Letter to My Aunt: Do All Worship the Same God?

"Religious" people negating the purpose of their own beliefs.

The picture above is what I would call blatant propaganda. I mean that this is the use of "imagery" where people are seen to be something that they aren't. In other words, they are negating any real truth of their own religions by calling their god inconsistent and a liar for revealing himself/herself in hundreds of different religions. Not surprising. Television shows use this technique all the time. If you see enough shows where the wife is dominant and capitalizing and her husband's passivity and weakness, then people start to believe that this is what marriage is supposed to look like (i.e. Everybody Loves Raymond, Two and a Half Men, etc., etc.).[1] If we see enough gay characters, then we'll be desensitized enough to accept it as normal or even appropriate. The same thing is going on with this photo: display an image of unity where all beliefs are valid, equal, and true, and eventually the ecumenical concept will take over and shun Jesus as the Way.

At a family gathering a couple of months ago, the discussion of all religions leading to God came up. I explained to my aunt that the Bible would not allow for this interpretation, easy and nice as that would be. When I got home, I felt it incumbent upon me to write to her. The following is that letter, however, I have edited it slightly for this post.

Do We All Worship the Same God?

I find statements like “We all worship the same God” extremely offensive. It gives no reverence to God’s holiness nor His consistency: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8). There are many references that validate this consistency, for Jesus Himself said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58; cf. 1:29-30). This claim to deity was a bridge to God’s statement of Himself in Exodus 3:14: “God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’”

Let us look at how God has revealed Himself in the holy Scriptures. The statement about all of us worshiping the same God is a common opinion today and many people espouse it, but that opinion cannot be backed up by the Word of God. The Bible is God’s revelation to us, therefore it is the standard by which all doctrines must be tested. Let me just point out some verses so you can taste God’s truth for yourself. My hope is that these references will enrich your time with God, and that you will read this open-mindedly and pray about these truths. Pray that God will reveal His truth to you. But look these things up for yourself! Do not simply take my word for it. Let us start with some very famous words of Jesus Christ Himself, in the Gospel of John:

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him” (John 14:6–7).

1. Notice how clear Jesus’ words are about the way to be with God the Father: “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Jesus is the way. He does not say there are many ways and that gods of other names are all the same. He is very clear: “I am the way.” Also notice, the words “way,” “truth,” and “life” are parallels all meaning the same thing. Jesus, who is God, is the true way to eternal life. There is no other.
2. In verse 7, knowing Jesus is equated with knowing the Father. In essence He is saying, “If you know me, then you know my Father too.” This is so very important as it shows that those who do not know Jesus in that personal relationship with Him do not know God. Why? Because not only is Jesus God, He is also the way to God, the one way.

 

Improper Use of Subjectivism

Here is something disheartening: the world today says all truth is subjective, as if truth is simply based on the experience of each individual. We simply share our experiences and then assimilate them into new truths. That is oxy-moronic. Just because I believe something, doesn’t make it true. Here is an illustration:

Let’s say you’re working at a store. You have a new boss coming in to take over the operations of the store. Let’s call him Jim. He meets you on his first day and you say, “Hi, my name is Kate.” You talk for a bit getting to know one another and then depart. The next day you come into work and walk by Jim’s office and say, “Good morning, Jim!” Jim then replies, “Hey! Good morning, