Sunday, November 14, 2010

A Compelling Lesson

I've grappled with the issue of other religions for awhile now.  Not really that I believe their existence does any precluding of the Gospel or anything like that, or like there are so many paths to God that we ought to hold them all as equal and thereby not trust any of them, but from the perspective of perspectives.

I can't really tell someone that what they feel in their own religious, outside of Christianity, experience, is invalid.  I haven't felt it.  From their perspective, I've always thought, it is a real experience, and I can't really plausibly argue against that just as no one can really plausibly argue against my own experiences with Christ.

But I've come to realize it's really a pointless argument.  Jesus offers true life, true healing, and true transformation by a life lived with Him as Lord.  People can reject it or not on any logical or philosophical grounds they may choose.  But they are saying no to their own healing and that is on their own hands. That, or they are saying they are not broken, and chances are, at that point, they're lying to themselves.  Other religions exist, and honestly, I'm not informed enough to say that they do or don't offer anything specific.  But I do know Christ and what He can do, and it is definitely enough, for life and for eternity.  Is Jesus "for everyone?"  He's for everyone who will admit that they're broken, and he's for those who don't, but they won't admit it.

Christianity has definitely become something of a "religion" since its inception, full of culture and tradition.  It's not all bad, by any means, but what Christ truly offers isn't an alternative, easier to do religion in place of Islam, taoism, Hinduism, or whatever else.  He offers a form of healing and identity based on love, and that's something everyone needs, no matter where on Earth they were born or what their parents taught them.

-Zack

"come and see"

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