By Van Yandell
Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
There are over 4,000 known religions in the world. There are over 33,000 Christian denominations. Within individual church bodies, there is disagreement concerning the meanings of various scriptures.
So how are we supposed to know which belief is correct? Or are they all right or all wrong? With the inconsistencies concerning beliefs in God, is there any one true belief we can adhere to without doubt and have confidence in of its reality?
Simple logic should tell us those many beliefs cannot all be right. The ultimate insult of any religion is to call another religion a cult. To discredit varying beliefs around the world is actually quite simple based only on one’s personal belief.
Another perplexing thought may be, believing in a higher power is a psychological need of man and therefore mankind has invented religions to fulfill this need.
In Maslow’s hierarchy, the need for a spiritual connection to the human brain could fall under the need of “Safety” or “Love/Belonging.”
With the majority of the world’s religions being monotheistic, if God really does exist, would He not influence all our thoughts and emotions in the same direction? And that direction would be toward the truth about Him and His creation?
As intriguing and perplexing as all these questions may be, where are we to turn for truth? Or, is there only one answer and all the others are false?
Many in this “modern world” of humanism are advocating the belief that there are many roads to eternal security. While the Holy Bible does not teach this, man has once again taken beliefs and attitudes to a higher level not supported by Biblical authority.
Jesus told us (Matthew 24:4, 11, and 24) “beware of false teachers, for they will lead many astray.” This obviously is happening as we stand and watch. The false teachers and prophets have led us into wars, family breakups and judgmental accusations resulting in many undesirable situations.
Police officers all seem to have a similar methodology at solving crimes and arriving at the truth. “Always follow the evidence and it will lead you to the truth.” This applies not only in policing but also in religion.
The purpose of this writing is not to condemn or discredit anyone or any belief but to encourage the reader to consider the evidence. Once we regard the evidence, we would then be equipped to make a fair and reasonable decision of what we are to believe.
Many in today’s world think it ridiculous to base an eternal perspective on belief. Saying I believe it’s going to rain tomorrow doesn’t make it happen.
We must, however, realize God’s mind does not make determinations as does ours. His level of intellect is as far above ours, as ours is a speck of dust.
Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” If this is an admonition from God (which it certainly appears to be), most of us have ignored it. Perhaps it is a human fault to trust in our own intellect (which is limited) rather than God’s.
Could it be that any and all the information we receive is opinion, speculation, fantasy or fiction. We hear of experts in every field of study but are they really? It has been said that an expert is anyone twenty-five miles from home.
The only true knowledge and reliable source of information is God’s word, The Holy Bible.
Socrates said “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” Those realizing that are few and far between. A cousin told me the year he graduated at the University of Kentucky (and my freshman year in college) “I’ll save you the next four years of your life. The first two years you learn how dumb you are and the last two, you learn how to elaborate.”
That was fifty-eight years ago and as those years have passed, I have come to realize, he was exactly right.
Life is full of inconsistencies. If you have trouble believing this, watch the weather report on three different channels. Then, twenty-four hours later look out your window.
The hinge of Christianity is belief (John 3:16). While we cannot imagine anything as precious and extensive as eternal life in paradise (Luke 23:43) being based on a simple concept such as belief, God disagrees. HE highly values our belief while our human and limited intellect cannot reason that.
The word “belief” (or believe) appears 250 times in the Bible. Apparently God values this perception much higher than do we.
The concept of faith also plays a very important role in our eternal destination. We fail to consider the aspects of our lives we base on faith. We eat, breathe, walk, get married, buy products (and many other of life’s endeavors) based on faith.
Once again, God values our faith highly and gives us eternity based on it. The word “faith” appears 336 times in the King James version of the Bible.
Occasionally an “intellectual” surfaces and feels he has to logically explain God’s Word, The Holy Bible. Realistically and logically, that works! In-depth examination of the scriptures reveals the mind of God and its omniscience.
Rather than regard the inconsistencies in life and in the religious connotations, perhaps we should take God at His word and believe based on faith (Ephesians 2:8).
The Christian responsibility and privilege is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world. Eternal salvation is a faith based belief that Christ Jesus was crucified for the remission of sin and resurrected.
The Bible is very consistent in its teachings and proves itself from within itself. If you do not believe that, open it and read it.
Van Yandell is a retired Industrial Arts teacher, an ordained gospel evangelist and commissioned missionary.
