Other religions have a prophet, a guru, or teacher that insists on a prescribed way to attain heaven or enlightenment. They’re methods or “recipes” as Karl Barth called them, include chanting at all hours like the Hare Krishna Movement, mediation as in the Buddhist method, or some form of spiritism with transcendental mediation combined. The point is all the leaders of these religions and cults have a formula or recipe, to make an adherent or disciple hopefully reach paradise or higher state of being. The work to achieve paradise or ecstasy is incumbent on the person [individual, human], not the gods or author of the religion. Buddhism has the best example of this philosophy that 99% of world religions embrace, a giant wheel that a person must push around in a circle to merit good work points. All religions save one, require the adherent (member) to follow the oral or written teachings of the founder who is a mere mortal (human being) and do acts or works to achieve the bliss they are promised. In contrast, Christianity is founded by Jesus Christ who is God in human body and He himself fulfills what is necessary to achieve heaven, by dying on a cross for our sins and rising from the dead according to the Scriptures, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.” (1 Corinthians 15:2-8). Unlike the mystics, cults, and eastern religions lead by mere men that leave its members in a state of perpetual panic over if they will achieve Nirvana or higher self; Jesus not only achieves heaven for us, He makes us a new creation though Him by simple faith (trust) in Him, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Unlike the members of other religions who rock in terror if they will merit transcendence and salvation, we Christians are promised salvation, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10). Unlike other religions where the acolyte has to climb stairs of merit to reach god or the gods through good works, we are saved by grace, and trust (faith) in Jesus, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do,” (Ephesians 2:4-9), “and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith,” (Philippians 3:9), and “After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” (Acts 15:7-11).
Unlike other religions that have a distant god or power (force), we have the True God who came near to us, lowering (humbling) Himself to save us, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11). While other religions try to contact distant untouchable deities, God lives in us Christians, “All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God,” (1 John 4:15 NLT), “For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory,” (Colossians 1:27 NLT), and “Do you not know you are God’s Temple and that God’s Spirit dwells within you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). Rather than being taught a way to reach salvation, Jesus Himself is the Way of Salvation, “I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life, no one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
Our faith is in Christ Jesus, in The Holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is a relationship with the Living God (John 17:3, Philippians 3:9). Salvation is achieved through believing and confessing Jesus Christ is Lord (God), that He died for your sins on the cross and rose from the dead. Then you spend your life knowing Him in an intimate relationship through prayer, conversation in the Spirit, reading Scripture, visions, and prophecies. Do not be deceived by the other religions which are mere morality, mediation, and merit based institutions. Instead embrace Christ Jesus, let Him be your savior and lay down the burden of hubris that says you can be good enough or transcend. Only Jesus can make you good by His blood and by your faith in Him and what He did for you on the cross and in the tomb. Let grace flood and put out your anxious pyres and insecurities, and trust Jesus to be the Only Way. Amen.
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