“For in Christ all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.” - Colossians 1:19-20
The biggest obstacle to anyone who says all paths lead to God and all religions are the same is a person named Jesus. No other founder of any faith has ever claimed to be who Jesus claimed to be or claimed to do what Jesus said He came to do. Jesus is the only one who claimed to be the Son of God and claimed to be God in the flesh. He is the only founder of any faith who accepted the worship of His followers. He is the only One who claimed that He died, not for Himself, but for the sins of the whole world.
Neither Mohammed, Buddha, Krishna, nor any other spiritual leader has ever died for anyone except himself. Not one has claimed to have lived a perfect, sinless life except for Jesus Christ. None except Jesus has performed miracles like healing the sick and raising the dead. Only Jesus claimed to be both God and man. If you had gone to Buddha and asked, “Are you the son of Brahma?” He would have said, “My son, you are still in the veil of allusion.” If you had gone to Socrates and said, “Are you the son of Zeus?” he would have laughed at you. If you had gone to Mohammed and asked, “Are you Allah?” he would have torn his clothes and cut off your head.
Christianity alone is centered on a person. Every other religion is based on the teaching of its founder and who he claimed God to be, but never on the founder himself. Christianity is based on Jesus – His acts and who He claimed to be. This is why Christians simply cannot agree that all religions teach the same thing. If that is true, then Jesus is a liar: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6). And the Apostle Paul is a liar: “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ.” (1 Timothy 2:5).
Simply put, if what Jesus said is true then every other religion is false. But if even one other religion is true then what Jesus claimed has to be false. It cannot be both. And the most loving thing any of us can do is to present this truth to others and ask them to decide what they believe about Jesus.
Father, I believe that Jesus is exactly who He said He was. Give me compassion and boldness to share this truth with others in love today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Topics: God's Kingdom
