Do Other Religions Worship the Same God?

This is core Christianity, where answering your questions about the Christian life Monday through Friday. Your hosts are author and seminary professor Dr. Michael Horton and Pastor atrial Sanchez call right now with your question. At 1833.

The core that's 1-833-843-2673 and now here's atrial Sanchez.

Welcome back to another episode of workers and it's so good to be together, thinking through the Scriptures, opening up the Bible and answering your questions about the faith time with Prof. Michael Horton, I'm Pastor atrial Sanchez recently might. My grandmother got our kids these passes to the museums at the local park Balboa Park is one of my favorite places to go out to family. It's a lot of fun and I mentioned this before but you know there's this long strip there Balboa Park.

We have all these different groups go to hand out information literature.

Most of them religious groups the of the Buddhists there you have the Muslims you have the Hindus you have several different Christian booths that are up there me got the Baptists and some others and that you have an atheist booth. That's up there were the atheists go to proselytize and share their lack of faith thank set up but we really live in a society that is pluralistic when coming.

There's just so many different religions and one of the big questions that a lot of people have is how do I know which religion is true and what's the big difference between all of these religions a question we got from Ernesto on Facebook. He says if Jesus is the only way to salvation, how should we understand other religions are they just distortions of the truth in your view, do they worship an entirely different God or they worship the true God in a wrong way with false ideas.

Thanks. Thanks Ernesto super important. I.e. when I was growing up in my neighborhood the. The real issue was whether you are an Episcopalian, Lutheran, Baptist or Presbyterian or Assemblies of God today and Owen in our neighborhood in my neighborhood. It's you, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, whatever, and again the focus here is how do we come to God were sinners were fallen. We don't have a right to come to God if we came to God the father. Just as we are, we would be incinerated because of his holiness. We have to come into his presence. The way he's told us is safe and the only safe passage to the father is his son Jesus Christ. We read Jesus himself saying John 14 six I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the father except through me.

That's the bottom line it's not you know do you do sign the right religion on your card at the hospital. It's you trust in Jesus Christ.

Are you part of his body. You belong to his church or are you trusting in someone else.

Are you connected to some other body were all connected to somebody. There is always some head if your mama Muslim. The head is not really a lot, even if it really is Mohammed.

That's what draws you together.

That's what makes you Muslims and Christians.

We believe that the only name in heaven and on earth by which we can be saved is Jesus Christ. That's our conviction. Do other religions teach any truth at all. What we have to distinguish between the law and the gospel when it comes to the law. There's a lot of agreement among religions.

If you ask people across religions do you believe that it is a good thing or a bad thing for people to be able to do whatever they want to the poor know all the religions a will agree that you can't mistreat the poor, the widow, the orphan, what you think about theft.

Is it okay to steal whatever somebody else has no all religions agree, and that's why on the street when you ask people what's religion, for there is almost always law. It's morality was to make you a better person.

So when Christianity comes along and says okay. Think of what Paul says in the first two chapters of Romans. Everybody has the law written on their conscience. Everybody knows right from wrong. You don't need the Bible for that you need the Bible to correct your misunderstandings, perhaps about what God has commanded.

But we all know in our conscience that we have somehow an obligation and we know that we have transgressed that obligation.

That's when the gospel comes in and there is no other religion but the teaching of Christ and his apostles that says in the fullness of time, the eternal son of God assumed flesh for us and for our salvation lived a perfect life in our place, died for our sins.

Every single one of them and then rose again for our justification were declared righteous in the face of God so that we can come into his presence. As a father and not as judge. No other religion teaches that that is unique to Christianity. Also unique to Christianity is that that that gospel is founded on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the incarnate son of God after being debt that is not taught by any other religion. Mohammed never claimed to be God incarnate, he never claimed to be raised from the dead. Buddha never claimed to have been raised from the dead fact resurrection from the dead and what is an even a goal in Buddhism. In fact, Buddhism doesn't actually believe in God. They don't believe that an actual personal God exists. Hinduism, 30 million God's so you can't say we all worship the same God that Simon fair to the other religions. Some of the religions that I just mentioned wouldn't even acknowledge that question they wouldn't even agree that that we all worship the same God that assumes monotheism will only Jews, Muslims and Christians believe in one God.

So of course were not worshiping the same God will and what about the so-called Abraham make faiths that I just mentioned Judaism, Islam and Christianity will actually Paul teaches the only way you really are a child of Abraham is to have the faith that Abraham had in Christ his coming seed would bring salvation to the families of the earth.

There were really only a child of Abraham in Jesus Christ.

