“All Religions Promise Eternal Immunity”
5-19-01
One of the most popular television shows this year was Survivor—The Australian Outback. Millions and millions of viewers watched this show every week. Over a dozen folks were stranded in the middle of nowhere where they were divided up into two teams and competed against each other for 1,000,000 dollars. There was much at stake during these competitions because the winners or winner would get “immunity” where they were promised they would not get voted off the outback during tribal council that night. That immunity “idol” meant life to them. It meant they couldn’t be harmed—they were promised another day.
Another reason why some people aren’t interested in the God of the Bible or Christianity is because they think that Christianity is just like any other religion. Whether it is Christianity or Buddhism or Mormonism it is all the same. It has no appeal to many because the thought is that Christianity leads me to the same place that New Age or Hinduism, etc. promises. This could not be further from the truth.
This is very dangerous and harmful thinking to believe that all religions lead you to the same place. This is easy to say if you do not have some sort of grasp of the basic beliefs of these religions. The more you study them the more you see how different they are.
Their beliefs about the nature of God, the human dilemma, and fate after death vary in pretty huge ways.
Time limits me to go into great detail into the doctrines of these religions but it is important to see where they stand on crucial theological issues. There are major differences between all of these religions. Each religious tradition makes a truth claim. All of them will swear that they are true. So, how can many totally different truth claims all be true? They can’t. You see, the laws of logic state that 2 contradictory statements both cannot be true. Either one out of the group is correct or all of them are incorrect. That’s why it is so crucial to see how reasonable it was for Jesus to say the statement, “I am the way, the truth and the Life. No man can come to the Father except through me.” It is more logical to say all religions are wrong than to say all religions are right.
You may say, “but these are very sincere people who believe and base their entire lives on their system of beliefs.” I respect that very much but that still does not make them right.
ILLUSTRATION: What if your science professor announces that your first experiment will involve studying the properties of acids. She places a 500 ML Pyrex beaker containing clear liquid on the lab table and says, "This is sulfuric acid." In response to her explanation, imagine your lab partner, Jim blurts out, "I don’t believe this is sulfuric acid. It looks like water to me." Jim, you discover, is so sincere about his belief that the Pyrex beaker contains water, that he decides to drink it. What will happen to Jim? Despite his sincerity, Jim’s belief that the beaker contained water did not change the nature of its contents. He may believe with all of his heart that the beaker only contains water but the acid will still kill him. One may be sincere and yet sincerly wrong.
How can we hold to a belief that all religions give us the same eternal immunity when they fundamentally don’t teach us the same thing? So, what makes Christianity so unique from other religions? Since Christianity means a belief in the life and teachings of Jesus, what makes Christ unique from all the other religious figures. Here are some things that one of my favorite apologists—Ravi Zacharias, pointed out in one of his lectures.
I. Jesus’ description of what is wrong with man
As you read the gospels you will read how the writers would display Jesus as understanding what was in the hearts of man. Jesus said, “Don’t you understand?” Jesus asked him. Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes out of the body. But evil words come from an evil heart and defile the person who says them. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all other sexual immorality, theft, lying and slander. These are what defile you.” Matthew 15:17-20
What is wrong with man is that he has a heart problem. We are sinners in need of an inward change that can only come through an encounter with Jesus himself. Jesus laid down his life to give man a change of heart.
Jesus is also unique from all other religious leaders because of what he taught about genuine worship.
II. Jesus rescued us from a worship restricted to geographic places, buildings and form
In Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman in John 4 she asked him why Jews insisted that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while Samaritans claim it is on Mount Gerizim. Jesus replied, “Believe me, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father here or in Jerusalem…But the times is coming and is already here when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him in that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:21-24
In the O.T., worship was restricted to the Temple. But when Jesus was crucified that changed everything. The simple fact is, we don’t have to go to the Temple anymore to worship but we take the Temple with us. In our own flesh and bones we house the very presence of God. We don’t have to make a journey to a country far away in order to encounter our God we only have to recognize that he is already with us this very moment. We are not restricted to a certain form in worship. Worship to Christ is more than just kneeling and praying and reciting scripture—it is to engage all of our lives in worship. From coming each weekend for corporate worship to playing a pick up basketball game—all of life is worship.
Another thing that is unique about Christ is his purity.
III. Jesus’ purity
In John chapter 19 Pilate makes a profound statement when he tried to turn Jesus over to the Jews I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.” 19:4. “
No other religious teacher or apostle ever claimed or can ever affirm what he did. Jesus was absolutely pure. Even the Koran (the sacred scriptures for Islam) asserts that Jesus was born of a virgin without any fault! There is absolutely no proof that Jesus ever disobeyed His Father.
The awesome truth for us today is that the guiltless One desires to set us free from our guilt. The one who did no wrong can make us who have done wrong as if we have never done wrong. The purity & perfection that rightfully belongs to him alone we can lay claim to ourselves.
Another element of Christ’s uniqueness is the life he offers after the grave.
IV. Jesus gives us clear understanding of life beyond the grave
In the gospel of John chapter 11 Jesus’ friend Lazarus is dead. Jesus said to Lazarus’ sister Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” 19:25-26
Life continues after the grave. For those who have genuine trust and belief in Christ they are given eternal life. For those who have rejected his message they are separated from him in a place called hell. Every person will give an account of their lives before a holy God. Hebrews 9:27 (The Message) says, “Everyone has to die once, then face the consequences.”
It also says in 1John 5:11-13 “This is the testimony in essence: God gave us eternal life; the life is in his Son. So, whoever has the Son, has life; whoever rejects the Son, rejects life. My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God’s Son will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life.” (The Message)
ILLUSTRATION: Billy Graham was asked a long time ago if he really believed in the resurrection of Christ. Graham stated that if he didn’t believe it then he wouldn’t be preaching. The man responded to Graham, “Outside of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I know of no other hope for man.”
Jesus desires to take us with him to an eternal destiny called heaven. But he won’t force us. We must choose to accept him. The Bible is clear: there is life, death and life after death.
ILLUSTRATION: In the game/show Survivor if a participant one a competition for immunity a necklace was placed over their neck to signify that they were excluded from getting voting out that night. What is the immunity “idol” for the Christian? It is actually two things: the cross and the empty tomb.
Jesus is not just another religious teacher. Christianity is not just other religion.
It is important to understand the uniqueness of Christ so we can share this with a pluralistic society and also so that it can help strengthen our faith.
