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At the beginning of this program we learned: “People have many reasons for rejecting the Christian faith. Some may admire Christ but dislike His followers. Others find it difficult to accept any faith that claims to be the only way to God. Why would anyone limit themselves to only one of the world’s great religions?” How valid are each of these objections? What is your response to each?
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If one truly studies the Scriptures and sees how Jesus’ life on earth fulfilled all that was foretold of Messiah coming and how He would die, one cannot deny the truth. The fact that there are so many prophecies in Scripture that were fulfilled show that this did not happen by chance. Jesus was foretold of being born of a virgin, born in Bethlehem, suffering on the cross, being the eternal king of which His reign would never end, etc. All of these were written by different authors at different times in History yet they all were fulfilled in Christ. If those Pharisees had really read the Old Testament Scriptures, they would have seen it too! Because of the life Jesus lived, HE is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE. Truly, no one can earn their way to heaven through different religions. Jesus had to COME DOWN to us – Emmanuel – God With Us. The Lord spoke of this all through the Old Testament.
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Religion around the world asks, “Why is Christianity the only way to salvation?” Nevertheless, based on the Bible, I am saying that Jesus is the only way to salvation. In today’s expansion of pluralism, the responsibility of our Christians is great.
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I do think that non-Christians have a somewhat distorted view of Christianity itself, and so that may affect their views of Christians. Some that admire Christ, admire Him for reasons that are not grounded in truth, but conjecture. When they take that distorted view of Christ and try to apply it to Christians, they don’t line up correctly. Some may admire Christ for his example without context, and this also distorts the view of a Christian. Others love the notion that we are to love everyone, but they don’t acknowledge the other parts of the Christian faith. Sin is not a part of some people’s view of Christ’s teachings, but it is in their view of Christ followers.
The exclusivity of only one way to God does turn some people away from Christianity. If there is only one way, they cannot fathom how that can be fair or just. If there is only one way won’t some people be left behind? If you don’t want to follow along with all of the teachings of Christianity, some may feel Christ is playing favorites, and only allowing certain people to seek and find Him.
Though there are many world religions, only one will get you to God. If you study the great religions of the world, you may find things you like in each. However, these religions don’t have Jesus. They do not have someone who claims to be God, nor do they have someone willing to die for them. None of the other religions want a relationship with their followers. Jesus wants us.
Though I understand that each of these objections may have valid points, Jesus overtakes all the objections. His actions speak louder than any statement that could ever be made by any of the other world religions. -
I think that many people have the wrong idea about what it means to be a Christian. Before I got saved the stereo-type that I had about a Christian was that I had to be perfect and do no wrong. It wasn’t until a wise woman of God took me under her wings and taught me that Jesus was the ONLY human that ever walked this earth that was perfect. Why are we surprised when a Pastor or other Christians fail or get tempted by the schemes of the devil? They are NOT Jesus. They are human too. Yes, they are held to a higher standard because of their position in the church. However, they are still NOT Jesus. They are just like any other human. They were just called to be the vessel that God delivers His message through. They are still tempted. They are still sinful. The people that reject the Christian faith usually haven’t had a true encounter with Jesus, if ever. They may know who God is but their Pride has kept them from accepting Jesus as their Savior. Let’s be real for a minute. Nobody really likes being told what to do. Why would someone want to attend a church that’s going to keep you accountable for all of your sins??? That’s where humility comes in. For some it may take them to hit “Rock Bottom’ before they will finally surrender their life to a God that they can’t see or a Jesus who made a dead man get up and walk again. That just seems crazy. I was one of those skeptics. When I heard of someone getting saved I thought they had become a Jesus Freak. Even though I made fun of it I was curious. What would make me want to follow Jesus? That’s no fun. People make fun of things that they don’t understand or don’t know the facts about. I knew who God was. I went to church on most Sundays and Holidays. I prayed over my meals on Holidays. However, I didn’t KNOW God. After I got saved I was on Fire for God! I wanted everyone to experience what I had. So I told my best friend thinking she would say, “Wow!! that’s so cool, I am so excited for you.” But instead she said I was acting like I was better than her???? What???? That was not my heart at all. I was just so excited. People get offended about things they don’t understand or don’t know the facts about. Offense is a big tool that Satan uses to push people away from the church and away from Christian believers. I have learned over the years that Jesus spoke the Truth in Love. We can not force people into a relationship with Jesus or force them to go to church unless they first feel loved. Jesus developed a relationship with His disciples first and then he taught them a little at a time. He didn’t perform all of the miracles at once. It takes baby steps with new believers. Don’t be pushy or you will push them away forever.
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Through my study and personal faith, these objections are not valid.
“…Some may admire Christ but dislike His followers. ”
If a person objects based on this thought process, then is the person looking to worship Christ or his followers? As humans, we will always come up short.“Others find it difficult to accept any faith that claims to be the only way to God.”
When considering this line of thinking, we also need to consider who Jesus is. He is, “the way, the truth, and the life.”…and the son of God who performed miracles, which leads to his credibility. Rather than being a restrictive claim that there is only way to God, it is a clear path for a person to choose.“Why would anyone limit themselves to only one of the world’s great religions?”
Why would a person look to devote themselves to multiple? Christianity isn’t as much a religion as it is a relationship.
