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these religions, there is only one person who stands out among the others. There have
been more sermons spoken and books written on Jesus of Nazareth than any other
individual in history. He alone stands out among any other religious teacher.
Now before I go into proving this, we can honestly say that each religions founder to the
adherents of that religion believe their founder stands out. That is the very reason they
follow the religion's of their particular founder. It is attractive to them because they see
some unique redeeming quality in it, that they do not see somewhere else.
But being different and being a beacon to a certain culture at a certain time does not make
the religion or its teacher possess the truth.
Today there are many “faiths” but the bible teaches there is only one faith, the one
delivered to the saints once and for all. A recent poll taken found that 67% of Americans
believe there is no such thing as absolute truth. For many people, choosing which
religious system to join does not involve considering whether it is true. They choose what
appeals to them, what works for them (pragmatism). In Omni magazine a number of
years ago it stated it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as it works for you. This has
been embraced as the norm to know what is right and good. Unfortunately what works is
no test for truth as something can work and not be based on truth at all. Something is not
made true because we believe it. Most people today choose a religious system that
appeals to their good nature, what they are comfortable with. If it works for them they are
satisfied. If there is some selfimprovement they can work into their lives that will make
them happy that’s is enough to justify it is right and from God.
Different religions may “work” for different people in some ways. When exercising our
personal freedom of choice it cannot solve the issues of life, death, or God without
considering the real truth! There are major differences to be considered. Our choice will
not be satisfied by similar substitutes that change one’s present behavior and not their
inner corrupt nature and their destination in the afterlife. God’s truth is from His nature
and it is eternal it will affect us in an eternal way. One can be satisfied with what they
have arrived at not knowing that they would have struck gold if they would have kept on
digging.
With the option of various faiths one can pick their religion or spirituality that is
conducive to their lifestyle they want to live by. They can choose to believe in many
Gods and become a Hindu. If monotheism and strict rituals appeals to them they can
become Muslim. If they want to have an ethical way to live and do good without having
God in their life they can become a Buddhist or another religion that has ethics without
God. In this world there are many philosophies and religions all competing for our hearts.
When one searches for the truth they need to be aware of many things that we are often
not attentive of. There has been TV shows and articles about people of all faiths praying
for the sick and all seeing some results. Some did not know that others were praying for
them. This seems to imply that spirituality is all multi faceted and that it does not matter
what one believes or prays to. Our culture is very pragmatic in its approach accepting the
premise if it has worked for someone it should be accepted as valid and true. One persons
ceiling becomes another person’s floor.
This is what I call the leaky bucket syndrome. As one pours water into a gallon bucket
with a hole in it, the water slowly leaks out. Then they go and find another bucket and
pour the water into this bucket which they find has a hole in it and they go find a third
bucket to pour the water into. But no matter how many buckets you use to replace the
first one the water still leaks out. The moral of the story is, if you start with the wrong
premise, with an untruth, it will always lose its attraction later on. It will always make
less sense as one goes under the surface and finds the belief system they have held is
filled with holes. The bible teaches us there is only one foundation we can build on, that
is Jesus Christ.
Mankind has a great imagination and a pursuit of knowing so developments of spiritual
beliefs have surfaced. We are essentially spiritual beings because we have a spirit in a
body that yearns to contact God our maker. In this world we have a smorgasbord of
spirituality where one can eat freely to satisfy there hunger without knowing what they
are eating. Before one fills themselves up on this spiritual food they need to see if the
food they are ingesting is as healthy as they first thought. Certainly any newcomer to
spiritual matters can be overwhelmed with all the claims and choices.
So who is right? Are they all right as some claim, only a few or is there only one that is
right? Ask people of ten religions and you will probably get 10 answers. So what makes
Jesus and Christianity different? Jesus is unique. He came down from heaven to reach
man. While all religions are trying to reach up to God by the work of their own hands to
please him. Instead God took the initiative and reached down to us. Why? Because we do
not have the ability to please Him on our own. “He said to them, You are from below, I
am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world” (John 8:23).
So why is Jesus different? Some say if you ignore the doctrine one can find the same
promotion of practices in all religions. Yes there may be a few commonalities. This
mostly comes from our living in a day of increased communication, and by these means
our world has shrunk. This has led to more familiarity with the religious beliefs of other
people and with it has come more tolerance finding what we have in common and
ignoring the differences. We can as Christians respect people’s culture and choice but we
do not have to agree with their religious system. Instead they need to hear the gospel and
we are commanded to give it to them. After all, the gospel is God’s message of love to
the people of the earth.
