Are Other Religions Wrong?

Intro

I love being a pastor; it is my favourite job

One thing I miss about other jobs is talking about my faith with those who don’t believe

If there is a criticism that often arises, it is with the closed-minded exclusivity of Christianity

How can you say there is only one way? Only one truth?

As we grapple with our own faith, we will come into contact with many other people who believe many different things

From athiesm and secular humanism to other religions, we will encounter beautiful, wonderful people that believe differently than us

Leads to the question, “Are other religions wrong?”

We see similarities in belief; we see people we love and value; we see others do much good in the world… how can it all be wrong?

As we approach Scripture, I believe we will encounter very firm claims about truth, and also encounter very firm claims about the value of all human beings

One does not demand the removal of the other; all of this can be understood when we take the time to see who Jesus really is

Pray

Christianity is Exclusive

Jesus made exclusive claims (in His context)

Open with talking about re-branding my youth group and finding theme verse

Cf. John 14:1-6.

Notice the exclusive language

“THE way, etc., “no one,” “except”

Consider the audacity of this claim in the Jewish context Jesus and His disciples lived in

Israel = Chosen people

Covenant = promise given to this group alone

Law = keeping the rules paved the way for access to God

High priests were mediators between God and His chosen people

John 14:6 dramatically upends these expectations! It is no longer ethnicity or keeping the Law, but faith in Jesus that allows us access to the Father

It is no longer ethnicity or keeping the Law, but faith in Jesus that allows us access to the Father

Cf. Galatians 3:7-9.

Jesus is our perfect high priest who mediates; we are free from keeping the Law

Cf. Hebrews 7:22-28.

Jesus is better! His covenant is perfect! In fact, it is the ONLY way to be made right before God

This would have been a hard truth for Jewish listeners… the claims are exclusive

These exclusive claims ring true for us as devoted followers today

“All religions are equally true and eventually lead to the same god”

Show the “Golden Rule” picture and talk about seeing this in health care situations

Jesus speaks directly against this in John 14:6; He ALONE is the way to God

“It is arrogant to insist your religion is right and to convert others to it”

This sentiment doesn’t need religions to agree, just to co-exist

The objective truth claims of Scripture don’t leave room for this either

Hebrews = Don’t go back to the old covenant; Jesus is better; only He is perfect

Believing something to be true is inherently exclusive

Remember the first sermon in the series; what was behind the door?

However, firm faith in truth does NOT need to lead to arrogance

There is a humility and love for others that is also demanded in Scripture (we will talk about this more later)

Everyone Else is Exclusive, Too

All serious adherents to the major religions acknowledge incompatible, dogmatic beliefs

Read from “Reason for God,” top paragraph on page 4.

It is not only Christianity that makes exclusive claims about the truth of who God is; every other religion does the same thing: everyone else is exclusive, too.

Boils down to our understanding of truth; if objective, then relgionis are incompatible and contradictory

The best example of this is how different faiths view Jesus

Christianity = Son of God; only way to salvation

Judiasm = NOT the Messiah; still waiting

Islam = A prophet, but not the Son of God or the way to salvation

Hinduism = Likely an avatar of Vishnu (deities all connected to the ultimate force Brahman)

Buddhism = Jesus was a highly enlightened person

Mormonism = Appear to believe in Jesus; add extra-biblical beliefs that change everything

Every religion is truly exclusive… but not just “religion”

Even open-minded inclusivism is hypocritcally exclusive

As soon as you declare that you cannot believe any truth to be exclusive, that is itself an exclusive truth claim

If you infer from the social conditioneness of all belief that “no belief can be held as universally true for everyone,” that itself is a comprehensive claim about everyone that is the product of social conditions - so it cannot be true, on its own terms… Skeptics believe that any exclusive claims to a superior knowledge of spiritual reality cannot be true. But this objection is itself a religious belief. (Tim Keller, The Reason for God)

The point is that all truth claims are exlusive; we all must acknowledge this in order to be honest, wrestle with our doubts, and have good conversations with one another

The Gospel is Beautifully Different

The good news of Jesus stands out as starkly different than what other religions preach as the way to reach salvation

Share about realizing this when teaching world religions in youth Bible study

EVERY other religion believes that a form of salvation is reached through good works:

Islam = Follow the 7 beliefs and keep the 5 pillars (affirmation, prayer, almsgiving, the fast, the pilgrimage

Hinduism = Salvation (or freedom from reincarnation) found through 1 of 3 ways: works, knowledge, or devotion

Buddhism = Reach nirvana by following the eightfold path that sets you free from suffering (right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livlihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration)

Mormonism = Includes the need for Jesus, but teaches there are degrees of glory based on good works (outer darkness -> telestial kingdom -> terrestrial kingdom -> celestial kingdom)

Salvation sounds (at best) exhausting, and (at worst) impossible

But the Gospel is beautifully different

Cf. Ephesians 2:8-9.

It is about grace! The gift of what Jesus has done for you, not what you have done for yourself

It is about faith; Trusting that what Jesus has done is true and complete, and placing your hope SOLEY in Him

This is good news, and it impacts how we relate to and share with those from different religious backgrounds

The good news of Jesus teaches peace amidst religious differences

Since the Bible teaches that we are ALL sinners saved by grace, we should NOT live in spiritual superiority

We are no better than others; we haven’t achieved a higher status; God does not love us more than He does those around us

We can proclaim the good news of Jesus as exclusively true, but do some from a posture of humility and peace to those whoe believe otherwise

It is all about Jesus, not about us

The good news of Jesus teaches freedom from the exhaustion of acheivements

The gospel is good news to a world that is running itself to exhaustion trying to be “good enough”

It is a beautiful truth to those trying desperately to keep the 5 pillars, achieve freedom from reincarnation through works, knowledge and devotion, reach nirvana through following the eightfold path, and worry about what degree of glory they can achieve on thier own

We do not need to be proud in trying to convert others to believe in Christianity; we need to humbly let the world know that there is a way to lay the burden of achievement down.

Cf. Matthew 11:28-29.

Are you trying to work for your salvation? Have you accepted the invitation of Jesus to lay down this burden?

Who in your life needs to hear this invitation of freedom from achievement?

It is exclusive, it is true, and it is rest for your soul

Pray