I am an observer of people. It gets me in trouble with my wife. While in public together she often redirects my gaze back to her as we talk. Any movement...any movement at all draws my eyes in that direction. I find that people are amazing and infinitely interesting.
I am observer of culture. Everything from fasion trends (its fashionable again to roll up the pants legs on your jeans) to the political climate where absolute ideology is supreme. (To compromise, a basic necessity for a bicameral two party system, is now a sign of weakness. The result is gridlock.)
However, given my calling, I am an acute observer of faith. The trend now is to be open-minded and tolerant. This is different from the compromise of politics in America where at least two parties exist simultaneously. There is but one God. We do not get to decide His fate through our opinion or input. He decides ours. Faith is is not a democracy. It is a benevolent dictatorship with God being Supreme. Therefore, we cannot choose to melt faiths into one that suits our opinion about who God is and what He does. When different faiths stand as polar opposites as to the identify of God, one of them must be wrong.
As much as I would want all people to be saved, and I really do, it is not possible. As long as the paths lead in different directions they cannot end at the same location. So, what is the basic difference between Christianity and the other religions of the world. It is simply the direction they travel. Other religions in the world are following paths they have determined lead to God. They differ in what direction that is, but essentially that is the purpose of each journey. With only finite wisdom and limited spiritual sensitivity it is not possible for man alone to find God, especially when there are so many who would purposefully lead them astray. The direction of Christianity is just the opposite of all other religions of the world. While the desire is the same, to meet, be loved, accepted and forgiven by God, only Christianity understands it is humanly impossible. No, the direction of the journey is not from man to God, but from God to man. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son..." This faith principle causes Christianity to stand alone among all other well meaning faiths of the world. So while it is not fashionable Christians must continue to declare:
Acts 4:12 (NLT)
12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” That name is Jesus!
I hope to see you Sunday!!!!
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