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Only Two!
(There are
really just two religions in the entire world)
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The Bible says there are two ways, two roads, the broad and the narrow. It
does not say there is one narrow road and many other broad roads. So no matter
how many religions you may think there are in the world, from God's perspective
there are ONLY TWO! Yes, just two: God's and man's. Now
you may think that this is a preposterous idea and yet it is
completely accurate. Man's religion is a self-made system whereby
he tries to get right with God on his own terms with a set of
criteria of his own choosing (though he may think that it is the
choosing of the church he was born into and to a large degree that may be the
case).
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Man's criteria for getting right with God can and does include doing various things that man thinks will earn
him favor with God. Those things include items from this list:
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church membership, attending church services
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reciting prayers - the Rosary, a mantra, etc.
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meditating, doing penance, fasting, suffering
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being a 'good' person, doing good deeds
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praying to dead people - saints, ancestors, etc.
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using holy water, owning religious statues
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wearing religious medallions, robes, etc.
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lighting candles, burning incense
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bowing down to statues or towards a 'holy' city
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christenings, baptisms, initiation ceremonies
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communion, confirmation, last rites
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becoming a priest, nun, pastor, guru, etc.
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confession of sins to a priest or any other man
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preaching or teaching religion
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being born into some (any) religion
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trying to keep 10 commandments or other rules
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involvement in special ministries or causes
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donating money to charity, helping the poor
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prayers from others for your departed soul
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suffering somewhere temporarily after death
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going on pilgrimages to 'holy' places
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dying for someone or for 'your' religion
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doing more good deeds than bad deeds
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achieving some higher state of consciousness
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ANY OTHER HUMAN EFFORT
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Thanks to man's ingenuity (actually his rebellion and self-righteousness) and his desire to get to heaven HIS
own way, NOT God's way, there are many thousands of ways to travel that one
broad road to
hell, consisting of all sorts of combinations of the above
mentioned religious activities.
If you are counting on ANY of the above things to get you
into Heaven or to even help to get you to Heaven, then God has
this to say about YOU:
"For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and
going about to establish their own righteousness, have not
submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." [Romans
10:3]
God has only ONE religion that He accepts - HIS religion.
You see, God Himself has devised a salvation program for the
entire human race. It is a narrow way:
"... narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few
there be that find it" [Matthew 7:14]
It is a way that does not require and does not allow man to
participate in the salvation of himself:
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man
should boast" [Ephesians 2:8-9]
It is a plan that we can know, because God has revealed it
to the human race through the prophets, apostles and Jesus
Christ, as recorded in the Holy Bible:
"And he [Jesus] said unto him, If they hear not Moses and
the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose
from the dead." [Luke 16:31]
You cannot earn Heaven:
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to his mercy he saved us" [Titus 3:5]
You cannot contribute anything to your salvation:
"we are all as an unclean thing, and all our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags" [Isaiah 64:6]
God does not need or want your help to get you into Heaven:
"And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that
there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation
unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him." [Isaiah
59:16]
God is not only a God of love but also a God of judgment
and wrath:
"For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire" ...
[Deuteronomy 4:24] ... "Vengeance is mine; I will repay,
saith the Lord." [Romans 12:19] ... "the Lord Jesus
shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming
fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey
not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished
with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and
from the glory of his power" [2 Thessalonians 1:7-9]
The idea that God loves everybody is false. God hates ALL
workers of iniquity. Everyone who is not bought by the blood of Christ at
Calvary is God's enemy:
"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God
by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be
saved by his life" [Romans 5:10] ... "For thou art not
a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell
with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest
all workers of iniquity." [Psalm 5:4-5] ... "The LORD
trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence
his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and
brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of
their cup." [Psalm 11:5-6]
The unrighteous cannot enter Heaven:
"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the
kingdom of God?" [1 Corinthians 6:9-10]
The unrighteous are headed for Hell:
"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable,
and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters,
and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth
with fire" [Revelation 21:8]
It doesn't matter if you are no worse than all the people
around you. God says you are condemned to Hell already:
"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the
world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that
believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already" [John 3:17-18]
Absolutely no one is righteous in the eyes of God, not even
the Pope, Mary, mother Teresa, Billy Graham or the greatest guru:
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not
one" [Romans 3:10] ... "For all have sinned, and come
short of the glory of God" [Romans 3:23]
Jesus Christ, who is eternal God, was the only one capable
of paying for sins. A perfect, sinless Saviour is needed:
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just
for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death
in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit" [1 Peter 3:18]
Jesus Christ did all that was necessary to save anyone from
hell who is going to be saved. As He died on the cross He declared that the work
of salvation that He came to do was complete when He said:
"It is finished" [John 19:30]
Jesus is the ONLY one who can rescue a person from Hell:
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is
none other name [except Jesus] under Heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved" [Acts 4:12] ... "I am the
way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but
by me" [John 14:6]
Jesus is not your Saviour until He has converted you:
"Except ye be converted, and become as little children,
ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." [Matthew
18:3].
God is not concerned with whether you like His salvation
plan or not; or if you think His way is unfair:
"Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?
Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou
made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the
same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto
dishonour?" [Romans 9:20-21]
If God was to be 'fair', then He would send everyone to
hell for all eternity:
"Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot
save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your
iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins
have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands
are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips
have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. None
calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in
vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth
iniquity." [Isaiah 59:1-4]
After you die it will be too late for Christ to be your
Saviour. He must then be your judge and you will hear Him say
this to you:
"Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,
prepared for the devil and his angels" [Matthew 25:41]
Is there no hope? While you are alive there is still hope
that God will save YOU:
"behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day
of salvation" [2 Corinthians 6:2]
Seek God, by reading the Bible and listening to it being read on cassette
tapes or on Christian radio (see www.familyradio.com)
God may have mercy on you while there is still
time for you to be saved:
"Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a
Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men
are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as
his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be
merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his
house justified rather than the other: for every one that
exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself
shall be exalted." [Luke 18:10-14]
No one can afford to be wrong about the way to heaven:
"And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them
that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after
he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you,
Fear him." [Luke 12:4-5]
Which religion do YOU have?
God's or man's? Are you sure?
Does your salvation depend on anything YOU DO or on Christ ALONE?
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