So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” John 8:31-33
In today’s culture truth has become flexible. I have my truth and you can have yours and we are supposed to feel that both are equally valid. In fact, even if the two truths are contradictory we are supposed to hold that each is valid. Society as a whole looks down on those who claim to have the absolute truth or are sole possessors of the truth.
When Christians claim that Jesus is the only way to heaven we are called intolerant. Surely they say there are other ways to God. After all, look at all the religions in the world, how can you claim that only Christianity is true? But the simple fact is that contradictory statements cannot both be true at the same time and in the same sense. Because of the claims each religion makes about Jesus, God and man are not the same in most instances contradict each other only one can be true.
Buddhism in its pure form denies the existence of a god. Islam says that Jesus was just a man and a prophet but not God. Hinduism says there are many gods. Mormonism says we can become a god. Pantheists say all is god. On and on go the differences in the various religions of the world. These differences are not reconcilable so they are either all false or only one can be true.
Jesus tells us that He is the truth and it is only through Him that we can be set free from sin and reconciled to God. When we look at the truth claims of each religion only one, Christianity, can be reconciled with reality. Christianity recognizes the fallen nature of man. It accurately as possible portrays the nature of God. It is logically sound and it has been constantly been validated by history and archeology. Other religions fall short on some of all of their beliefs.
When we accept that absolute truth exists, in fact truth has to be absolute to be truth, then we are faced with a choice. It now matters which religion we practice. Only one can be true and all the others false. Jesus tells us if we abide in His word we will find the truth. His truth is the same for all people at all times, it is an unchanging truth. It is a truth that leads to true freedom.
Have a blessed day,
David
