Why only one Way?

We live in a society of moral relativism. This is the age of tolerance and subjectivism. To many truth is relative, not absolute.[i] What a lot of people are saying today is, “What you believe is fine for you, but I have my own truth! Your truth is your truth, and my truth is my truth"! To affirm that there is absolute truth, and only one way to God, and eternal bliss seems arrogant.

Truth is never arrogant. For Biblical truth is the only truth that saves.
A lot of people say they believe in Jesus Christ. That’s not enough. What one believes about Him, and who He is is the key. It’s not good enough to say that Jesus was a great moral teacher or a first century Prophet, and miracle worker from Galilee. He did not leave that option open to us.

Hear the words of C.S. Lewis the author of the classic Chronicles of Narnia series:

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”[1]

Jesus Himself told the religious leaders of His day, If you do not believe that I AM, you shall die in your sins (John 8:24).

Jesus declared to His disciples that, I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes unto the Father by Me (John 14:6).

Peter in Acts 4:12 says this, for there is salvation in no one else. For there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we MUST be saved.

Peter on the day of Pentecost and the birth of the church preached the first gospel sermon said this to the Jews, Repent be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).

After Jesus restored a blind man’s sight Jesus asked Him, Do you believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is He Lord that I might believe on Him? And Jesus said unto him, You have seen Him, and It is He that talks with you. And he said Lord I believe, and he worshipped Him (John 9:36-38).

Isaiah the prophet says this, Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me. I even I, am the Lord and besides Me there is no Savior (Isa 43:10b-11).
Isaiah also says, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is none like Me (Isa 46:9).

In Deuteronomy 6:4 we read this, Hear, O Israel the Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with your soul, and with all your strength.

The recitation of these words are known as the Shema. What the people of Israel were acknowledging is that God is the only God. They were declaring they were monotheistic nation.

Exodus 20:3 reads, you shall no others gods before me. The first of the ten commandments.
The Philippian Jailer asked Paul and Silas, “what I must I do to be saved?” They replied to him, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31).
Obviously there are a host of other scriptures that tell us that the only God is the God of Holy Writ. To believe in someone or something else is idolatry which offends our Heavenly Father.
                                                 
                                                     
                                                      Problems with False Religions
1.       With every other religion the adherent has to perform meritorious works in order to earn their salvation, deliverance and or reward from their god. This is a work-righteousness system which can never save. False religious systems are all based on conditions being met in order to merit the favor of their god or their system.

Not so with Christianity. The work has been performed perfectly and finally by the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no actual activity one has to engage in to merit the grace of God. Grace is a gift from God to undeserving wretched sinners. God the Father loved the world so He sent His only begotten Son to redeem the world from its sins. Since Jesus loves His Father, and always pleases Him, He willingly died for those whom the Father gave to Him (John 6:37; 17:9).

Some asked Jesus, “What shall we do that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him (Jesus) who He (The Father) sent (John 6:28-29).

Here is a crystal clear case of the human responsibility of man to believe. Just because God chooses sovereignly in eternity past who He would save, it never negates the human cognitive response of the chosen to willfully believe.

For someone to try to obtain salvation by their own works proves their disdain for God the Father and the atonement of Jesus Christ. What the person is saying is that God’s plan of salvation is insufficient for them. This is an abomination to God (Pro 15:8; 21:27). Jesus referred to that type of individual as a thief and a robber (John 10:1,8).

Man’s religion is backwards. Why? Because it focuses on what He can do for himself; to praise and honor himself, rather than what a loving Father and Son has already done for man. Man’s religion is subjective – he chooses his own path to happiness and peace of mind. Whereas Biblical salvation places all the power, ability, and grace on God Almighty. Man’s religion chooses their god. With true religion God chooses man.
2.       
Second and most major problem with false religion is that it is powerless to save from sin.
Although some false religions mention sin, they do not provide an answer for getting rid of sin. There is no deity that has laid down his life and shed his blood for sin so that all who believe can be saved from its damning consequences. They do not have a perfect holy substitute that is willing to bear the sins of the condemned so that they may be converted from everlasting death to everlasting life. False religion has no sacrificial love in it! Jesus proved His love by dying for the sins of His people (Matt 1:21). A person is on their own to make it right. They never will. Anyone trying to merit the grace of God is deceived and a fool. Working for salvation is definitely an exercise in futility – you still have not dealt with the main problem facing you – your sins. In order to have them removed, one must believe that Jesus died to take away our sins. That is the one thing that separates man from his God.
3.      
False religions does not demand Repentance of sin
This is a monumental issue. Repentance requires a change of mind and heart regarding our sins. We must forsake our sins in Godly sorrow, turn away from them, and turn to God. Notice we can not due both at the same time. If one turns their back on sin and runs to God, they have forsaken their sins. However the inverse is true as well. If a person forsakes God, then he has chosen to embrace his/her sins. 

False religion does not magnify our sin so we can see the wretchedness of it. We need to know how our sins offend a most Holy God. Our sins are a horrible stench, foul odor in His nostrils. When we come to the realization of our offences to Him, we will broken in sorrow, shame, guilt and despair. We will be able to see how poor in spirit we are, and long to find out, “how can I be forgiven of my sins and be saved forever?”

It is most important to realize that when the aforementioned is happening, God the Father is drawing us to the Son (John 6:44). We cannot produce this transformation because we are dead in our sins (Eph 2:1). God is working sovereignly on the inside to bring about a miraculous change in us. Only then will we come due to the irresistible power of God to cause us to be willing to forsake sin, trusting that Jesus bore and shed His blood for sin.

Genuine repentance confesses that 1) I am a sinner. And 2) What must I do Lord to be saved?
In conclusion why one way? The God of the Bible is the only one that has the solution for the sins of the world. Jesus is the only Savior that provided a perfect atonement for sins. Jesus sacrifice propitiated God’s righteous anger and wrath against us. Now that we are no longer enemies of God, He can now grant us His righteousness.

What does one have to do? Believe on the Lord Jesus, and confess with your mouth that God raised Him from the dead. Then you will be saved (Rom 10:9-10).



[1] C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (Harper Collins Publishers, New York, NY, 1952)




[i] To say there is no absolute truth is a self defeating phrase. For instance, If I say, “My shirt is gray”, and it is, then that is an absolutely true statement. For someone to say my shirt is blue when it is gray is a lie. In this dialogue subjective truth loses.  What good is someone’s truth if its clearly untrue? Truth can never be relative. Truth has to be what it is or it is its opposite, a lie. Dealing with the Bible scripture says every word of God is true. To oppose the truth proves one to be a liar. There cannot be multiple truths when it comes to God and His word. There is one truth only, and it is sufficient. The problem with wicked men is that God’s truth does not suit them so they make up their own which fits their instincts, mindset, and evil desires. In their mind the lie they have told themselves for years is true as far as they are concerned. Only the power of God can change the willful ignorance of man so that his blinders come off so he can see and experience the loving truth of God’s word.

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