 | Reverend Terry G. Fox is Senior Pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church. He is Chairman of the North American Mission Board, member of its Executive Committee and the FamilyNet Broadcast Communications Committee, as well as numerous other subcommittees. He's listed on the Who's Who Among Outstanding Corporate Executives. He is a sought after speaker and has traveled and ministered in many places in the United States, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Rev. Fox and his wife Barbara have three children. You may contact him at Immanuel Baptist Church, 1415 South Topeka, Wichita, Kansas, 67211; phone (316) 262-1452; or Fax (316) 262-4704. |
Religion
2002-06-01 14:17:00
Why would God allow so many different religions?
Question: The world is a big place. There are lots of religions. Some claim their religion to be the only one that will allow entrance into heaven. Some claim it will be sufficient just to know God and desire to be with Him in heaven. Why would God allow the creation of so many religions and the overwhelming confusion they have caused with respect to salvation?
Answer: Yes, there are lots of religions. People are naturally religious. We create something to give life meaning and purpose, and to provide a system of ethics by which we can get along with other people and calm our sense of guilt and failure.As to why God would allow people to create so many religions: I don't presume to explain God's motives. His purposes and reasons are far beyond us. But we do know that He has given humans free will; we can do what displeases Him without immediate punishment. It seems that He values obedience which is freely given. His first great commandment was to love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind, and we can understand that the only worthwhile love is love freely given. He cannot both give us freedom and NOT give us freedom, so we are free to invent religions. But this does not mean that they are all equally true. He has not left us on our own but has revealed Himself to us in several ways. Romans 1:20 says nature reveals Him: "For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."Then He spoke through Prophets and the written Word, recording His relations to people in history. And finally, Christians believe that He revealed Himself most completely by coming to live among us in the person of Jesus Christ, the God-Man who showed God's attitudes in an understandable way (See Hebrews 1:1-3). He also suffered human hatred and death on the cross to provide forgiveness to us.And, Christ did say that there is no other way to achieve acceptance with God: John 14:6 "I am The way, The truth and The life; no one comes to the Father except by me." Christ's resurrection showed His victory over death and God's acceptance of His sacrifice. We see His high, holy standards, but also His love and gracious offer of new life in a living relationship to Himself when we repent of our sin and throw ourselves on His mercy. Romans 5:8 "God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."This contrasts with the religions which people naturally invent. In these, man attempts to placate the god(s) and earn his way into a happy afterlife. This usually means getting god to leave me alone now, to live life as I please. When I do so, isn't God suffering a defeat? Maybe....but it seems that He so values our freely-given choice that He takes the risk.
