Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - Is Jesus the Only Way to God? | Torah | Exodus 12:43-13:16

Episode Date: May 30, 2022

Are all religions valid? Is Christianity too exclusive? Can you get to heaven by being a good person? In today's episode, Keith uses Exodus 12:43-13:16 to discuss what makes Christianity different from all other religions. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it with others, so others can find it too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Facebook, and Twitter @TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: Exodus 12:43-13:16 Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now.

Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life in the time it takes to get to work. My name is Keith Simon, and right now we're going through the Book of Exodus. Is Jesus the only way to God, or are there many ways to God? Are all religions equally true and valid? Maybe that sounds like a weird question to ask when we're going through the book of Exodus, but the more you read, the more you see that from the beginning to the end, from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible claims that there's only one God and he is made known through Jesus. Jesus. We saw that in Genesis when Abram heard God's call and left the gods of his family. And we saw it in Exodus when God used the plagues to show up the so-called gods of Egypt. In the prophets, God repeatedly claims that he is the only true God. Today we're in Exodus chapter 12 and we again see the exclusive claims in the story of the Passover. The Passover was the annual meal God gave Israel to

celebrate that he had delivered them out of slavery in Egypt. The Bible draws a a clear line from Passover to the Lord's Supper, or maybe you call it communion. In communion, we remember how God brought us out of slavery to sin. When God gives instructions for the Passover meal in Exodus 12, he's very clear who may and may not take part in it. Only those who are circumcised, who've received the sign of God's covenant, can participate in the Passover. Do you hear the exclusiveness? It's not fundamentally different from Jesus saying in John 14 that no one comes to the Father except through Him. No matter where it's found in the Bible, the exclusiveness of Christianity is difficult for us to come to terms with, and yet it's all over the Bible. Here's the Apostle Peter

talking to the crowds in Acts 412. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. What the first century mind found to be most defensive about Christianity is that it teaches that Jesus is the only way to God. The Romans, like the Egyptians before them were polytheists. Gods ruled over spheres or locations. And the Egyptians and Romans, they were fine with adding more gods. It didn't bother them that the apostles claimed that Jesus was a savior. They would have been happy to put Jesus a statue in the Roman temples. But it infuriated them that they claimed that he was the savior, the only savior. Well, that should sound familiar, because that's the exact same claim that is the most offensive to the modern mind.

The issue that was so problematic in the 13th century BC in Egypt, or the first century in Rome, is still problematic in the 21st century America. One of the most divisive claims of Christianity to the 21st century American mind is that Jesus is the only way. Egyptian cultural religion was fine with Yahweh being a god, but not the God. But that didn't silence Moses. The first century culture's rejection of the exclusivity of Jesus didn't silence the apostles. But I think that our culture's reaction and rejection of the exclusivity of Jesus does tend to silence us.

I think some of us, maybe most of us, are a bit embarrassed by it. So let's take a look at it. See, Christianity's claim that Jesus is the only way to God exposes two great myths that our culture believes. and maybe you do too. The first myth is that all religions are basically the same, that there's no absolute truth, at least when it comes to religion, all truth is relative. Now, if someone said to me, there is no absolute truth,

the first thing I might ask is, well, is that true? Is it absolutely true? This statement is kind of self-refuting. The only truth is that there is no truth. Really? Sometimes it's helpful to take this argument out of religion. Would you want your airplane mechanic or heart surgeon to believe that truth is relative? You've got your truth about how to do a surgery.

You've got your truth about how to work on an airplane engine and I've got my truth. And there's no really true truth. Well, but maybe it's different with religion. You've probably heard people say that there may be surface level distinctions between various world religions, but if you strip them down to their essentials, all religions fundamentally teach the same thing. and so it doesn't really matter which one you follow. Well, let's concede that there is some common ground

that is shared by many of the world's religions, especially when you look at the level of basic values about morality. But at the same time, there are significant differences between the world religions, and those differences can't be ignored. Sometimes it's the differences that matter. Let's say I showed you two tablets and asked, are they basically the same? And you looked at them and said,

well, they're the same size, the same shape, the same color. Yes, they're basically the same. And then I told you that one of them was aspirin and the other was arsenic. Now do you think they're both basically the same? Well, of course not. The point is that differences matter. Saying that all religions are basically the same is like saying that aspirin and arsenic are basically the same because they both come in tablet form. The differences matter and the difference between Christianity and every other religion is Jesus. The uniqueness of Christianity is rooted in the uniqueness of Jesus himself. For instance, other religious leaders say, follow me, and I'll show you how to find the truth.

