Christianity vs. World Religions
 Some preliminary thoughts:
• Determining the truth or falseness of Christianity or
world religions has nothing to do with educational level.
• Determining the truth or falseness of Christianity or
world religions has nothing to do with where one was
born, or what system of religion our parents brought us
up in.
• All religions are not the same.
“Anyone who claims that all
religions are the same betrays
not only an ignorance of all
religions but also a caricatured
view of even the best-known
ones. Every religion at its core
is exclusive.”
Ravi Zacharias, Jesus Among Other Gods, p. 7
Christianity vs. World Religions
 Has God revealed Himself in non-Christian
religions?
• There are many good non-Christian people whose
convictions and morality exhibit principles common to
all religions which they learned from the faiths they
believe in and practice.
• How can this be that non-Christian religions often
reflect the wisdom and morality that is also
characteristic of the Christian faith?
Christianity vs. World Religions
 Has God revealed Himself in non-Christian
religions?
• Three different ways in which we can identify God’s
influence:
 General revelation.
 Human conscience and moral awareness.
 Some of the “truth” of world religions reflect a
preservation of some of what God has revealed in the
past.
Christianity vs. World Religions
 Has God revealed Himself in non-Christian
religions?
• The answer to this question must be “No!” but this
doesn’t mean that God’s influence has not been felt.
• But God cannot be known in the sense of knowing who
He is, knowing His character, knowing His mind, and
knowing His will for human beings through world
religions.
• World religions are a result of this continual need to
seek after the divine, but being guilty of diverging from
and grossly distorting the knowledge of the true God.
Christianity vs. World Religions
 What makes Christianity unique and exclusive?
• Its uniqueness is found in Jesus.
 Jesus is truly an historical character who made some
extraordinary claims.
 He proved these claims by being resurrected from
the dead (Jn. 2:18-22; Rom. 1:3-4).
 He not only preached a message He required people
to follow, He was identical with the message
(Jn. 14:6).
Christianity vs. World Religions
 What makes Christianity unique and exclusive?
• Its exclusivity is found in Jesus.
 In spite of all efforts to try to harmonize all religions
into equally legitimate routes to the divine, following
Jesus does not allow this.
 Jesus made it clear that the only way to God was
through Him (Jn. 14:6).
 The apostles showed they understood the
exclusive nature of their message (Acts. 4:12)
Christianity vs. World Religions
 What makes Christianity unique and exclusive?
• Its exclusivity is found in Jesus.
 In spite of all efforts to try to harmonize all religions
into equally legitimate routes to the divine, following
Jesus does not allow this.
 This salvation provided by Jesus is for all mankind
(Jn. 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:3-4; Acts 17:30).
 All people are obligated to Jesus to come to Him
since all are going to be judged by Him
(Jn. 3:36; Acts 17:31).
Christianity vs. World Religions
 What makes Christianity unique and exclusive?
Jesus!