This is what separates Jesus and His offer of a relationship to God which we now call
Christianity from all the other teachers of religions. If we take Buddha out of Buddhism it
goes on. One can practice Buddhism divorced from its founder. If Krishna is removed
from Hinduism the teachings and the techniques continue. One can practice Islam
without Mohammed being alive. But if we take Jesus out of Christianity it crumbles.
Because this religion (if I may be allowed to use the term), is based upon a person and
His work done on the cross, not our work. Salvation rests on the person of Christ who
must be alive or it cannot be carried out. He alone has come back to life. There is no
other religious teacher who started their religion that has died, and is alive today. None. 2
Tim. 1:910 “Calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and
grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed
by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and
immortality to light through the gospel.” It was Jesus who died for everyone’s sins no
other religious leader claims this.
If we look carefully there has never been another man or woman like Jesus. He never lied
He only told the truth even when it offended people. He lied to no one even when it
meant saving His life. He lived a life completely free from bad influences having total
integrity. If he ran for a political office all the regular people who wanted an honest man
would have voted for him. There was no one who could accuse him of any wrongdoing
so they had to make up lies. They lied about what He said throughout his ministry and
they even lied about his being raised from the dead. People continue to lie about him and
the Bibles record even to the point of the ridiculous. One of the allegations is that the
Bible was written a hundred years later after His death involving no eyewitnesses. The
records show that the writers claimed to be eyewitnesses.
He loved people more than anything in the world as He came to die so even his enemies
can be forgiven. His life was an open book to all who wanted to know Him. He did
nothing in secret. He was approachable by all willing to listen and to give perfect wisdom
in every situation. Jesus did not “borrow” His teachings from anyone. His source was
from God, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wants to do His
will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it was from God or whether I speak
of My own authority” (John 7:16,17).
His compassion was evident to all. He ate with the outcasts and undesirables of society.
“And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him saying, ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can
make me clean.’ Then Jesus put out His hand and touched Him saying, ‘I am willing; be
cleansed.’ And immediately his leprosy was cleansed” (Matthew 8:2,3). While the
Religious leaders of the day scorned certain groups of people especially those who were
not Pharisees, He instead sat and talked and ate with them. He let them know they were
loved and not rejected by God. He had compassion on those rejected by the religious
society and was for the underdog. He lifted up those who were in despair and humbled
those who elevated themselves. As Peter His disciple later writes “Therefore humble
yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all
your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6,7).
He gave us the highest standard of human morality and showed power to the helpless
beyond any normal human ability. His abilities were supernatural as He was able to see
into people’s hearts and know what they were thinking. He was able to heal with a word,
not needing to be present. There has never been another like him before or afterwards. He
affected our history in such a manner that we count our dating from the time he was born.
There is hardly a religion that does not recognize Him today.
In 1970 years He has changed millions of lives for the better and still answers those who
call upon him. No one can ever find a bad thing about him. They might find fault with the
Church but they couldn’t with Jesus when He was alive, and cannot still today. Yet
people ignore him and find others to esteem above him or just don’t believe a word He
said that is recorded in the NT. So why do many people refuse His ability to have
compassion and love them? Why do they hate him? Why do they oppose him? When He
said He is the only way, truth and life for all people? With people always appealing to
tolerance, why are they not tolerant to Jesus? The reason is because His statements of
exclusiveness are disturbing.
Because He gives an absolute standard of truth. In a world where people are led by there
feelings people become offended. He taught that we are not good in ourselves. So they
look at His teachings as negative, as He addresses fallen mankind as sinners. “He who
believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe in the Son shall not
see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36). “For all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But until one can comes to the realization that
this is their state without Christ He can’t set them free.
If all the other religions are equally valid ways to God, then the Christian claim of
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross as the one and only way would be impossible. It would be
not just one of the many ways but the only wrong way. If we could work out our own
salvation by our good deeds, religious rituals, and practices as each religion requires, God
did not have to bring the solution for our sins by crucifixion. It would have been the only
absolutely wrong thing to do!
If Jesus did not rise from the dead as He claimed then His claims and His followers are
audacious, preposterous and they would be the greatest group of deceivers of all time. He
would not be a good teacher to be listened to but should be rejected, despite all the other
wonderful things that was said and done to better mankind. It either is truth and should be
held onto like our being in a life raft alone in the middle of the sea or not a word should
go into our ears. John Warwick Montgomery a respected theologian writes that:
Christianity’s truth claim consists merely of a finger pointing back through time to an
historical figure who divided world history into two parts—to Jesus of Nazareth—to His
statements concerning Himself and true religion, and to the life He led attesting to the
statements He made. An honest, historically accurate, scientific investigation of these
data (involving chiefly a study of the documents collected in the New Testament) will
show that Jesus claimed to be God Incarnate, that He described the only true (but not the
only possible) religion consisting of fellowship with Himself, and that He attested His
claims by a sinless life which profoundly affected everyone who crossed His path, and by
a resurrection which left no doubt in the minds of eyewitnesses that He was in fact the
true God (John W. Montgomery, The Shape of The Past: An Introduction to
Philosophical Historiography, vol. 1, p. 328 1962).