But Jesus says, I am the truth. Other religious leaders say, follow me, and I'll show you the way to salvation. But Jesus says, I am the way to eternal life. Other religious leaders say, follow me, and I'll show you how you can become enlightened. But Jesus says, I am the light of the world. other religious leaders, they follow me and I'll show you many of the doors that lead to God, but Jesus said, I am the door. Jesus can't sit in a row of other religious figures.

His claims are radically different. If you believe in Jesus at all, then you have to believe that he's the only way to God. And if you don't believe he's the only way, then you don't believe in Jesus at all. Because that's what Jesus claimed about himself. Another huge difference between Christianity and every other world religion concerns how a person can be accepted by God. Every other religion that I know of is based on people doing something good,

people struggling and striving to somehow earn good favor with God. But Jesus Christ is God reaching out to us. Jesus taught the opposite of what other faiths teach. He said that nobody could do anything to earn God's acceptance,

so you might as well stop trying. He said that we're guilty of sin, which of course is confirmed by the guilt of our own conscience, and that that sin separates us from a holy God. Because of sin, every human being is headed down a road that ends in divine judgment. We are utterly helpless to save ourselves. But God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son to do what we couldn't do for ourselves. Jesus willingly took the punishment for our

sin upon himself. He was the substitute paying the penalty we deserved. He died in our place. And when we put our faith and hope in him, when we give him our allegiance and our loyalty. We are forgiven of our sin, adopted as God's children, and reconciled to him forever. Do you hear the difference between those messages? Religion is what you do for God, but Christianity is about what God has already done for you and Jesus. Religion puts the emphasis on what you do. The gospel puts the emphasis on what God has done. While other religious leaders can offer wise saying and helpful advice and insights, and that's all great, only Jesus, because he's the perfect son of God, is qualified to offer

himself as a payment for our sin. No other religious leader even pretended to be able to do that. So the first myth is that all religions are the same. The second myth is that Christians are arrogant to believe that Jesus is the only way to God. If it is arrogant to say that Jesus is the only way to God, then isn't it also arrogant to claim that all religions are equally valid? I mean, you can't accuse Christians of being arrogant because they claim to know the truth, all the while saying, you're the only one who really knows the truth? If claiming to know the truth is arrogant, then pluralists or relativists are just as arrogant as they claim Christians are. Other people claim that Christians are arrogant because they believe that they are forgiven by God and others

aren't. Well, first, of course, let's admit Christians can be arrogant. It is arrogant for a Christian or for anyone to take an attitude of being holier than thou or an attitude of being better than anyone else. That is totally contrary to the teachings of Jesus. But it's not arrogant to believe that Jesus is the only one who can forgive your sin and the only one that can bridge the gap between you and God. Let me show you what I think is truly arrogant. And ironically, it comes from those who think that Jesus isn't the only way. What's truly arrogant is to think that all good people can find their way to God. In June of 2006, Warren Buffett, who at the time was the world's second richest person announced that he would donate 85% of his $44 billion fortune to five charitable

foundations. Commenting on his extreme level of generosity, Buffett said, there is more than one way to get to heaven, but this is a great way. Now, if you believe that good people get into heaven, that's arrogant, because I'm not going to be able to get in. I don't have Warren Buffett kind of money. I'm not as generous as he is. So, Is God only going to accept those who are as good or wealthy or generous as Warren Buffett? Let's pretend there are two country clubs. The first country club only admits people who've earned their membership. So in order to get into this country club, you've got to obtain superior wisdom.

You've got to fulfill a long list of demands. You've got to somehow obtain certain spiritual advancement. You've got to be a good person. You've got to go through cycles of reincarnation, whatever it is. Despite their best efforts, lots of people are not going to make the grade, and in the end, the door is going to be slammed in their face. They're not going to be good enough. They're not going to get the qualifications that allows them into that club. This is what all the other religions are saying when they teach that good people make their way to God.

But Christianity is very different. Christianity is like a second country club that says anybody who wants to come in is invited in, because Jesus has already paid for your members. It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor or black or white or Asian or Latino. It doesn't matter your ethnic heritage or where you live. We'd love to have you. It doesn't matter your politics. It doesn't matter your age. It doesn't matter if you're a good person or not a good person.

The doors are wide open. Entry isn't based on your qualifications. It's based on Jesus's qualifications. Entry is only based on you putting your hope, your trust, your faith in him. The doors are open. We'll leave it up to you to decide whether you'd like to come in or not. All you have to do is turn from your sin and put your hope and faith in Jesus. Hey, thanks for listening.

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