Other Religions Pt 1 - Do All Roads Lead To God
Life is a journey - or so we are told. As a journey, life has a beginning, a middle and an end. A starting point, a direction of travel and an end point. It all sounds so simple and straightforward, yet, inevitably as the journey unfolds certain questions arise. Where am I now on my journey? How can I be sure I’m on the right path? What is my ultimate destination? – to name but a few.
Such questions are common to all humanity in every place and at all times. The problem is that we want to see where we are now in relation to where have we come from and to where we are going. It’s like we have the perspective of a sat nav – only a snapshot of our position. We may be able to observe our immediate surroundings, but we don’t see the bigger picture. We need something more than a small screen with a limited view. We need a map unfolded before us which gives every point of reference from beginning to end.
This is where religion comes in. To understand religious belief is to see each religion as providing a map which seeks to explain the journey of life. A religious system takes the questions which arise about existence and purpose and plots a course through life at each stage from beginning to end – and beyond. Each ritual in every religion has some function to play in explaining the journey, giving direction and purpose.
It simply is an observable fact that there has never been a time when humanity has not been religious. Religion, in some form, is fundamental to the experience of every human being – whether acknowledged or not. As football fans stream towards their cathedral of dreams on the chosen day, to sing their favourite anthems, to praise their heroes and to hope for a golden future, they carry with them all the fervour that a religious faith can muster. “You’ll never walk alone!” Even in secular society, such passion points to the reality that humanity has an innate need for religious adherence of some sort, for some kind of a map.
Religion is often spoken of today as a single idea. So called “multi-faith services” are commonplace, as all religions are considered equal and deserving of equal acknowledgement. Every religion seems to fit into the same box. It doesn’t matter if someone is Christian, Muslim or Hindu as each may be categorized as religious. They just happen to follow a different map. Like standing at the foot of a mountain and seeing the many paths which lead to the summit, is not every religion just a different path to the same summit – do all roads not lead to God?
In this series we will be looking at some major world religions - Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Secular Humanism – having the question in mind: do all roads lead to God? Let’s stand back and view the map which each provides, to see the answers which each religion gives to three further questions:
1. How did we get here?
2. How can we know?
3. Where are we going?
So that we get our bearings, we are going to begin by looking at Christianity. How does Christianity answer these three questions? (Take time to read Psalm 19)!
1. How did we get here?
There’s no better place to start than at the beginning and the starting point isn’t hard to find. The first words in the Bible are:
“In the beginning, God created…”. (Genesis 1:1)
Here we are given two propositions: the world has a beginning, and the world has a Creator. We are here, not by chance nor random fate; not as the product of natural processes of indeterminable length nor the coming together of eternally existing matter but created by a living, personal God, at a particular time and for a particular purpose.
Psalm 19:1 gives the purpose of creation:
“The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims his handiwork”.
The beauty of the sky at sunset, the innumerable stars on a clear night and the predictable rhythm of time as night follows day and day follows night direct us to something greater – to the Creator God.
We are not merely stuck on a rock in space orbiting the sun with no greater purpose than to struggle to survive, but we have the capacity to see the handiwork of God and to know the God whose handiwork it is.
This is a distinctive understanding of Biblical Christianity: we can know the God who made us. He is not a distant, harsh taskmaster but a loving Father who cares for his creation – for us. We are able to enter into a relationship with him and have the same power which created the majesty of the universe as the power which is present with us in life – at every stage of the journey.
As the purpose of creation is to declare the glory of God so our purpose is to reflect his glory in a unique way. As male and female together, we are made in his image, and God has placed us here to take joy in his creation and in God, himself.
2. How can we know?
As God reveals himself in creation, so too he speaks in and through his Word – his revealed Word. Unique to Christianity, the “sacred word” is living and active, far removed from a cold textbook or list of instructions. God’s Spirit causes it to live as He illuminates and applies it to those who hear.
The Psalmist exalts in his experience of God’s revelation. He writes in Psalm 19 that it, “revives the soul…, makes wise the simple…, rejoices the heart…, enlightens the eyes”. This is no burdensome adherence to rules and regulations laid down by some distant deity, but a loving response within a living relationship with God.
What does God want humanity to know? Nothing less than Himself! And so, He sent His Son, “the Word made flesh”, to reveal to the world the fullness of God. In Jesus, we see God reaching down into humanity in the most visible, intimate and loving way – God with us. No other religion makes such a claim. Christianity is not man reaching out to an unknowable deity or for enlightenment, but rather it is God reaching down to man, saying, “Here I am”!
God is not made any less powerful, majestic, or holy by this, but through Jesus, we are allowed to see the glory of God. What else do the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus reveal other than the power, majesty, and holiness of Almighty God? It is in Jesus that we come to see God and come to know him.
3. Where are we going?
Turning again to Psalm 19, the Psalmist exclaims in v.12, “Who can discern his errors”? The sense of ‘going wrong’ in some way cannot be avoided. He is aware that, no matter what he does, he can still err in some way. To use the analogy of the map, his errors occur when he wants to plot his own course and ignores the guidance he has been given. That’s why he speaks of “presumptuous sins” in 19:13.
The question is often asked: “where in the world are we going”? Just look at what’s happening around us: disease, war, climate crisis, mass shootings and economic stress (feel free to add to the list!). There is fear and uncertainty at every turn – a lived out disaster movie. Would it be going too far to describe the situation as “hell on earth”?
To the Christian the idea of “hell on earth” isn’t surprising. Humanity, en masse, has rejected God’s revelation of himself in creation and His Son, and jettisoned His Word. Having been shown God’s glory, humanity has chosen darkness over light. Humanity is wilfully stumbling towards the greater and eternal reality of hell itself.
It may sound harsh but that makes it no less true. Christianity has a linear view of history. There is a direction of travel which began at creation and will end in judgement. Those who refuse and reject God now have no reason to expect to be able to enjoy his blessings, either presently or later.
But we can know and be sure of God’s blessings. Psalm 19:12 explains how. Look at the plea: “Declare me innocent from hidden faults”. It’s as simple as that. By God’s grace, he shows mercy to those who have gone wrong (and we all have!) when they admit their sinfulness to Him. It is this simple acknowledgement of sin which restores the relationship with God and sets the sinner on the right course. It’s not that the sins are simply written off – far from it – but that the debt of sin is declared fully covered by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. The price has been paid.
Christianity is unique in promising a certain destination beyond death. It is not something which must be worked for or earned or can be removed. The Psalmist speaks of being “innocent and blameless of great transgression” (19:13) and that is what being righteous in Christ means. No charge against a Christian will stick – ever. Faithful Christians who know the mercy and grace of God need not fear the future. Where are they going? Into the eternal presence of God.
How can we be sure we’re on the right track? Take the words of the Psalmist in 19:14 to heart, pray them, live them and you won’t go wrong:
“Let the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O LORD, my rock and redeemer”.