Many roads to God?

It has been suggested that God is too big to be defined by any one religion, that to claim an exclusive understanding is to be ignorant, presumptuous, and narrow. Others teach that  the Bible leaves no option for any other deity in any universe, and that teaching otherwise is to encourage error and damnation. What the Bible actually says on this matter might surprise both camps.

Islam can accept that some non-Muslims – even Christians and Jews — can achieve favorable terms with God. Hinduism and Buddhism both accept that anyone regardless of religion could achieve “liberation” if they do the right things. These non-Christian groups plus other religions represent almost half the world’s population right now. Can so many be so wrong?

Even among Christians there is disagreement on this point. A 2008 U.S. survey found that 52% of Christians believed that some other religions could lead to eternal life. One might expect Christians to be acquainted with the Christian Bible, and that this Bible guides their opinion on the matter. So does this mean that the Bible is unclear on the topic, or that it allows for other possible roads to salvation?

The truth is that the Bible could not be more clear: God is One, and there is no other. (See references below from several different writers and time periods.) The New Testament – which is the part of the Bible most Jews do not accept – goes even further to say that Jesus is the Christ, the one foretold in the Old Testament Who would open up salvation to the world. Jesus is described as “the only Name given among men whereby we must be saved.” He is both Son of David and Lord, One with God the Father, and the only valid sacrifice capable of reconciling mankind to God. Per the Bible, only by accepting Jesus by faith does one achieve eternal life.

No amount of working or desire can give one a “pass” on this. Other religions teach that all must work for their salvation, earning the favor of their god or the “ultimate perfection.” They say that one must sacrifice oneself (sometimes through many lifetimes) and thereby gain righteousness. (This mistaken theology can even be found in Christian circles.) The Bible says that One (Jesus) already did this once and for all, and that faith in Him is all that a person needs. It says that God specifically chose to grant salvation by faith so that no one could brag about how good they are. That is, He didn’t want salvation to be a wage but rather a gift demonstrating His love for mankind.

It seems then that the only people who can’t accept the possibility of other religions are those who know the Bible, take it literally, and believe that it is the ultimate authority on life. In the U.S., one survey puts this at about 1 in 4 Christians. How tragic this is for a world that desperately needs the truth! If the Bible is right about this, then many will drop into eternity with no assurance of salvation.

What about the sincere adherents of other religions, those who have lived noble lives but slip into the afterlife without having ever heard about Jesus? Is there any way they can be saved? If they can, then why does the Bible say that it is necessary to preach the message of Jesus to every nation? Wouldn’t it be better if they continued in ignorance so that they couldn’t be judged against it? Also, why would the Bible be so adamant about Jesus being the only valid sacrifice for the sin of mankind, and about the miserable failure of any other person to measure up to a perfect standard?

Consider the Bible’s account of the Roman centurion Cornelius, who sought God sincerely but was told that he needed more than his good deeds and prayers. An angel of the Lord appeared to him and told him to call for the Apostle Peter who would tell Cornelius what he needed to do. Of course, Peter told him to believe in Jesus! There was no other option suggested. This should be a sobering reminder that every person needs to know Jesus, but it is also a comfort to know that God even sends angels to connect people with the truth!
(Mark 12:29, Deuteronomy 4:39-40, 1 Kings 8:59-60, Acts 4:10-12, Acts 4:12 AMP, John 14:6, Isaiah 44:8, Luke 20:41-44, Romans 4, Ephesians 2:4-10, Romans 2:12-16, Romans 3:10-30, Acts 10)