No other religious teacher laid down their life for their followers like this and they
certainly did not for those who opposed them and were enemies. “For when we were
without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God
demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for
us” (Romans 5:68).
To disbelieve in the historical recoded documents that we have today one must disregard
our entire knowledge of Greco Roman history. Because our knowledge of these cultures
and the past depends upon documentation that is far less adequate and evidential than the
evidence we have for Jesus and the Bible.
Bible Scholar F. F. Bruce stated, “The historical ‘onceforallness’ of Christianity which
distinguishes it from those religious and philosophical systems, which are not specially
related to any particular time, makes the reliability of the writings which purport to
record this revelation a question of firstrate importance” (The New Testament
Documents: Are They Reliable? p. 8).
Jesus made it clear that we must choose when we hear. We are either for him or against
him. There is no neutral ground, for to make no choice is a choice in itself. Christianity is
either true reality or a figment of people’s imagination. If not the truth it is then no more
or less then the other religions, it is one option to choose among the others.
It is one thing to say God gave me a message. It is a whole other thing to say I am God
and here is the message. Those who walked with Jesus were very careful to write down
what they heard as eyewitnesses. Why believe and follow something that is not true.
Peter writes “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to
you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His
majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came
to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy
mountain.” (2 Pet .1:1618) Peter is referring to the transfiguration as they were able to
see Jesus for who he really is. As He hid himself from the people’s eyes but revealed it to
his three closest followers on the mountaintop. Peter later died for believing in Christ.
Another one of the witnesses was John who later wrote in his first epistle, “That which
was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which
we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of lifethe life
was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life
which was with the Father and was manifested to usthat which we have seen and heard
we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is
with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your
joy may be full” (I Jn.1:14). Christianity gives people the truth which in turn gives them
an unfading happiness through life. Not a happiness that is dependent on circumstanced
but a inner joy that can be constant.
The apostle Paul who was an adamant enemy of Christianity was on his way to his next
extermination of Christians when he was convinced by an experience with Jesus. “I tell
the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy
Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I
myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, to whom pertain the adoption, the
glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of
whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came who is over all,
the eternally blessed God. Amen” (Romans 9:15).
People often ask the question “Can you prove Christianity is true?” “Have you seen
God? In answering these questions no I have not seen God physically but I have
seen his touch on my life and numerous others to know it is real. After one comes into
a relationship with Him they know the difference of before and after. There is a
transforming power that is given to the recipient by faith. Christianity can be proven
to be true because it rests on the claims of Christ. But the question that needs to be
asked back is “will the person accept it if there is sufficient evidence.” Some do and
some don’t despite the evidence that is presented.
In Heb.11:3 the word of God states that what we see is made by things we do not see,
invisible things. In 1896 Roshen who began atomic physics discovered the X ray and in
1923 began to discover through the electronic microscope that atoms were made of tiny
particles of energy and out of these sub atomic particles are what all things were made of.
Now what holds these atoms together? The nucleus of an atom are so changed that they
should repel each other. There is some invisible force that holds it together. We cannot
see this but reality and our experience tells us this is true. In Heb.1:3 it tells us Christ the
architect of the universe holds all things together by the word of His power. Col.1:17 tells
us “in Christ” all things consist and are held together. How is this possible that thousands
of years before science discovered the laws and the mechanics to prove the things that
could not be seen by the eye, the bible specifically describes. Science when it is truly
scientific verifies the bible. So we are without excuse and have more knowledge then
necessary to believe in our day and age.
It’s not that we don’t know God exists for we do. For the prophet Isaiah writes Isa.64:4
“For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor
has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him.” Over
700 years later the apostle Paul in the New Testament writes. Rom.1:20 “For since the
creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, (not hidden) being
understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they
are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God,
nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were
darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the
incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and birds and fourfooted
animals and creeping things.” This where the other religions were birthed from refusing
the correct knowledge of God that was once universally known. We now have the God of
Eastern thought as impersonal, God is everything and everything is God. This is now the
new age concept of God as life force within all of creation. The Bible presents God as
independent from His creation, the God of the Bible is personal and relational.
Christianity believes and teaches that the Bible alone is the revealed Word of God. Even
though it was written by men, the source of the authorship is God. This claim was not
invented by the Church, but is the claim the Bible makes for itself. Men of God’s own
choosing recorded the words that were heard from Him.
