Uniqueness of Christianity SHORTER

Uniqueness of Christianity SHORTER VERSION   Romans 3:22-28, Romans 5:6

Today I would like to speak on the subject of the differences between Christianity and other beliefs.  What makes Christianity, what the Bible says about being a Christian unique among all the religions and beliefs in the world?

I had someone ask me once, “Are you a Christian?”  Yes I’m a Christian.  Your parents are Christians?  Yes my parents are Christians.  Well that explains it.  You’re a Christian because your parents are Christians.  If your parents were Hindus, or Muslims, or Buddhists that’s what you’d be.  I have to admit in part, I am a Christian partly due to the fact that I could see the reality of Christianity in my parents, that is true but that’s not the question. 

If I were able to try out, research every religion in the world, every belief system in the world what would I be?   

It astounds me that people who are going to buy a new laptop or a new car, or a new phone, even when it comes to things like clothes and food, they will spend a great deal of time researching the internet, reading reviews, watching videos, listening to testimonies to be able to make a choice and select, the best they can buy for their money.  Comparing one product line against another.  But when it comes to where they will spend eternity, most people just throw their hands up and say, “well everybody has their own beliefs and who can really know.”  And that is far as they go.    

If I were able to line up all the belief systems in the world and try them out and examine them which one is right. 

In order to be a Christian you don’t have to believe that everything is bad about every other religion.  There are many good things about other religions otherwise people wouldn’t believe them.  There are many similarities between Christianity and other religions and beliefs, but the point is where Christianity fundamentally disagrees with other religions, Christianity is right. 

Rat poisons is 98% good, it’s the 2% that kills. 

I’m here to tell you I’m not a Christian because it’s simply nice to be a Christian or because my parents are Christians, or because I like Christianity over another belief.  I am a Christian because it is right. 

Like mathematics there are some answers that are closer to the right answer than others, but there is only one right answer.

ILL: Harry Ironsidewas preaching on the street in Oakland California.  As he preached a passerby interrupted him and said excuse me sir, “how do you expect an ordinary man like me to figure out the right way to heaven?  There are thousands of beliefs in the world”.  Harry Ironside said, “thousands of beliefs?  I only know of 2”.  The man said “there’s Buddhism and Confucianism, and Hinduism and Islam and all the isms of Christendom what do you mean only 2 beliefs”.  Ironside said “sir there are those who believe they can save themselves and those who believe they need a Savior.” 

All of the religions, all of the beliefs of the world basically tell you there’s something that you need to do to save yourself.  But the message of Christianity is unique in this that is proclaims to men and women a Savior.  _________________________________________________________

Why do we need a Savior?  You could research Romans 3 of a great problem with each and every one of us it’s the problem of sin.  We read that All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, in other words we come short of Gods standard.  God’s standard is perfection.  God’s standard is no sin, none.  Now religion comes alongand says you need to do the best you can, you need to do good works to overcome the bad things you’ve done.   

It’s a funny thing to me that some people think that if they do good in certain situations that they will get a credit with Godto overcome the bad things they’ve done.  God’s standard is perfection and if by some amazing feet you were in a particular day able to meet Gods standard, live a perfect day, able to reach perfection one day.  That is Gods minimum daily requirement.  So you don’t get a credit you’ve just broken even.  You’ve reached perfection for one day.  You’ll never get a credit.  God says my standard is perfection and nothing less than that will do. 

Now obviously that presents a serious problem to those who are honest.  We have to agree with God, that were born in sin.

No matter how wicked a sinner you think you are, I don’t think that is the problem with most.  I think the problem with most is that they think they are good.  No matter how good you think you are, God has made an offer to the human race.  To those who are honest and find the way to God blocked because their own sin and failure has kept them from meeting Gods standard.  There is an alternative. 

It is the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.  This is for all who have sinned and come short of the glory of God. 

This is something that is absolutely unique about Christianity.  Christianity is the only belief in the world that lets you be honest with Godabout your sin.  You ask someone who is trying to get to heaven by their good works, “how are you doing?”  Oh not bad.  Oh really not bad huh, doing pretty good, doing my best.  I’ve never met anybody that does their best all the time, even by their own standards. 

This is good news.  God doesn’t ask you to pretend you’re ok.  He wants you to be honest with Him.  Like the man (the publican- the tax collector) Jesus spoke about who came to the temple in Jerusalem and he stood afar off and he wouldn’t even look up and said, “God be merciful to me the sinner.”  That man went home justified. 

You’re no surprise to God.  He knows every sin you’ve ever committed.  The sins you’ve forgotten about, he knows the sins you didn’t even knowyou committed, He knows the sins you wish you could forget.  The sins of the mind, the sins of the flesh.  The sins of omission, the things you should have done and didn’t do.  The sins of commission that things you shouldn’t have done and did.  He knows them all.  He hates your sin because it separates you from God.  Sin brings disappointment, it damagesyou, it will eventually damn your soul, in the Lake of Fire. 

The Christian message is this.  You can be honest with God about your sin.  Why don’t you do that?  Why pretend any longer.  Just tell God, guilty as charged your honor.  I stand condemned, guilty.  That’s repentance.  Taking sides with God against yourself.  Agreeing with God what he says about me.  It’s all true I am a sinner, I am guilty, and I am condemned.  The night I recognized this I also recognized.  I am a feeble sinner but Jesus died for me, he died for my sins.  And I hold God to his promise that any sinner that comes to the foot of the cross by faith, Jesus will save me from my sins.

