Why Jesus?
Explaning the exclusivity of salvation in Christ

To Exist or not to Exist?
In the Bible, it shows us that the reason God is so concerned about us turning to other religions is simply this - these other gods don't exist, and other religions are merely myths (1 Corinthians 8:5-6). And gods that don't exist obviously can't help anyone. However, God does exist. He is as real as the keyboard you are typing on and the chair you are sitting in. And He is the only God who is able to help you, communicate with you, protect you, and save you. And time and time again, both in the Bible and in the lives of people today, He has done extraordinary things to prove it. He sure has in my life. For example, just ask me about 1:00AM on May 5, 2003 driving down the Interstate during a thunderstorm in Kentucky.

"They say to wood, 'You are my father', and to stone, 'You gave me birth.' They have turned their backs to me and not their faces; yet when they are in trouble, they say, 'Come and save us!' Where then are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you when you are in trouble!" - from Jeremiah, chapter 3

When that Bible verse was recorded, people were worshipping and serving idols made of wood and stone. God saw what the idols really were - wood and stone. People were giving their lives to logs and rocks, and ignoring the only God who existed, the One who really has all the power.

The Bible says God is not only angry but grieved when people don't turn to Him for their needs. Could you imagine your son or daughter acting if you don't exist, and trying to meet their needs other ways? How about if you continued to provide food, shelter, clothing, and emotional support for them, but they still refused to acknowledge you? This is precisely what people do to God when they turn to other religions. How would you expect God to feel about this?

Furthermore, the Bible says that your sin has put you on the road to eternal hell. But God loved you too much to just let you slide down the chasm into that fate. He sent His son Jesus to take your place so you could not only escape hell but go to heaven. If a person would just turn to Jesus, they would be saved. But instead, they turn to Buddha or Allah or some other god that not only does not exist, but distracts them from the only God who can really save them. God looks down in sorrow at people that turn from Him to other gods on their way to the consequences for their sins.

Christianity shouldn't be called 'Christianity' or classified as a 'religion', because it is reality. Is it narrow-minded then to acknowledge reality and reject everything else? Of course not . . . it's the only rational thing to do (Psalms 14:1).

The Sin Factor
Is God asking a lot for people to turn to Jesus Christ only? Well, to answer this, we need to see why Jesus came in the first place: Our sin.

The Bible says that all of us have sinned, that is, deliberately done things that we knew were wrong. We are all human and we all make mistakes, but that's not what sin is about. Sin is those times that we knew what was right and wrong, but we made a choice to do what was wrong. The Bible says that all of us have done this (Romans 3:23). I have, you have, everyone has. Even an atheist has to admit this.

So when we sin, we don't have any excuses. There isn't a legal system to get us 'off the hook'. Both we and God know what we have done, there's no need for a trial. Just like there is punishment for breaking the law anywhere in the world, there is punishment for sinning against God (Romans 6:23). But sin is very serious. God is so perfect, so awesome, so holy - that He cannot tolerate sin, and there is no way we can pay for our sin to meet God's standards (Isaiah 64:6).

Since we have all sinned, we are all hopelessly headed straight for the only place that sinners can go: 'hell', or eternal punishment. This is another important thing that is not a religious myth - it is very real.

You might be thinking, "God sounds pretty mean! How can He send us to hell like that? I thought He loved us!"

This is where Jesus comes in. God does love you, despite your sin (Romans 5:8). And He is not content to just sit by and watch you go to hell for your sins. Your parents might have told you that they don't like punishing you, and if you're a parent, you probably don't like to have to punish your children. In the same way, the Bible says that God doesn't like to have to send us to hell (Ezekiel 33:11). He wants us to turn to Him and be rescued.

He made a way for us to be saved, one that was unbelievably simple for us to grasp. He sent Jesus to die and take the required punishment for us. Jesus was God, but when He was on earth, He lived as a man - just like you and me. He experienced everything we do, all of you feelings, pain, joy, etc. And since Jesus was perfect and never sinned, after He died God raised Him from the dead (I Corinthians 15:3-4).

