A popular bumper sticker in some cities calls for us to "coexist." The letters are made up of the symbols of various faiths, such as an Islamic crescent moon making up the "C," a Star of David as the "X," and a Christian cross at the "T." It reflects an attitude that no matter what you believe, no matter what your faith is, you will go to heaven when you die if your good deeds outweigh your bad.
However, sadly, that is bad theology. For starters, many faiths such as Christianity and Islam are exclusive beliefs, as in according to their teachings, their way is the only way to heaven. According to them, all other faiths are not the way of God or whatever higher being there is and will not help you in getting to heaven when you die.
So if each faith says they are the way, which way is THE way?
The Bible teaches that only faith in Jesus Christ is sufficient in any of us getting to heaven. Jesus himself is quoted in John 14:6 as saying,
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (NIV)
Jesus is quoted in Matthew as saying,
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." - Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)
Romans 10:9 tells us,
"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (NIV)
But why do we need a savior? Won't our good deeds, if they outweigh our bad ones, be enough to get us into heaven?
Unfortunately, sadly, no, they are not enough. Romans 3:23 says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." And even if we tried to be good, it still isn't enough:
"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." - Isaiah 64:6 (NIV)
Jesus also had this to say about calling on God to let us into heaven, even if you go to church on a regular basis:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" - Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV)
So how do we get to heaven then? One of the most famous verses in the Bible, John 3:16, says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Eternal life means spending eternity with God in heaven. Death, in the eternal sense, means spending eternity apart from God, wallowing in our sins.
That is why Jesus is different.
"But he continued, 'You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.'" - John 8:23-24 (NIV)
Romans 10:9-10 says that if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved. It's as simple as that.
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