Articles
ARE ALL RELIGIONS EQUAL?
ARE ALL RELIGONS EQUAL?
(By Mike Baggett)
Men say many things which God does not say. Man says that Judaism, Christianity and Islam are just religions that teach basically the same things and are all headed to the same place in the afterlife. Does God view these religions as equal and all headed to heaven?
Those who throw out such careless remarks are not likely very serious about their religion or about going to heaven themselves. To say that Judaism, Christianity and Islam are religions with the same goals is to imply that the books which they follow do not matter nor make any difference. In other words, The Old Testament is as good as the New Testament and the Koran is as good The Holy Bible!
God says that the old Law (Old Testament) served as a schoolmaster or tutor to bring us to Christ. Once Christ died on the cross, the need for the tutor was no longer needed:
"So that the law is become our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith" (Galatians 3:24, American Standard Version, ASV).
If there was a law that brought salvation, Jesus would not be needed:
"For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh" (Romans 8:3; See also Colossians. 2:11-16).
Jesus is the end of the law to everyone who believes. Paul speaking out of great concern for the salvation of His Jewish brethren states:
"For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."(Romans 10:3, 4)
Those Jews who still observe the Old Testament (Judaism) as they look for a Messiah; thus, rejecting Jesus and His New Covenant, do not know God and therefore judge themselves unworthy of going to heaven. How do I know?
Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me" (John 14:6).
Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven! If you miss Jesus, you miss heaven!
Not only is Judaism not equal to Christianity, neither is Islam. Islam has no savior like Christians do. Like modern Jews who follow the Old Testament, the Muslim faith denies Jesus as the Christ, so, it has no mediator to reach the God of heaven. Jesus is recognized in Islam as only a prophet of God. Islam also is known to belittle and devalue women. The Koran goes beyond the need for wives to be submissive and is often just plain cruel to women. The New Testament tells husbands to love and honor their wives (Ephesians 5:25ff; 1 Peter 3:7). With no offense intended, there are really no similarities between God and Allah, Jesus and Muhammad, or The New Testament and the Koran.
Judaism, Christianity, Mormonism, Islam, Hinduism or Buddhism or any other religion are not equal and are not all headed to the same place. Only those who come to God through Jesus Christ and remain faithful to Him will get to heaven. Man is wrong to say all religions are equal.
Jesus makes it plain that being religious is not enough: "Not everyone that says to me 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that does the will of My Father which is in Heaven" (Matt. 7:21; cf. Luke 6:46). Christ' will is found only in the New Testament (John 12:48). Have you studied the evidence for Jesus as the Christ?
