What makes you think Christianity is the only way to God

[Chad]

What makes you think Christianity is the only way to God?

CARM

The truth of Christianity rests completely in the person of Jesus. The gospels are the written accounts, by eyewitnesses, of Jesus' life and deeds. Jesus said that He alone was the way to the Father (John 14:6), that He alone revealed the Father (Matt. 11:27; Luke 10:22). Jesus claimed to be God (John 8:58 ;Exodus 3:14), who forgave sins (Mark 2:5; Luke 5:20; 7:48), and who rose from the dead (Luke 24:24-29; John 2:19-21). Jesus said that He was the only way. Jesus is unique. He was either telling the truth, He was crazy, or He was a liar. But since everyone agrees that Jesus was a good man, how then could He be both good and crazy, or good and a liar? He had to be telling the truth in order to be good. He is the only way.

Furthermore, Christianity is not just a religion; it is a relationship with God. It is trusting in Jesus and what He did on the cross (1 Cor. 15:1-4), not on what you can do for yourself (Eph. 2:8-9). It is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and dependence upon the One who died and rose from the dead (John 2:19-21).

Buddha didn't rise from the dead, nor did Confucius or Zoroaster. Muhammad didn't fulfill detailed prophecy or rise from the dead either and though there is far less reliable information written, people believe in them.

The scripture is right when it says in 1 Pet. 2:7-8, "This precious value, then, is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve, 'The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone,' and, 'A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense'; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed," (NASB).

It is Jesus to whom we look for the validity of Christianity. If Jesus is false, then Christianity is false. If Jesus is who He claimed to be, then Christianity is the only correct religion.

The Mathematical Odds of Jesus Fulfilling Prophecy

"The following probabilities are taken from Peter Stoner1 to show that coincidence is ruled out by the science of probability. Stoner says that by using the modern science of probability in reference to eight prophecies, ‘we find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 10¹⁷." That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. In order to help us comprehend this staggering probability, Stoner illustrates it by supposing that "we take 10¹⁷ silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man."

Stoner considers 48 prophecies and says, "we find the chance that any one man fulfilled all 48 prophecies to be 1 in 10^157, or 1 in 10,00,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 000,000,000."2

The estimated number of electrons in the universe is around 10⁷⁹. It should be quite evident that Jesus did not fulfill the prophecies by accident. He was who He said He was: the only way (John 14:6).

 

[Fraction]

This is a good post.

 

[Logos57]

Don't forget the report in the Talmud of the red thread (strip) on Yom Kippur which from 30 AD til 70AD, never changed white on Yom Kippur as it was often know to do, to show the Jewish People were forgiven their sins, if I understand correctly Israel was know to have years were sins were not forgiven but nothing anywhere near to 40 years.. Not to mention the trouble they had with the Temple Doors opening and the Menorah lights going out on it own, after Jesus Death and Resurrection. Both these were signs of impending doom.

 

[caprice09]

The only way

If we believe that Jesus Christ is the "express Image of His person" and the "Word made flesh," then saying that Christ is the only way to God is as simple as saying God is/provides the only way to God. As if to recognize that we cannot force our way into His life, or His blessings upon us, or so much as sway His attention to our direction ("If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice." Job 9:16). Making Christ the embodiment of the providence of God, the Likeness of God, and example to the church as much as He is the epitome of the Word of God. To accept the means that He provided and ordained is to be accepted of Him, and to reject this offering given for our benefit and glory is to make our sacrifices and offerings toward God in vain ("as you have judged so shall you be judged" and "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.") Christ being the only way to God and salvation is the confirmation of the gospel of grace; for it is not by our works but the works of God given to us that makes salvation possible; therefore, "do likewise." <TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=468><TBODY><TR><TD class=vn></TD><TD class=vn> </TD><TD class="v en"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[Brighthouse]

Mark 9:38-41 Many call some evil,because of there sins,But Jesus said he that is not against us,is for us.FOR WHOSOEVER gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ,TRULY!!! I say to you,he will NOT lose his reward.Before we judge the lack of some,for whatever reason,let us also remember what they also gave in the name of the Lord.

 

[will]

Also what happened to the torn curtain at The Jewish temple?
Did the priests hide it? replace it?
What do they tell the people who visited the next day?

There has to be some eye-witnesses to this, otherwise how can it be recorded in the Gospels? Who are these witnesses? what happened to them?

 

[bgsda]

Very well put Chad and everyone else. When I first became a Christian and I was confronted with the validity of the Bible or who Jesus was I used to say Faith, which is true, but it didn't get me far. Now several years later and books read I point to them to the book of Daniel. In Chpt. 2 of Daniel there is a complete breakdown of this earths history from 538 B.C till when Jesus returns. Now that is great for validity especially for those who want proof or simply want to discredit the Bible as being inspired. Remember if they have no respect or simply do not believe in anything the Bible has to say its going to be hard when we try to teach them who Jesus is. To god be the glory.

 

[David777]

Hello all.

Isaiah 53:2-12

2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

3 He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.

6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
And as for His generation, who considered
That He was cut off out of the land of the living
For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?

9 His grave was assigned with wicked men,
Yet He was with a rich man in His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

10 But the Lord was pleased
To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.

11 As a result of the anguish of His soul,
He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the booty with the strong;
Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors.

 

[Diamondlight]

The truth of Christianity rests completely in the person of Jesus. The gospels are the written accounts, by eyewitnesses, of Jesus' life and deeds.

Amen.

People don't realise that these accounts were passed down faithfully by those who were discipled by the Apostles such as Ignatius of Antioch and Polycarp of Smyrna (who were both students of John). Who in turn passed down to converts they discipled and so on as did all the Apostles and their students until we have what we do today, faithfully preserved by the church.

Matthew 16:18
"...the gates of hell shall not prevail..."

Amen!

 

[David777]

Hello.

God has stated that the only way to salvation is Jesus Christ.

It is what God says that matters!

 

[brakelite]

Like the song says....

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone....
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living, just because He lives.

Christianity , that is Jesus Christ, is the only way because He only is standing before the throne of the Father advocating on our behalf. It is because He only lives that gives us hope that we also will live according to His promise. Jesus, and Jesus only, rose from the dead. Everyone else's graves are still full of bones.