Abraham's Redeemer seed that means again that Jesus is the only way to the father. How do we present this man. I mean have this conversation with my kids a lot, especially in this day and age, no kids growing up in the church nevertheless have non-Christian friends from different religions and that they ask will I can't believe that that person is outside of God's salvation will again if you're just thinking of law.

Yeah, a lot of non-Christians are fine people. As far as we're concerned, but if you're not clothed in the righteousness of Christ through faith alone in Christ alone. You are not reconciled to God. He is the only way and that's going to be hard for us to communicate to people but the first thing I would say to folks is were not saying that you are saved by signing off on the right form.

You know you're not saved by sick you're in the right group resaved by looking to Jesus Christ. That's the only way of salvation. It's not because you are a critical Christian.

There are lots of professing Christians who aren't trusting in Christ alone. That is the true test.

The true test is are you looking to Jesus Christ alone for your salvation and assume that one of the things I was saving up all in fingering these chapter 4 verse four. Call Satan, the God of this world and then in first Corinthians chapter 10 verse 20 in the context of the discussion related to sacrificial foods and idolatry.

Is that what pagan sacrifice in their worship. They don't sacrifice to God with the demons and so it's not that there worshiping the true God in an incorrect way. It's actually Paul says that there worshiping, bowing down before demons. I've seen it in India.

Vern see the capital of Hinduism. I was there on the banks of the Ganges watching the high priests of Hinduism do their thing.

You know, burning bodies and priests walking up to me with with white faces because it was the powdered bone marrow of dead bodies that they wiped on their faces and then praying, praying with all their might to one of the 30 million God's to come down and what they were doing. Paul says is calling demons down. That doesn't mean that our Hindu neighbors are horrible people, but it does mean they're in bondage to Satan, and we really need to bring the gospel to our neighbors. Amen Mike it really just emphasizes how important it is for us to understand them and this is not a question of you. We know we kinda believe the same thing. No big deal. Here you can get there your way I'm doing it my way.

Now it's there's one way NSI may serve them via again asking Hindu, I think we all worship the same God. And they'll say which one that's a that's already a Christian question.

Thank you for your question and if so I hope that that was helpful for you, but got a call now from Deborah Deborah on from unburied Hampshire. My great deal about you are saying, why not see it go to a judgment and no that is always been kind of gloomy, why does the person the judgment night not being they find the Lord great lot that it would be say and so you can answer that question that we great thank you very much. Thank you for your question, Deborah's are a few verses, passages of Scripture to come to my first just the idea that working to go through the judgment right so you think of a passage like second Corinthians chapter 5 with the apostle Paul is talking in verse 10 he says we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. That's Scripture writers in one sense right word where you can receive on the base.

What we've done in the body. Now the question is are we to be condemned. Can we be condemned as followers as believers in Jesus Christ. On that day of judgment. The apostle Paul is referencing there in second Corinthians chapter 5 in the two verses that I would want to point you to first are both from John I one is in John chapter 5 and verse 24. Listen to what John is and what Jesus said in John 524 said truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but is passed from death to life as a Jesus contradicting Paul here.

No, I don't think so I think were talking about two different things that they were talking about are you as a justified believer in Jesus Christ can enter into the kind of judgment that can condemn you before God cast into hell know Jesus says because you've been justified by faith in me. You do not enter into the judgment. That's really really contagious. Frankly John also later in first John chapter 4 verses 17 through 19, listen to what he said there again related to the judgment is by this is love perfected with us so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is, so also are we in the world. There is no fear in love but perfect love casts out all fear.

For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he is first loved us.

So when you as a believer in Jesus Christ, ever think about the judgment, justice, you're not supposed to be afraid yes was be afraid because of the love of Christ because of his grace because of his forgiveness because you are a child of God is so then the question still stands. Was Paul talking about in second Corinthians 5.

Why is it the believers experience this kind of judgment and I think that the answer to that question is for us, for those who have been justified. There's gonna be a vindication it's going to show forth write out what God is already said that we are justified and and it can lead to God's praise to the glorification of the holy Trinity. And so it's not a question of am I going to get to heaven or might not can it have no Jesus said that's already been settled. You will even meet her not to come into judgment you've passed from death to life. It's showing forth what God is already declared to be true in your justification.

It's it's our vindication is blue nurse absolutely listen to court Christianity were answering your questions about the faith.

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Thank you, Mike. That's right get a hold of this resource by calling us at 833-843-2673 or going to court, Christianity.com/offers. As Mike said let's go to you an email now from Dave, can you discuss Noah's curse of Canaan. In Genesis 9 I overheard a brother talking about how it was a very important event when I searched about online I found that it may have been used to justify the enslavement of Africans in the past. What significance does nose curse here have in the larger story of the Bible and inhumanity.

