainly God would do no less regarding our relationship with Him, for He has left us with the absolute that repentance of sins + personal acceptance of Jesus Christ's substitutionary death at Calvary for our sins equals a safe entrance into Heaven. Why can’t we humans be comforted by such an absolute and see the Wisdom of God in such an Exclusive Plan of Redemption?

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the ONLY begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).

Even though Mayo Clinic’s tests showed that I did not have cancer, nonetheless, I am in a terminal condition, just as you, dear reader, are. The cemeteries are a testament to the fact: One out of one dies. No one escapes the terminal condition which indiscriminately afflicts all of humanity—all races, all tribes, all creeds, all ages, and all cultures.

Let us rejoice this Christmas season that The Cure was laid in a manger in Bethlehem so many, many years ago. He was and is Emmanuel—God dwelling among us. He was and is Precious. As a pearl of great price, He is Exclusive, but, oh, what an Inclusive Savior, for His Redemption is freely given to all. Perhaps today is your day to hear anew and find yourself in the ancient angelic greeting from that darkened Judaean hillside:

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring YOU good tidings of great joy, which shall be to ALL PEOPLE. For unto YOU is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).

Joanne Carraway, an inductee into The International Country Gospel Music Association’s Hall of Fame, resides in Jefferson Davis County. Email her at jcarraway@starband.net.