Christianity claims a moral certainty, to anyone who is willing to take the evidence and
evaluate it in light of its historicity, prophecy and manuscripts. Christianity claims an
external verification through evidence, as well as an internal witness through God. To
those looking in from outside the Christian faith, they can be shown a great amount of
evidence for its truth claims. But when a person becomes a Christian, the assurance of
truth becomes reality. But this takes a step of faith to reach this point. This is not a blind
faith but an evidential faith. We need to understand that there is no 100% evidence
provided for the seeker. Despite less than 100% evidence it will not stop someone from
coming to an accurate and appropriate conclusion. Faith is necessary to know God
because God is invisible and He is infinite. We as creatures have been given a certain
amount of proof to know He exists and what we need to know Him. This faith is much
like a small child in the home of loving parent’s. When the child is hungry he or she
knows (trusts) the parents provision for them, that they will not go hungry. The parents
are watching out for the child because of a relationship of love. So although the child
does not have the evidence that everyday the parents will feed him or her, the child trusts
the parents. So 100% evidence is not necessary for one to come to God. Needless to say
we find that people don’t apply the standard of 100% certainty to anything else for if they
did nothing would happen. No one makes decisions on 100% certainties for anything. To
do so one would have to wait great lengths of time to make any move. When we buy
something we are trusting that manufacturer that it will work like they say. When we
drive on the road we are trusting the other drivers to obey the laws. There is no one that
possesses 100% certainty for anything because we do not have perfect knowledge. God
knows this and this is why He asks for us to exercise faith. Faith is trust and in this we
can become certain, and have the assurance what He said is true. Only a portion of
evidence is necessary to believe in the truth. It’s like being in a house with the lights out
and the shades closed in the middle of a sunny day. Someone can come over and tell us to
go outside to experience a beautiful day. We can stay in the dark and say I don’t believe
its light or we can trust that person’s report and just walk outside. Or we can ask for some
evidence by looking out the window. Looking out the window we have enough evidence
that it is sunny like they say, but we are not experiencing it. If we go outside we can find
the report true, it is a beautiful day. We can feel the sun on us and the breeze blowing.
Faith without any action is not faith. After faith is exercised the complete evidence of it
will be there. We then know what we believe.
Moses 1500 years before Christ came into the world incorporated the first five books of
the bible. Then there are the words of the prophets that spoke throughout the nation
Israel’s history. Because they turned their back on the Lord He sent them men calling
them to repent and believe. They also spoke of a future redeemer through Israel that
would bring reconciliation to the whole world. Heb.1 tells us that God does not use
prophets any longer to deliver His scripture to his people but it is by the ultimate message
bearer, Jesus the Son of God. So the eyewitnesses of Jesus wrote down His words as the
final revelation to man. It was climatic and final because it was God who became a man
this time. He didn’t send ANOTHER PROPHET BUT CAME HIMSELF. He said He was
sent directly from heaven. So when someone refuses the New Testament record they are
rejecting God almost face to face. “But Isaiah is very bold and says: “I was found by
those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me” (Rom.
10:20). No seeks God on their own but it is He who is seeking us. Have you been sought?
Has He come to you in ways only you would personally know?
It’s not often a matter of evidence needed to believe but resistance to the truth of God
keeps us in unbelief. It is something we all have in our own fallen nature, as the Scripture
says the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God. As Jesus spoke to
Nicodemus He said in John 3:1621: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world
through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who
does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the
only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the
world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For
everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds
should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be
clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” It’s about dealing with our sin nature of
which no other religious system has an answer for.
The light spoken of here is synonymous with God and His word, as both are called light.
God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. The gospel is so simple that it disturbs those
who consider themselves intelligent and important people of the world.
Are you looking for reasons to believe? Are you an honest seeker of the truth? Are you
looking for reasons to disbelieve? Prov.8:17: “I love those who love me, and those who
seek me diligently will find me.” You may not have enough information to satisfy you
about Jesus, but are you open enough, willing to hear and to gain understanding. Has He
drawn you so that you now want to know Him?
The problem is not a matter of “I can’t believe because the facts have not been presented”
but it is more like “No matter what proof you present, I won’t accept it.” If anyone is
truly interested in evaluating the evidence for proof of Christianity’s truth understand that
God , the God has something wonderful for your life “For I know the thoughts that I
think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future
and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jer.
29:1113) God’s will is for a person to believe and repent. As it is written God is not
willing for any to perish but that all will come to repentance. We have the ability to do so
but it becomes a matter of choice. God has done all to prove His love for us by sending
His Son to earth to be rejected by those He loved and cared for. To die an excruciating
death, humiliated before the people He came to forgive yet He did not retaliate. He
continues to hold out open arms to anyone who will come to him and will close them
around those who come to the cross for forgiveness of their sins.
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