For decades diversity has represented one of the defining pillars of modern liberalism. Progressives argue that diverse groups of students and employees create healthier campuses and superior work environments because they offer broader and more distinct experiences. In principle the idea makes a lot of sense. I’ve certainly witnessed its value at work and in school.

Unfortunately, in practice liberals tend to practice a discriminatory version of diversity – welcoming those moored to their political philosophy and rejecting those who subscribe to a conservative worldview. Rather than create truly diverse environments, then, liberals have used diversity as a club to bludgeon their political and ideological opponents and construct a very narrow and rigid worldview on campus and in the halls of progressive governments.

Perhaps the group most frequently targeted for exclusion and derision by denizens of diversity are evangelical Christians, whom the left loves to loathe. What’s ironic about liberalism’s antagonism for Christianity is that no academic institution, company, or community is as diverse as the body of Christ. More ubiquitous than Coke, Christians exist in every country and in the vast majority of towns and villages across every continent, including those openly hostile to the faith.

In fact, Christianity’s fastest growth this past century has occurred in places where opposition has been the most intense and brutal. For example, Christianity has exploded in China, despite governmental efforts and crackdowns, and is now home to more than one hundred million believers, many of whom practice their faith in small house churches to avoid the reach of government’s heavy hand.

Similarly, in the Middle East Christianity is experiencing a renaissance unseen for more than a millennium as more and more Muslims confess Jesus as Lord. Their embrace of Christ is not without risk, though, since conversion to Christianity is punishable by death in many Islamic countries.

Jesus’ universal appeal comes as no surprise to those familiar with the Bible. When the apostle John describes heaven in the book of Revelation he sees, “A great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb (Jesus), clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9-10, NKJV).

What incredible diversity!! Every people group, every dialect, every ethnicity will be represented in heaven. That’s exciting.

But Christianity doesn’t just thrive across dissimilar cultures, countries, and communities; it flourishes across every demographic imaginable, including economic status, political affiliation, social status, age, educational background, and profession. Moreover, it attracts those of every physical feature and every attribute, no matter how unique: tall/short, obese/slender, beautiful/ugly, genius/dimwit, athletic/clumsy, extrovert/introvert, leader/follower, successful/failure, popular/outcast, optimist/naysayer.

That list doesn’t even scratch the surface of heaven’s diversity. And no surprise since Jesus offers eternal life to everyone, without exception. No matter who you are or what you’ve done, Jesus is ready to accept you into His kingdom.

Scripture tells us God “is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9b, NKJV). Consequently, He exercises patience in drawing all of us to Him and giving us more time than we deserve to repent from our sins and surrender our lives to Him.

Paul reinforces this idea in his second epistle to Timothy, telling us God “wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4, NLT). And what truth does He want us to understand? He tells us in the next two verses: “There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity – the man Christ Jesus. He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone.”

While these verses make clear that God makes salvation available to every person on the planet, they also demonstrate that only one path to eternal life exists – and that is through Jesus Christ. Sadly, much of humanity rejects the simplicity of the gospel, insisting they play a role in earning their way to heaven and demanding that God honor the teaching of other faiths. But on this point God is unequivocal. Jesus alone is the path to life; all others lead to destruction.

Aren’t you glad God extends His offer of everlasting life to everyone? Isn’t it great heaven will be the most diverse collection of souls ever assembled? In view of God’s diverse plan for heaven, let me leave you with a couple important questions.

What are you doing to fulfill John’s vision? Are you actively sharing the Good News of Jesus with those from other backgrounds, cultures, and languages, and those quite different from you? If not, how is God calling you to identify and communicate the Gospel to individuals, families, and communities who have yet to learn of Jesus’ sacrifice and love?

After all, what could be more exhilarating than introducing someone to Christ and contributing to heaven’s diversity?