Why Is Jesus the Only Way to God?

Why do Christians believe that Jesus is the only way to God? In our multicultural society this sounds arrogant. Surely Muslims, Hindus and Jews have a faith. Surely they're good people and God respects them just as much. The question isn't whether somebody is the right or wrong religion. It's a question of whether religion has any value and whether it can actually save anyone at all.

What do we need to be saved from? We are sinners. We don't appreciate how holy God is and how sinful we are. We tell ourselves that we are not so bad compared to most other people. We judge ourselves by the standards of the society we live in. Even in a prison, the inmates would have certain standards. I would never harm a child. I'm not like those people in E Wing. I don't steal things from a small shop, I steal from a big shop because they're insured. The prisoners would hiss when the sex offenders entered the prison church. The preacher would tell them, 'Be quiet. We're all sinners. What would you say about yourself? I'm an honest burglar.' Those people were simply judging themselves by the standards of the prison. Jesus said that God would demand an account from us for every careless word we had ever spoken. Matthew 12:36. That is just one illustration of how high God's standards actually are. Romans 3:9-20. There is no one who does good. Not even one.

In the book of Revelation the dead are raised to life and they appear before God's throne. Revelation 20:11-15. They are judged according to everything that is written about them in the books. God throws people into the lake of fire if their names are not written in the Book of Life. He doesn't throw them into the lake of fire if they have failed the test. There is absolutely no chance of passing the test. He doesn't let them into Heaven if they have kept his commands. No one can live their whole life without breaking any of God's commands. It is a foregone conclusion that all the people are damnable and that none of them deserve to go to Heaven. The only way to avoid going to Hell is to have your name written in the book of life, to have received eternal life as a free gift from Jesus. John 3:16-21. Jesus has come into the world and those who believe in him have life. Those who don't believe are condemned already. Light has come into the world but some hide in the darkness.

What does religion tell us to do? If only we can pray enough, fast enough and obey the commands. We can discipline ourselves to give money to the poor and to do good. What does the Bible say about this? Our righteous acts are as filthy rags. Isaiah 64:6,7. Even though God had turned his face from the people, they continued in their righteous acts but these did not bring them closer to God. The original words of the Hebrew mean a sanitary towel. We are just trying to mop up the mess. Jesus accuses the pharisees of being white washed tombs, of cleaning the outside of the cup but not the inside of the cup. Matthew 23:25-28. Religion tells us to repent of our sins and to reform ourselves. This becomes too difficult because the human heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Jeremiah 17:9,10.

We must be born again of the spirit of God. John 3:1-8. God must pour out his love into our hearts by the power of his Holy Spirit. Romans 5:1-5. It is no use trying to reform ourselves and trying to be good. We will find ourselves in bondage to sin and unable to stop doing things that we know to be wrong and that we hate doing. Romans 7:14-25. God has set us free from bondage to sin and death by the power of his Holy Spirit living inside us. Romans 8:1-11. God doesn't change our hearts, he gives us a new heart. If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come. 2Corinthians 5:17. The Holy Spirit will change us from being selfish people, controlled by evil desires, into caring, joyful people who have a peaceful attitude to life. Galatians 5:16-26. God brings us out of darkness into light. 1John 1:5-10. If we accept that we are sinners, we will walk in the light of fellowship with God and the blood of Jesus will purify us from our sins. God doesn't just promise to forgive our sins so that we can turn over a new leaf and improve ourselves. He promises that we will be walking in close fellowship with him, with the Holy Spirit transforming us and the blood of Jesus purifying us from all sin.