Do All Roads Lead to God?
There is a common belief today that “All roads lead to God.”
While it is noble to respect each other’s religious faith, the
Bible teaches that the only way a person can be reconciled to
God is on God’s terms. Here are five “landmarks” that set
Christianity apart from other roads. The
Bible is the only inspired, infallible Word of God! Historians
agree as to the authenticity of the New and Old Testament
writings, and contrary to popular belief, transmission of the
text was completed with 99.99% precision (determined by textual
criticism and comparisons of thousands of existing manuscripts)
Conclusive evidence for the infallibility of the Bible includes:
the bibliographical test; historical and archaeological
confirmations; the Bible’s harmony and unity (considering it
contains 66 books written over 1,500 years, by 40 authors on 3
continents); and the Bible’s fulfilled predictive prophecies.
There were 330 specific prophecies about the coming Messiah in
the Old Testament—fulfilled with 100% accuracy in the life of
Jesus centuries later! God spoke to the Old Testament prophets
revealing history in advance because He is outside of time. The
Bible itself declares, “All scripture is given by inspiration of
God [by the Holy Spirit]....”
Reference: 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19?21; Matthew 5:18, 24:35;
Psalm 119:89.
Compare: No other “written religious authority” in history has
provided such purity of text, such historical/archaeological
confirmations, and such extensive prophecy fulfilled anywhere
near 100% accuracy! God Himself is the founder of Christianity.
The God of the Bible is the eternal, triune God (the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit). He is the creator and sustainer of
all life, creating the human race to enjoy a relationship with
Himself. Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Trinity—God
the Son. Jesus humbly took the form of a man and came to earth
as Savior to redeem us.
Jesus predicted to His disciples that He would die and then rise
from the dead three days later, an event which would validate
His claims to be God! He did not try to escape death on the
cross, but He submitted to it. “Behold! The Lamb of God who
takes away the sin of the world!”
Reference: John 1:29, 2:19; Philippians 2:6-8; 1 John 4:2;
Matthew 12:40, 26:52-54; Titus 2:13; Revelation 13:8.
Compare: All other religions’ “founders” were mere men, not God
Himself! “For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him [Jesus] should not
perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16)! God the Father
gave up His Son for us. His gift of eternal life is free to us,
but it cost Him crucifixion. God loves every person with an
unconditional, divine love! He created us to live in
relationship with Him, but the Bible says that sin and death
entered the world through Adam, (in the garden of Eden). Thus,
all humanity is guilty of sin. (going against God. Romans 3:23). The
penalty of sin is spiritual death (Romans 6:23), but Jesus
willingly died on the cross, in our place, to pardon us. If we
were to ask God to prove His love for us, He would point to the
CROSS! The cross was the supreme demonstration of God’s love for
us!
Reference: Matthew 26:31,39; Hebrews 9:22, 13:20; Revelation
13:8; Isaiah 53:4?6
Compare: No other religions’ “founders” loved people so
perfectly, nor sacrificed so greatly to prove it! Other
religions require human works for redemption. The Good News of
Christianity is that God has provided us with the way to
Himself. The
resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central pillar of
Christianity, and the evidence for its historicity is
conclusive. We have the actual eyewitness accounts of this event
(the gospels of Matthew, John, etc.); the empty tomb (despite
the Roman guards and strict precautions), the transformation of
the apostles, and the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. By
His resurrection Jesus conquered sin and death, thereby offering
new life, eternal life, to us! Jesus declared, “I am the
resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may
die, he shall live.”
Reference: John 11:25; Acts 1:3; Hebrews 12:2; Matthew 17:9; 1
Corinthians 15:1?8.
Compare: No other religions’ “founders” ever conquered death by
resurrection (returning to life).
Jesus Christ claims to be the only way to eternal salvation
(life in heaven). In His own words Jesus declared: “I am the
way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through Me” (John 14:6). Our eternal destiny depends on our
personal decision, whether to trust in the only One who can
settle our “sin issue” so we can commune with God.
Logically, if there really is a God, then we must come to Him by
His own prescribed way! That prescribed ROAD, according to the
God of the Bible, is by FAITH in Jesus Christ! Religions are
based on various systems of works, whereas Christianity is based
on Jesus and what He has already done for us!
Reference: John 14:6; Matthew 25:41; Acts 4:12; John 3:16;
Romans 10:9; 1 Peter 3:18.
Compare: Other religions and philosophies claim that all roads
lead to God, but their contradictory beliefs cannot be
reconciled.
Therefore... It
cannot be true that “All roads lead to God.” When we consider
the various teachings about God from different religions, we see
that they cannot all be true. They contradict each other in
critical ways. God cannot at the same time be both impersonal
and personal, both singular and triune, both finite and
infinite, both knowable and unknowable. There is no way to
reconcile the various world views, such as pantheism,
monotheism, and polytheism. Therefore, logically, either none of
them—or only one—is true! The real issue is Truth, an issue of infinite importance. In
Conclusion:
Jesus Christ voluntarily died on a Roman cross 2,000 years ago
to pay the penalty for our sins and to demonstrate His love for
us. He was “God Himself who came in the flesh”—the promised
Messiah. He offers every person the free gift of eternal life.
The Gospel of Grace is: Whoever believes in the biblical Jesus
Christ—who lived, died, and then three days later
resurrected—will have eternal life in heaven! Christianity is
founded on a Person, not on a teaching system as with other
religions. Christianity is a relationship. God longs to have a
personal relationship with you through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Jesus says: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone
hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and
dine with him, and he with Me.”
(Revelation 3:20; John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; John 11:25)
Religion is man on a quest for God! Christianity is God reaching
down to man!
Marilyn Joy Tyner
Bible references: NKJV |