Okay... Let's Answer This One Question...

First, a little recap…

We started this series on man with defining who man is; his Creator; his adversary; his entity; and then his Fall. As we wind down this series, we will take a detailed look at man’s redemption following his Fall. I think it will be more profitable to split this teaching; so today, let’s answer one critical question that comes with this topic.

The greatest thing that ever happened to man is that Jesus came in human flesh to die for man in order to reconcile man to God – that He may redeem man from his fall. That is the greatest thing that ever happened in Heaven, on earth, or beneath. It was and is and will be. No historical occurrence can beat it; no scientific discovery can overtake it; and no futuristic imagination can subdue it. It was, it is, and always will be the greatest thing that ever happened to man.

Now, it is important to note at this point that several religious beliefs agree that man is/was helpless in the area of sin. Even secular laws penalize people for crimes. No one argues with the fact that man sins – everyone agrees, including atheists.

In addition, many religious beliefs also agree with the fact that there is a Supreme Being that we call God. Now, I’m not talking about the many little gods of the Greeks or the Hindus. I’m referring to that Supreme Being that Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Bahai, Deism, etc. believe in. Quite a number of religions know that there is God, and they agree that there needs to be a means to reach Him.

Sometime ago, when I lived in Texas, I had a lovely roommate. She had a boyfriend, who more or less lived in our apartment. One day, he was alone with me in the house, and I was led to discuss Jesus with him. As we talked he took a blue stationery and drew something similar to this.

 His question was, “How can you say Jesus is the only way to God? Can’t these other religions be pathways to God?”

John 14:6

He had a valid question. And I’m sure some of you have wondered about that too. In fact, I remember watching Oprah Winfrey a number of times on TV saying that there are several ways to God. Unfortunately, a lot of people believe in Oprahism and have been deceived that her statement is true.

There are several reasons why other religions won’t lead us to God. Jesus is the ONLY possible Savior. And here are a few reasons:

ONE: Jesus is GOD

Remember we told you that the disobedience of Adam led to the fall of man. It means that anybody born through the loins of Adam automatically had the sin nature (Psalm 51:5). “How could a sinner deliver a sinner? How could a prisoner set a prisoner free?” That is not possible. No human being, no religious leader, no other person could/can ever lead man to God. Only a sinless God can save a sinner and make Him sinless too (2 Corinthians 5:21). That sinless God is Jesus. (Romans 5:19).

The Bible tells us in John 1:14, “And the Word (Jesus) was made flesh, and dwelt among us…”

You see, when it was time for God to solve this sin problem once and for all (Hebrews 10:10), His Holy Spirit came over Mary and she conceived and gave birth to the only sinless man since Adam.

Wouldn’t it have been less complicated for God to just have found a virgin man and paired with Virgin Mary to give us a virgin Savior? That would not have solved our sin problem.

Jesus had to be conceived of the Holy Spirit (and not man – virgin or not) to be our sinless Savior. (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus is God in human flesh.

Now, don’t ask me how possible that was. I don’t know. Mary, the vessel, God used for this assignment asked that same question, and all she got was, “With God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:37). And honestly, I’m not trying to understand it. It’ll blow my mind. I can’t even understand how a man and a woman can come together to produce a baby – another human being, let alone this. That’s why God is God – indescribable, unexplainable! In the words of an author I once read, “It’ll require more faith to believe that there is no God than it is to believe that there is one.” I totally agree with Him.

TWO: Christianity Requires Only Faith in the Finished Work of Christ

This is another reason why no other religion can lead us to God. Every religion on the surface of this earth that believes in a Supreme Being requires some level of “work” from each of her followers. Every religion, except Christianity. Funnily enough, some religious beliefs asides Christianity agree that Jesus is the Savior, but that there is more to it.

My friends, know that there is absolutely nothing that you can humanly possibly do to earn your salvation – ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Max Lucado describes in his book, In the Grip of Grace, that trying to earn your way to God is like trying to build bricks in an ocean to make a pathway to the other side. The more you work, the more work you realize you have to do. The impossibility of working for your salvation has also been described as one being on earth and trying to jump to touch the moon. It is not possible to do “works” to measure up to God’s level of righteousness.

Our works do not make God love us more or less than He did when John 3:16 was penned, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Romans 5:6-8 tells us, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. ⁸ But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Christ died for us when we didn’t even realize that we needed salvation. Jesus extended His grace to us when we couldn’t help ourselves to do righteous deeds. (Titus 2:11). How then is it now that we need good works to save us?

Ephesians 2:8-9 tells, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.]” (KJV/AMP).

There is no amount of good that we can possibly do to make our way to God… Our righteousness without Christ is less than nothing before God (Romans 3:10, 12b).

Christians are saved and have access to God because we believe in the finished work of Christ. A believer in Christ steps out of faith when he/she feels the need to do something to gain God’s approval. Any belief that adds works to faith is not Christianity. You may call in something else.

THREE: Through Jesus, We Have a Sinless Nature. Romans 8:2-4. 2 Corinthians 5:21

Before Jesus, we didn’t have the ability to do right. If you follow the story of the Israelites as they journeyed to the Promised Land and thereafter, you will realize that sometimes they actually tried to do right. In the Book of Judges, we see them falling and rising, falling and rising. I sincerely believe that the Israelites really wanted to do right sometimes. But the sinful nature in them wouldn’t let them.

Only Jesus can deliver a person from the grip of the sin nature (Please, read Romans 7:13-25). No other religion can. Jesus is indeed the only True Savior.

FOUR: Through Jesus We Have a Relationship with the Father.

Unlike other religious beliefs, Christianity isn’t a do-it-this-way-mechanically-or-you’re-out-kinda religion. In fact, we Christians do not like to call our belief a religion, we prefer the term, “relationship”; because that’s what it is. Through Jesus, we have access to the Father (Ephesians 2:18). We can talk to Him and He to us. We live in Him and He lives in us (Galatians 2:20; Acts 17:28; John 14:23). Our relationship with Him is not a bandwagon-everyone-follow kinda relationship. Our relationship with Him is personal. It is a loving one – such love that can’t be explained with words. It is a joyful one – joy unspeakable and full of glory (2 Peter 1:8).

Other religions tell you to do it this way or incur the wrath of God. There is no joy, no peace, no love; just mechanical followership. With theirs, one is always looking back, front, from side to side to see if he/she has done anything wrong. We Christians don’t serve an angry God. We worship a loving God, and “Hallelujah Anyhow that pleases God” is very much allowed (2 Corinthians 3:17). We can live sinless lives through Jesus. There is a power at work in us (Ephesians 3:21) that makes us live above sin, and so we don’t have to look out to see if we’re being judged by our shadows. Alleluia!

Having clarified why Jesus can be our only Savior, let’s answer why Jesus had to come in the flesh and die.

I mean, why didn’t God just lift a wand and wipe off all our sins? Why couldn’t God just make a pronouncement of salvation upon the earth? Why wouldn’t God just make a decree and say anyone who believes on me is saved; that is, without Jesus’ sacrifice? Why is it that Judaism won’t lead man to God?

Watch out for the next edition for answers to these questions.

But before I go, let me fix the above sketch...