How God Changed My View of Religion

After leaving the church, naturally, things outside the church influenced what I believed. I began to gravitate toward whatever “sounded good.” I didn’t want to believe in anything too controversial. Surely there was some neutral easy road where I could believe in a God and not have to pick any sides.

I would hear from time to time about the idea “all roads lead to God.” The idea that all religions are paths to the same “summit”. There are those who study world religions that come to this conclusion. And there are those, like I once was, who don’t know a whole lot about religion and just wanted to be neutral and live in passive agreement with everyone. This idea says surely everyone has some truth to their religion and beliefs. All religions teach basically the same thing. Yes well except that they don’t. Christianity is boldly set apart by Jesus. When Jesus came to us, he came to the world with a sword (Matthew 10:34).

Some see Jesus as only a man, a model teacher. But he was much more. And what he said staked his claim for a title higher than teacher. People say they know about Jesus and say he was a good guy, but have they actually read his words? If you know him as some teacher, what did he teach?

Where is Jesus’ teaching documented so extensively? Where was his coming birth predicted and recorded? It’s in the Bible we find all these things. The accounts of his life and teaching. We can read the accounts of his death and resurrection. Jesus did teach, but at his birth it was announced he was the King of Kings.

To Thomas’ lack of understanding, Jesus said this…

Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you have known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him." John 14:6-7 NKJV

Jesus didn’t say that he is in all the ways and sort of in all the kinds of truth. He did not say he was one of many ways, that there are other lives. Jesus said he is the one way, the only road, to God. No one can reach God but through Him, by Him, in Him. The books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John document specifically who Jesus is.

Jesus told Thomas that seeing Him equaled seeing God. Jesus was God in the flesh. That was what Jesus claimed. That’s what scripture points to. You cannot separate Jesus from the words He said. You cannot believe in partial truths for then nothing is true. You cannot be on the fence with Jesus’ claims because the fence itself is in the dark. His words cannot be added to or taken away from.

In my return to God, I knew what this meant. I had remembered these parts of scripture that were taught to me growing up. I had to accept Jesus as the only way of salvation. Believing in Jesus was an all or nothing thing. I couldn’t hold onto Jesus and believe the idea other religions are also true. I could not claim to believe in Jesus and at the same time reject what he said.

Apart from Jesus no one can be saved. Isn’t that what everyone is looking for? Salvation? A spiritual idea or mantra, an object, or person they know to be their life line. A spouse to complete them. A significant other to rescue them. Money to satisfy them. A career to fulfill them. Children to restore them. Crystals to defend them. A necklace to protect them. A tattoo to bring good luck. If only you had this all would be well. But none of that saves anyone. Those things have saved no one. Only God can do those things. Only God can save anyone from death.

It was through my upbringing and the Word of God that I came to believe that Jesus is the only way. It was the Bible that God used to show me the truth all along. Sadly, truth is found less and less these days. People look to believe in passive lies. Things they want to be true. Want does not make something true.

Everyone’s beliefs are challenged. Mine are based on what scripture says. It’s possible for God to correct wrong thinking. For I once thought another way, but now I think one way. God can change people. He certainly did so with me.