Yeah, Dave.

This has been used in modern history to justify race-based slavery.

It certainly was used by professing Christians. That's the heartbreaking part of it to justify kidnapping people from another country simply on the basis of their race and making them slaves. That doctrine was for many based on on Genesis 9 played a very big role in it. The curse of Ham. It was interesting to Joseph Smith wrote this into the Mormon religion. Brigham Young barred black men from the Mormon priesthood and in 1978, the president of the Mormon church said that it's actually it's okay to admit Blacks to the Mormon priesthood 1978 and it was all based on the curse of Ham. So a lot of people, Christian, Mormon, otherwise have followed this teaching that the Genesis 9 is a justification for treating dark skinned people. That's how it's been argued dark skinned people as descendents of ham. What about this. Well here's the passage Genesis 9 beginning at verse 20. Noah began to be a man of the soil and he planted a vineyard. This is after the flood. Obviously he drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent and ham the father of Canaan.

That's key, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders and walk backward and covered the nakedness of their father.

Their faces were turned backward and they did not see their father's nakedness. When Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done to them. He said curse should be Canaan, a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers. So first off of the reason for the curse is the immoral act of ham, Noah's son, we don't know exactly what that immoral act was the Rabbi speculated on what it was but whatever he did. It was shameful a shameful act toward his naked father ham could have been executed then and there, but instead as was common in the Old Testament the sins of the fathers fell on their sons know by the way, that's what's different in the new covenant in Jeremiah 3121 or we have the new covenant promise says no longer will it be said that because this man sinned his children's teeth were set on edge little words that they are paying the price for their father sins. That is no longer true in the new covenant. So even if this were race-based.

It wouldn't be true after the new covenant had been instituted but anyway second, according to the table of nations. In Genesis 10, six Canaan and Egypt are descendents of ham and that's why in chapter 9 it says that ham was cursed and ham was the father of Canaan. There's no reason to believe that they had any darker skin than the Israelites.

There's nothing said about skin color at all in the curse of Genesis 9 2227 third, we know that the Canaanites were under God's curse. Why were they under God's curse because of their race.

No, even if it weren't for Ham's treachery. The Canaanites were a violent and immoral nation that even sacrificed their children to their idle Malik took God placed them under his judgment and he evicted them from his land, but of course God placed the Israelites under the same curse if they should pollute his land because not about race is hit, it's about honoring God is his land. It's about godliness versus idolatry and injustice. The good news is that God promised much later in Israel's history that he would bring a remnant of all nations to dwell in Zion. In fact, he promised to Abraham that through his seed singular meeting Christ. All the families of the earth would be blessed Mike, one of the things I think the highlights for us is how sinful we are in that we take the word of God and we twisted in order to fulfill our own sinful desires and you think about how this is something we can all fall into absolutely yeah go to the next call.

No Tim Sanders and I am from my mother's will.

I hope you guys are doing well.

When someone dies, we know we are absent from the body present from the Lord. But I'm wondering is there anything in the Scriptures that indicate when or if eternity begins that moment. In other words, is that loved one who is gone before me now racing ahead by Bolivia and time is no more, or does time remain a factor, even after we die immediately we die. Thanks for your insight. Appreciate a good yeah, thank you, Jim and I appreciate your grasp of your identity yeah you know you're from your mother's womb. You know there's that old gospel song that you may know, Jim. When the roll is called up yonder all be there.

It longs for the day quote when time will be no more.

Actually, though, there's nothing in the Bible that says will be eternal. Only God is eternal.

We are granted immortality by God's grace but immortality isn't eternity. It means it will never die. Think of what Paul says in second Timothy 19 and 10 God who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, but immortality isn't eternity will always be creatures will always be temporal creatures, that is creatures who live successive moments through time and isn't that actually wonderful will have endless days really not day listeners, but endless days to sing God's praise and to enjoy his blessings. The Bible gives Rich very earthy images of what this is going to be like Isaiah 25, beginning at verse six on this mountain, the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples, a feast of rich food, a feast of well aged wine of rich foods full of marrow of aged wine well refined and he will swallow up on this mountain, the death shroud cast over all peoples.

The veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces. Paul says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Second Corinthians 58.

That's wonderful.

But the good news is even greater. First Corinthians 15 beginning at verse 51 behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall be all change in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. The last trumpet.

For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised in error and we shall be changed. Thanks for listening to court Christianity to request your copy of today's special offer.

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