The Truth... What is it?





Christianity: The Unique Religion

Quoting George Will's op ed newspaper column of 24 Dec. 1998, "Truth survives Christmas in America", "A sardonic British skeptic of the late 19th century suggested that three words should be carved in stone over all church doors: 'Important if true.' " Did you know that the Bible never records Jesus telling a sinner that, "You are going to hell!"? It is said that "religion" reflects man's attempt to link up to God, while Jesus (and the derived Christianity...preceded by Judaism) is God's divine revelational effort to link up with man (other religions are not based on actual divine revelation). "Jesus" means "Jehovah's deliverer". Here are unique features of the key figure and the religion:

 

Key Figure, Jesus of Nazareth:

  •  incarnation: the only religion claiming that God became a man, Jesus. Jesus came as a king to establish a kingdom in peoples' hearts...His message asks for a person's heart.
     
  • savior: the only key figure claiming to be divine, to have all authority, & a savior...He both paid the sin debt for all humans and brings The Way to salvation & a true, moral life...& the only person ever recognized by a significant segment of mankind as a savior!
     
  • sin: the only key figure claiming to be sinless, able to help a follower turn from sin, & authorized by God  to forgive sin
     
  • he lives: the only key figure who left no bones because he was resurrected & lives...His resurrection validating His claim to being God as man
     
  • grace-based: the only key figure who did for you what you didn't deserve & couldn't do for yourself (atone for your sin before God)
     
  • judgment: the only key figure who, in the place of God the Father, renders a final & eternal judgment of each human

 

The Religion:

  •  incarnation: has the only key figure of any religion claiming to be both God and a man
     
  • savior: the only religion claiming a savior as The Way to both a saved, true moral life on earth & eternal salvation
     
  • sin: the only religion claiming a sinless key figure
     
  • he lives: the only religion claiming a resurrected, living key figure (savior). The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the event that dramatically sets Christianity apart from all other religions...Christianity being actually more about a living relationship (you & Jesus) than about being a "religion".
     
  • grace-based: the only religion about what God did for you through Jesus rather than what you must do for God.
     
  • judgment: Jesus is the Son of Man & can relate to each one that He is judging; and, as the Son of God, He can relate to God's concept of justice. Jesus is the perfect mediator.

 

Warning!!  John 18: 37, "Everyone on the side of truth listens to me [Jesus]." 1 John 4:2-3, "Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world." Beware of those who speak of the "Cosmic Christ" or those speaking for such as the "Jesus Seminar"...they are not talking about Jesus of Nazareth, God as the Son of God!

 

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(posted 7 September 2002; last updated 29 September 2005)