And now, all that is required for us to be forgiven for our sin, that is, pardoned from ALL of it - is to turn to Jesus for salvation (John 3:16). God did all this to prove His love for us. He did us a huge favor by sacrificing Jesus so we could be saved - so we could escape hell and get heaven! Now, knowing all that, does it sound like too much to say that Jesus is the only way to get to heaven? Of course not! He is the only hope we have - no other way can save us. This is why other religions fail - they cannot save you from your sins.

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." - Acts 4:3

So are we putting down or 'judging' people for believing other religions? No, we are stating the fact that other religions can't save people from their sin - only Jesus can.

Are Christians too Pushy?
Why do Christians go to so much trouble to convince others about Jesus? Are we just trying to get everyone to conform to our beliefs so that we will be more comfortable? Nothing could be farther from the truth, but that's how Christians are portrayed everywhere, every day. So why are we so concerned about this? Are we just a bunch of fanatics? Should we just keep our beliefs to ourselves and just 'respect' other religions? Think of the following story:

You and a group of close friends and family are on a small boat out at sea during the winter. While down inside the boat, you realize that there is a large leak and that the boat will sink within an hour. You know you can't get back to shore that fast, so you immediately use the emergency communication radio to call for help. Minutes later, you hear the Coast Guard helicopter hovering above the ship with a ladder hanging down. You yell and scream for everyone to take the rescue chopper to safety. But no one goes. You try to explain that the boat is sinking, but everyone thinks that you are exaggerating. They wave at the chopper to leave them alone. You jump on the ladder and plead with your loved ones to follow. Finally two or three of your friends realize what is happening and follow you onto the ladder. The rest simply refuse to go. Eventually, the pilot can't wait any longer. He takes you back to shore and leaves the others, while you look back in horror as the boat suddenly plunges into the icy water.

Obviously, most people wouldn't be so stubborn that they'd stay on a sinking boat in an icy ocean, refusing to be rescued by the only hope they had. Could you blame the guy for being frantic about his family believing him about the sinking boat? Of course not! That brings us to the main point: Everyone on this earth is on a 'sinking ship'. It's not always obvious, but the reality is that God's judgment is coming for sin, a judgement that no one can ever pay. But there is a way to be rescued!

Christians have heard about this way of rescue and have taken it. We want others to follow us so they will be saved from what is coming. Since this is not 'religion', but very real, we are truly concerned for those around us (2 Corinthians 5:11). Not only is it the obvious thing to do, but we have an obligation to tell others about the 'sinking ship' and the Rescue Line (Ezekiel 33:8). Would you expect someone who knows all this to stay silent in the name of 'respecting other religions'? Can we respect a religion that results in people missing their only hope for rescue?

Christians aren't trying to force you to believe in God and Jesus. Our job is to show you His plan, and hope that you will take it and be saved. That's our motivation! We don't want to be 'right' or 'holier than thou', we just can't stand by and watch everyone around us stay on the 'sinking ship'. Would you?

Did you know that God led you to this site right now so you could hear His message? You are not here by accident! Right now, God's Holy Spirit is calling you to believe in Jesus Christ. If you truly believe and would like to begin a new life with Christ, tell God in a simple prayer similar to this:

Lord Jesus,
I realize I am a sinner.
I am sorry for the things I've done against you,
and I'm now turning from my sin.
Please come in to my life as my Lord & Savior.
Amen.

If you just prayed this prayer sincerely, or if you are considering becoming a Christian and would like me to pray for you, please let me know by using the button below. This button doesn't record your identity or any personal information, it just sends me a short email message to let me know that you are here. If you would like me to email you back, just enter your address in the space provided. You can also send your name in the second space provided if you like.

-Dan Robinson
Storm Highway