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That’s the next thing about Christianity.  Christianity is the only belief in the world that offers a Savior.  I’m not saying that Christianity is the only belief system in the world that offers a real Savior.  The true the right Savior, I’m not saying that, that is true, that’s not what I am saying.  I’m telling you that of all the religions of the world there is only one Savior. 

And all the religions of the world fall under the same category.  You do it and if you do it well enough maybe you will get to heaven. 

****ILL: A Christian and a Muslim student, who were friends, wanted to discuss the difference between Islam and Christianity.  The Muslim student brought along a friend who he recently converted to Islam.  They began to talk and as the Christian talked the Muslim, the one who had converted his friend; he would distort what was said.  The new convert to Islam would straighten it out.  He’d say something else, he’d twist it, and the other one would correct him. 

After about 30 minutes the Muslim said I don’t think we’re getting anywhere.  I think we ought to stop.  He realized he wasn’t converting the Christian and he was doing a pretty good job of un-converting his friend.  The Muslim friend said it’s actually been quite helpful.  I think we could say there are a lot of things in common between Christianity and Islam.  We both recognize Abraham the patriarch we both recognize Jesus on a certain level, we believe he was a prophet.  We both accept the Bible to a certain point.  There are similarities.  But he said I suppose the one big difference is between Christianity and Islam is that you have a Savior and we don’t.  ______________________________________________________

I don’t think it could be said any better than that.  That’s exactly the point.  And as long as you think you can save yourself any religion will do.  But when you find out you need a Savior the list is very short there is only one and His name is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Save yourself is an absolutely ludicrous statement.  If you’re in a burning building and you screaming out the window, “HELP, Save me!”  And I’m walking by and I say save yourself. 

If you can save yourself you don’t need to be saved.  You can’t save yourself. 

The Lord Jesus came to be the Savior.  He said I am come to seek and to save that which is lost.  Christ Jesus Came into the world to save sinners.  He name would be called Jesus for he shall savehis people from their sins. 

Christianity is the only belief in the world, Romans verse 26 of chapter 3, allows God to be both just and the justifier to everyone that believes in Jesus.  Every other religion basically says that when you stand before God, you’re desperately hoping that He is going to overlook things and forgive things to let you into heaven.  There is no follower of any religion that says when I stand before God someday I’m going to say to Him ok God here’s your challenge put my life up on this side, put your law on that side and I challenge you to find one things wrong with my life.  Is that what people are going to say?  No No.  They are HOPING that somehow, they are going to slip in the top half.  Maybe there’s going to get in if God isn’t too careful at looking at their life. 

I want to tell you something that I came to God as a poor, guilty, hopeless, helpless sinnerbut God isn’t going to sneak me in the back door of heaven.  I’m going to come in the front door.  God will not be unjust in saving sinners.  He will be both just and the justifier in those that believe in the Lord Jesus. 

How can he do that?  God standard is perfection, he’s never changed it, and He’s never going to lower it.  I’m not perfect by any means.  How can I expect to get into heaven where there is no sin?  God says NOTHING, NOT ONE THING that defiles will enter into his heaven.  God says here’s what we’ll do.  I’ll account your debt to my Son.  He will pay your debt in full. 

So God sets the standard, the standard of perfection.  God hands over the bill and then he pays it in full.  The punishment that the Lord Jesus endured on the cross, the price that he paid for sin we can never understand.  He is perfect, holy, harmless, undefiled.   No sin in him.  He was the sinless substitute.  When Christ died upon the cross he was dying for the sin of the world.  He became answerable to God for sin.  The Bible says he bore our sins in his own body on the tree. 

A Holy God, whose standard is perfection judged Christ, the perfect substitute for sin.  Oh the payment that was made.  A payment that I could not pay, that no mere man could pay, was paid by the Lord Jesus upon the cross. 

My sin O the bliss of this glorious thought my sin not in part but the whole is nailed to His cross and I bear it no more praise the Lord praise the Lord O my soul.

His death alone does not mean you are saved.  A provision was made for all.  But it is only to those who are honest with God.  I am a sinner, I cannot save myself, I need a Savior and they come to Christ in simple faith. 

Why would you say no?  If you have one good reason why you would refuse the gospel I would like to hear it.  I haven’t heard one yet. 

I buy life insurance so that if anything happens to me my family will be provided for.  When I bought it basically what they told me was this, we want you to send our company money every month and when you die we will give your money to someone else.  They say it much nicer than that but basically that’s what they’re saying. 

We preach you don’t have to die in your sins; you can have as a free gift eternal life through the Lord Jesus.  Can you explain to me why people buy life insurance and refuse the gospel?

Examine the evidence in the Bible, this is not about what I say, this is not about what the Orangewood Gospel hall says, this is what God says in his word.  Examine the evidence in your own heart that, I am a sinner (that’s where most people stop, they say I don’t want to hear that I’m fine on my own) and I need a Savior and I can’t save myself.  Then read what the Bible says about the Lord Jesus, the Savior of sinners, He came to save you. 

And if you will the Bible declares, be honest with God about your sin.  And receive the Lord Jesus as your Savior.  The Lord Jesus said, him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast you out.   Before you leave this building today you could be saved and have eternal life, you could know heaven as your home. 

I’ll just quote the verse we read at the beginning Romans 5:6:

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.