The Exclusiveness Of God

The Exclusiveness of God

Ephesians 4:1-6

There has been a trend in America today to have churches become all-inclusive and embrace or incorporate the teachings of other faiths into Christianity. One such movement is Chrislam which seeks to build on a statement of Malcolm X when he said, "We are brothers; we are a family of God. Not one of us is better than the other in His eyes. He loves us both. The future can only be won against the "Evil one" by all of us standing strong together." On June 26th, churches from nine different denominations including Baptist joined with Muslims and Jews conducting inter-faith worship services which included reading from the Quran, the Bible, and the Torah. They seek to tell you that there are many avenues to God. They desire a potpourri faith. Ephesians 4 tells us that Christianity is exclusive in that it worships an exclusive God. Understand that there is only one true God, Who wrote only one book, has only one begotten Son, and only one plan of salvation.

I. There is only one true God

A. John 17:3 “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

B. Isaiah 42:8 “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”

C. There are those who advocate that Christians, Muslims, or any other religion pray to and worship the same God. But understand that isn’t so.

D. Allah is NOT God.

1. Allah is seen as the Author of Evil – Evil is abhorrent to God

a. Allah called a schemer and deceiver in the Koran Surah 3:54 and Surah 4:142

2. God hates sin and cannot sin

a. Habakkuk 1:13 “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity”

b. James 1:13 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man”

3. Allah is not seen as a personal god.

a. Of the 99 names for Allah in Islam not one is “Father” or has a personal connotation.

4. God is the Father of every born-again believer

a. Matthew 6:9 “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”

b. 2 Thessalonians 1:2 “Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

E. There is only one God

1. Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD”

2. The Father is God; Jesus Is God; the Holy Spirit is God.

3. Within the one Being or essence of God, there eternally exists three distinct yet equal Persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

4. Matthew 28:19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

II. God wrote only one Book

A. There are a myriad of religious writings – the Veda, Quran, Book of Mormon, the writings of Ellen G White, are a few. But none of them compare to the infallible, inerrant, inspired, holy Word of God, the Bible. The Bible is unique among “Holy Books”. The Bible is the written revelation o f God to man.

B. In the book, Reforming Fundamentalism, by George A. Marsden, informs that 85% of the students in one of America's largest evangelical seminaries stated that they do not believe in the inerrancy of Scripture. Beyond that, a poll of 10,000 U.S.A. clergymen (of whom 74% replied) by sociologist Jeffery Hadden in 1987 clearly reveals the effects of this significant change of belief through the passage of time. When asked if they believed that the Scriptures are the inspired and inerrant Word of God in faith, history, and secular matters:

95% of Episcopalians said "No."

87% of Methodists said "No."

82% of Presbyterians said "No."

77% of American Lutherans said "No."

67% of American Baptists said "No." - The Gideon, January, 1994, pp. 12-13

C. The Bible is

1. Inspired –

a. 2 Peter 1:20-21”Knowing this first that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

b. 2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”

2. Inerrant –

a. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually works also in you that believe.”