Well, saw some of my friends post a disturbing video today. The video talked about a one-God principle where only one God existed but they exist in different form. For example, Jesus was just another form of Buddha which is another form of Allah. This one strikes me because are some friends that was actually very supportive of this theory. Well, I’m sure it is wrong, because Christianity is distinct, different. It is a real thing that cannot be merge or replaced.
For a first, the only common ground that Christianity has with other religions is in the moral values. All religions teach good right? But think about it, Christianity, is it about values only? Is it about the laws only? If so, why Jesus comes? He can just reveal the laws or just speak from heaven on how to do good. Didn’t Jesus condemn the Pharisees the most? Pharisees love the laws to the extend it had become their God, they neglected the relationship part with God, but only laws, laws and laws. But in Christianity, it stresses the point that
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, -- Romans 3:23
But God loves us and wants us back to Him, God wants to take away our sins, so that we can one day go to heaven. That comes 1st in Christianity, not laws. As Christians, we must understand it, the gift of salvation.
So, what make Christianity the real thing?
1. Jesus
One thing about Jesus, Siddhartha Gautama, Allah and Nabi Muhammad all those people, what is the difference of Jesus from others? You see, when Jesus want to bring people back to the path, he didn’t point to laws or others or a certain standard that needed to be followed. Instead, Jesus pointed to himself, He say I’m the truth, the way, the light. He didn’t point to others but He say “follow me”. A teacher won’t say follow me.. One thing about Jesus, how he reacts, is not that type of reaction you would expect from a common man.
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6
2. Faith+Hope+Love
A distinction of Christianity is the faith we have not on things we can see but on things we believe and can’t be seen. It doesn’t mean about believing in God, yes that too matters, but we also have faith that in the future, when we die, there is a reward and a heaven waiting for us and the Bible assured us A LOT about it. So, we have the hope, a real Christian will always sense the hope that is given by God. A hope that God gives, a hope that will help us to change for the better. A lot of religions mention about doing this doing that to achieve heaven, it is like going round in circles doing things that is done by the past people without really knowing the meaning or sometimes even distorted meaning. but God says that you just need to accept Him to achieve salvation and God says clearly that there is a hope for us and we know and understand our actions in what we do.
A Christian has life in him/her, and it can be seen, you will know that person is a Christian (if he’s devoted) even he or she don’t tell. His/her action shows them all. Love, joy, peace all those things that God wanted to give us. Our God is a God that wanted to bless, but not just to give us a bunch of laws to just follow. Our God loves us. Take it as a challenge, find me a religion where a God first love man, where a God is willing to come down to earth, take the cruellest kind of death just for people that hated him. This is our God, no one else can replace.
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11
3. Experience and Power
A Christian experience God, they are changed by God. Each one had their own personal-and-able-to-understand-at-their-level relationship with God. Find me in other religions a God that will lower himself to our level of understanding to fellowship with us. Or in another way, find me in other religion a God that fellowship with His creation. A loving type of relationship. Ask those who accepted the LORD, isn’t it because they experience the indescribable love of God? I know people who can be a hardened person, a God hater, but when they are touch by God, they become a God-loving person. Find me a God with that power. That is our experience, and it doesn’t end there, this experience is a daily thing, not just a one-shot settle thingy.
Besides, God give us the power that was given to Jesus. Fancy that. God actually gives us the authority to heal, cast out demons, prophesy etc etc. And anyone, I mean ANYONE who believe in God can do it!! Amazing! And we may think that yea other religions have feng shui master, bomoh all those things..But think again, we are given an authority to bring peace, to help others, the end results will always bring peace, joy and faith. Think about bomoh, and what do you think? Dark powers? But God had given us the power which is from HIM to do His wonders!! And it won’t bring fear but only restoration spiritually, mentally and physically. Besides, find me a religion where God had assured with 2000% confirmation that Devil had no authority over us? We have! With God in us, Devil will tremble, devil will fear, Devil will have no powers, because God is victorious, He had paid the ultimate wages of sins for us and had defeated Devil and break the curse of sins. Devil has no authority anymore because God had defeated it on the cross!! AMEN!! And if God is with us? Whom shall be against us? The Bible assure us that the Devil had no authority over us anymore, we are free in GOD!!!
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. – Romans 16:20
4. The Bible
Another thing is when we search through holy scriptures of every religions, they stated that what we should change, what we should follow, must be good, must do this, must do that. Yes, Bible had also. But take note of this, the Bible offered us ways and steps on how to do it. It doesn’t just leave us blur on what to do and the process of doing. It gives us a picture of what we should expect. Take for an example, Buddhism says we need to suffer, we cannot escape suffering. But let’s see what the Bible says, yes, we will go through suffering, but, see the verse below,
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. – Romans 5:3-5
The Bible teaches us to rejoice in suffering, it describes how should we move from suffering and what to expect, and it gives us a hope that suffering is bearable because there is a hope, the love of God for us. God had known that we are all blur people that He had put together a Bible which is able to show us through every situation regardless of who we are and what age are we in. It is the LIVING words of God. It speaks into everyone’s heart where it strikes most, it reveal the things in our heart and convict us to change it.
Well, I think that’s enough to prove that Christianity is real? What say you? But no matter what, for me, I rejoice that I have a God that is so loving and so REAL in my life~!
