The Path To God

“Are there many paths to God?” asked David Banning as he began his lecture Wednesday morning at Southside.

Religious surveys reveal that about 70% of Americans believe there are many ways to God. Surprisingly, however, an October 2022 poll showed that 56% of Evangelicals believed all religions are equally valid. “More professing Christians reject the exclusivity of Christ,” the survey said than at any previous time in history

Banning suggested that older Protestant preachers, many of whom are now deceased, touted that idea, but with caveats. They said “join the church of your choice,” but qualified that to mean a church that believes in Jehovah God, Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and the Bible as the Word of God.

However, their grandchildren are now taking that concept to a new level to suggest that any religion is as good as another, regardless of whether they believe in Jesus or not. Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Taoism, as well as Christianity are all ways to connect with God, they claim.

In recent years a popular secular spokesperson for this idea has been Oprah Winfrey. She once opined “One of the mistakes that human beings make is believing that there is only one way….there are many paths to what you call God.” On another occasion she said, “I am a Christian who believes that there are certainly many more paths to God other than Christianity.”

David offered 3 counter points to this notion.

#1 The statements of Scripture.

In His famous Mountain Message, Jesus said “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt 7:13-14).

Jesus said there are only 2 ways. But one leads to destruction. There is only way that leads to life eternal with God. Then he added this warning. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matt. 7:21).

These statements debunk the idea of universalism. Not everyone will be saved. Nor will the majority walk the narrow way to life. In fact, some who claim to believe in Jesus will be lost because they fail to obey the Father’s will and Word.

#2 Examples from Scripture.

In the Old Testament God condemned those who practiced idolatry (Jer. 51:17-19). He didn’t allow it as an alternative path. Worshiping Baal or Asherah was not another way to reach God. In the Ten Commandments the Lord said, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Ex. 20:3).

In the New Testament, Paul commended the Thessalonians who “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thess. 1:9). The mythological gods of the Greeks were not a viable path to fellowship with the Father.

#3 The story of the Bible.

The Old Testament prophecies about the coming of a Messiah who would save people from their sins (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:21-23). Jesus of Nazareth was the fulfillment of the prophecy. He was the One who was the “seed” promise to Abraham, who would bless the world (Gen. 12:1-3; Gal. 3:16).

When Peter preached the gospel he affirmed that it was only through the name of Jesus that people could be saved (Ax. 4:12). This is in harmony with what Jesus himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jn. 14:6).

Jesus was hailed not as “a” savior, but as “the” savior of the world. He was not just one of the many ways to God, but proclaimed as the only way. He alone is the epitome of Truth. And He is the only One in whom we can experience all spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3), enjoy an abundant life (Jn. 10:10), and expect to live eternally with the Father (Jn. 14:1-3).

Finally, as David observed a person can claim anything, but saying it doesn’t make it so. If any way is ok, how about the Old Testament pagans? Or tribes that offer human sacrifices? Or suicidal cults like The People’s Temple led by Jim Jones? Or extremist religious groups that harass people and condone violence?

If any way is ok, why not them? If not, then who gets to decide which groups are right? And what standard will you use to decide?

The truth is that only through Jesus can you receive forgiveness of sins, find your true purpose in life, and claim His promise of a heavenly home with the Father.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman