From the essay:
The correct understanding of John 14:6 is that Jesus is the gatekeeper to Heaven. Nobody gets to the Father, that is, gets into Heaven, except by being let in by Jesus. Jesus may let them in for whatever reasons He chooses. He is not required to let in only those who believe in Him [Please note, God will let in only those who accept the Lordship of Christ as He has stated clearly in His Word, for Jesus is both 'gatekeeper', and Bridegroom to The Church He has purchased. We'll address this further below, the timing of 'accepting' or having applied His Lordship and how God measures the heart to know this fact.]
The Biblical fact is this: belief in Jesus is the sure way to avoid Hell, but it is not necessarily the only way. Jesus Himself said that you can avoid Hell by doing good to other people out of love for them. This is the entire meaning of the Parable of the Sheep And The Goats. In this parable, there is no mention whatsoever of faith: it is pure works based on love. God accepts your good works toward others as if they were good works done to Him in love. He counts your love for others as righteousness (see Matthew 25:46, below).
Please note that these are not "works of the law" but works of love.
When I referred to the wedding garments, it is plain in scripture that no one will be at the wedding unless they are 'blood washed' or 'wearing the garment of His righteousness purchased with His blood'. The two significant groups at the wedding are the Bride and the guests, both there by way of His atonement on the cross. The difference in identifying the groups is derived from the life lived, whether dedicated to His Life transfroming the soul or not. The 'not' category who show up at the wedding feast have escaped Hell 'as by fire', where they were judged at the Great White Throne, their works were exposed to the purity of His righteousness and burnt up, but they escaped the fire because they had the heart to love others as themselves and love God (that means not only believe there is a creator God but that as an individual they had 'to do' with the Creator God as best they understood that 'doing' process).
To shorten this and cut to the chase, many in Heaven will be surprised to see Buddhists and Bahai's and Mormons and even Moslems at the wedding feast of the Lamb and His Bride, but you may be sure that God has some way to measure the heart of man, to determine whether that one will accept Christ's authority or not, and the where/when of that measurement may not be on this side of death, though we are certain from scripture that the measurement is done on this side of death for those who will be counted as His Bride. Without further explanation, it is misleading to state: 'The Biblical fact is this: belief in Jesus is the sure way to avoid Hell, but it is not necessarily the only way. Jesus Himself said that you can avoid Hell by doing good to other people out of love for them.' The acts of love done are the means by which God measures the heart of those who never had the opportunity to accept His Lordship on this side of death. That is why the Bible makes clear, 'now is the time, this is the hour, the Holy Spirit whispers, but will not always.'
Romans 10:14:
"How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?"
and in continuing:
16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. 18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:
"Their voice has gone out into all the earth,19 Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,
their words to the ends of the world."
"I will make you envious by those who are not a nation;20 And Isaiah boldly says,
I will make you angry by a nation that has no
understanding."
"I was found by those who did not seek me;
I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me."