No Other Way

“I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no savior.”  Isaiah 43:11

Lots of folks have bought into the idea that there are many paths that lead to God.  Some feel that if your “good” works outweigh your “bad” works then God will accept you into His kingdom.  Others follow different gods and beliefs such as Brahman of Hinduism, Gautama the Buddha of Buddhism, Allah and his prophet Mohammed of Islam, Scientology, and countless other man-made religions.  However, the last time that I checked, none of the founders of these religions took it upon themselves to die for their followers.  For some of them, it’s just the other way around.

Why is it so hard for so many to believe in a God who would come to earth in the form of a human, suffer, and die to make a way for folks to have eternal life?  Christianity is not a religion but a relationship of substance.  It is the essence of truth that one can possess internally and eternally.  While these other religions may promote a circumspect lifestyle, they cannot provide the help necessary to live circumspectly.  To answer my own question, I think the main reason that folks reject the gospel is that they do not really know what the gospel is, the “good news” of forgiveness, peace, joy, and eternal life, and the reason that they don’t know is that they do not read the Bible.  Faith comes through the word of God, and God will reveal Himself through His word to anyone who will sincerely and diligently study His word.

All people are born with a sin nature.  Watch a small child as he or she displays selfishness.  No one taught the child to be selfish–it just comes naturally.  God gave the law to Moses, not as a means of salvation, but to show man his need for a Savior.  And then He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, fully God and fully Man as the only means of salvation.  Why would the Creator trust anyone else to save His own creation?  Why would Jesus have to suffer and die if there was any other way?