ONE WAY TO HEAVEN - PART TWO

During old Testament times, the Israelites were surrounded by pagan nations that were polytheistic (they worshipped many false gods). So God directed Moses to establish the dogma of monotheism (the worship of one God). Scripture says in Deuteronomy 6:4 - "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is ONE". This principle is restated many times, including Isaiah 45:22, "Look to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other". The Bible consistently teaches from Genesis to Revelation, that there is only One, true God who made heaven and earth and all that is in them, and that He deserves to be worshipped by His creation, especially by mankind whom He created in His own image.

Here in the 21st Century, polytheistic religions still abound, but there are essentially 3 ancient monotheistic religions; Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Even though Jews, Muslims, and Christians all claim to worship the One, true God, are they all correct? Is salvation found in all 3 of these religions? The answer is no, and we will explain why.

Judaism - Salvation is not found in this religion because they accept only the Old Testament scriptures. Orthodox Jews do not accept the New Testament as God’s inspired Word, therefore, they do not accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah and Savior that He is reported to be in the Gospels and Epistles. Jesus said in John 14:1, "Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God (the Father), believe also in Me (God, the Son)". Tragically, most Jews will not take that step of faith, and consequently remain in their sins.

Islam - Salvation is not found in this religion because they have departed from God’s revealed truth. About 600 years after Christ, Mohammed claimed the angel Gabriel appeared to him and announced God had chosen him to be his messenger. He founded a religion on the false claim that Abraham offered Ishmael, not Isaac, on Mount Moriah, and that the descendents of Ishmael (the Arabs) were God’s chosen people. He claimed that Islam was the chosen religion of Adam and Eve, and that Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus were all Muslims. Islam says there were many prophets, including Jesus, but the final one was Mohammed, and only he received a full and complete revelation from Heaven.

Islam is wrong because it has rejected God’s PLAN of salvation…"in Isaac (not Ishmael) your seed shall be called". Genesis 21:12. Islam has also rejected God’s CLAN of salvation. Jesus told the Samaritan woman…"salvation is of the Jews" (not Arabs),

John 4:22. Generally speaking, Arabs despise the Jews and reject the notion that salvation would come to all nations through a Jewish Messiah, as Jesus was. Islam has also rejected God’s MAN of salvation. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life"...John 14:6. Muslims put more stock in Mohammed than in Jesus. Islam has also violated God’s BAN concerning salvation. Mohammed supposedly got his revelation from the angel Gabriel, but that is a direct violation of Galatians 1:8, "But even if we, or an angel from Heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached, let him be accursed".

Dear friend, Satan is very active in religion…"and no wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light". II Corinthians 11:14. It’s not enough that religions be monotheistic. Man must believe in the One, true God and in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. "This is the true God and eternal life." I John 5:20. Friend, I hope and pray you have personally received Jesus Christ by faith. If not, do it now, and then share the truth with others.

(Next month, the conclusion of this article.)

"Yes Jesus is the truth, the way, that leads you into rest;

Believe in Him without delay and you are fully blest.

Only trust Him, only trust Him, only trust Him now.

He will save you, He will save you. He will save you now."