I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6 NLT
Why can’t choosing a religion be like many other things in life? Many options…none wrong…some with just better benefits?
As a teacher, I’ve noticed most students tend to score higher on multiple-choice tests than they do on short answer or fill in the blank. Recognizing answers is easier than producing them completely on my own. Multiple-choice tests also allow one to use the process of elimination. One answer is clearly wrong and normally easy to eliminate. If I can find one small error in two of the other answers, then I can select the correct choice.
Although many believe any religion will suffice, Jesus begs to differ. When he informed the disciples he would soon leave them for heaven, Thomas piped in that neither he nor the others knew the way. Jesus cautioned him that they did.
According to the “World Christian Encyclopedia: A comparative survey of churches and religions – AD 30 to 2200,” there are 19 major world religions that are further divided into 270 large religious groups. Christians, Hindus, and Muslims comprise the groups with the largest number of adherents.
The fact that some of the major world religions have similar stories and teachings makes choosing more difficult. Like so many other things that concern religion—regardless of which one is chosen—faith is the crucial matter. No scientific proof…only overwhelming evidence…can be offered. What separates Christianity from other religions is that it teaches one loving God who allows people access to him through unconditional love and grace rather than works.
When works are involved, we can never be sure we’ve done enough. With Christ, he simply loves us as we are and invites us to come to him. Based on what he’s done on Calvary’s cross—and nothing we’ve done—God the Father accepts us into his family.
Make sure you are traveling the right road to God.
Photo by Brendan Church on Unsplash
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