Do all religions lead to God?

Have you ever heard someone say, "All religions lead to God!" and then go on to explain how religions are like the "spokes of a wheel" all leading to God at the center?

Yeah, I've heard that too. The idea looks something like this:

When I hear that statement I know that they and I are a long way from any point of common understanding. While that statement sounds very enlightened, it is, in my opinion, rooted in deep theological error.

For one thing, I the image/idea of "God" varies greatly from one religion to another. It is true that there may be overlapping teachings or practices between any two religions, but there isn't a universal teaching about the nature (or even number) of God/gods. That is a very big problem. If God is there, and all revelations of him (religion) are equal in relevance, God is a very confusing character indeed.

Second, there is no universal direction on how humanity is supposed to get to God. For instance, some religions teach charity in the name of God. Others teach that the murder of "infidels" is the means to his approval. 

There is only one common denominator in all of the world's religions, and that common denominator isn't God. That common denominator is a human race that has both a consciousness of sin and the notion that there is a higher power to whom they must someday answer for that sin. So, if we are going to use a "wagon wheel" diagram to explain the existence of the world's religions, we cannot put God in the center with men trying to get to him. Instead, we must put the common denominator in the center. Fallen, sinful, guilty humanity is in the center working desperately, searching in all directions, to find relief from the guilt of their sinful condition. Even the religion of atheism (though they usually won't admit it) can be drawn as a spoke on this wheel.  

Now admittedly I am biased about the right "religion", but my bias is based on years of study, observation and experience. My observation is this: The Gospel of Jesus Christ differs from the religions of the world in one very big way. Religion requires us to reach for God, working our way to him. Jesus, on the other hand, was God reaching for us. Let's add that detail to our sketch.

Here are some pertinent truths I find in the Bible:

1. God is holy and he has high expectations of his creation (you and me) which he spelled out in great detail. He even gave us a "top ten" list, so to speak, in Exodus 20. 

2. We have all fallen short of those expectations and are guilty of sin.

3. Sin is punishable by death. (Not just the "assume room temperature" kind of death, but also eternal conscious separation from God in eternal punishment.) 

4. While God is just in his judgment against sin, he also loves you and me very much and has, at great personal expense, made a way for us to escape both our sin and eternal damnation through Jesus Christ. 

5. This escape is given freely to anyone who will believes on Jesus as Savior and Lord. Not only does Jesus free us from our sin, he also restores us to a relationship with God. This relationship is so close that we are told to address God as "Our Father" (how cool is that).

The simple truth is this: there is nothing you or I can do to absolve ourselves of our sin. Struggle all you want. Try any religion(s) you want. You will not be able to separate yourself from your sins.  There is only one way out, and that way is straight up. Jesus is God reaching down for you.  If you haven't already, why not take his hand and let him free you from your sin?

So, you may ask, is that it? Is this all there is to Christianity? Well, no, but this is the main part. Without this, nothing else matters. "Christianity" is built on this one central truth. Once you believe on Jesus Christ as your Savior, the rest is about growing in your new relationship with God.

If you don't know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, but you want to, please, follow the link below. Jesus loves you very much and he wants to save you from your sins. May you find the peace you seek.

HERE is a link for more information about following Jesus.

"Well, Well, Jezebel"

Characteristics of the "Jezebel Spirit"

Tragic history is recorded in the Biblical books of 1 and 2 Kings. Among the most tragic, in my estimation, is the account we have of a woman named Jezebel. If you haven't done so recently, I encourage you to read her story beginning in 1 Kings chapter 16. Her's is a legacy of destruction and spiritual deprivation. 

I am convinced that same spirit is alive and well in the church today, so I want to take a few lines to help you identify the evil that lurks behind the "Jezebel spirit".

The Jezebel spirit is cloaked in religion. The greatest opposition to the people of God is not the"anti-God" crowd. Rather, it is the "almost-God" crowd. It veils itself in religious tradition. It is fluent in "church-speak", yet totally devoid of the heart  or Spirit of Christ. Jesus came to "seek and to save that which was lost" [Luke 19:10] but the Jezebel spirit thrives in arrogant exclusivity [1 Kings 21]. 

This Jezebel spirit can manifest itself in many ways. Sometimes it will manifest itself in old-fashioned racism. Other times it will show up as prejudice rooted in social class, economic status or even a person's history.  All of these are just as evil and destructive as blatant racism. True Christianity eliminates social strata of all kinds, but "almost-Christianity" amplifies it.

The Jezebel spirit is domineering. She was not the monarch, but she was married to King Ahab. Though he tried to project the image of regal strength, Ahab was a weak man who repeatedly gave into the evil ambitions of his wife. To satisfy her, he committed all kinds of evil, and left a trail of blood throughout Israel. Good men, honest men, godly men were all the recipients of her murderous wrath.

The Jezebel spirit is unrepentant. Despite multiple demonstrations of God's supremacy, she would neither acknowledge or  repent of her evil.  Famine could not break her obstinate heart. The mighty display of God's power on Mt. Carmel only angered her. God's mercy displayed in life saving rains only emboldened her.

The Jezebel spirit is enslaving. Have you ever looked at these "prophets of Baal" and wondered about their unflagging loyalty? They danced to her tune. They sacrificed their children to the torments of hunger. They willingly injured themselves on the altar of a false god, and they did it all at her bidding. She displayed neither love nor affection for anyone but herself, yet she had a loyal following, for they feared the wrath of Jezebel more than they feared the displeasure of God.

The Jezebel spirit is destructive. Eventually all of those around her paid the price for her evils. Her cadre of "prophets" were violently killed. Her children were cursed. [1 Kings 21]. Her husband died an agonizing death. [1 Kings 22]. Jezebel herself died violently, tossed out an upstairs window by those in her own household. [2 Kings 9].

The Jezebel spirit plays to the most base instincts of humanity. Pride, vanity and lust for power all make the short list. Mostly though, the "spirit of Jezebel" is simply a rebellion against God. It is rebellion that tries to reshape God and godliness  into a package that gratifies the the fleshly/carnal desires of humanity. It revels in religious experience and despises the oracle of God.

How do you fight it? You don't fight it, you simple expose it. Then you leave the fighting to God. I am struck by the fact that the only defense that the real prophets of God seemed to have against the Jezebel spirit was distance. They left. They hid in caves and deserts and foreign towns, while Jezebel strutted and the hearts of Israel were tested. Sadly, the Kingdom of Israel never returned to the true worship of God. They were eventually destroyed, still enslaved in their idolatry.

So please, be ever so careful my friends. The Jezebel spirit is still out there on the prowl. It exists in mega-churches, in small country churches and everywhere in between.  It will sweet talk you. It will draw you in. It will promise you many things, then it will turn on you and destroy you. It will come after you family. It will never be satisfied. It maliciously attacks all that is good or godly. It spreads like a cancer, and it has its eyes on you.

"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." [Matthew 10:16 KJV]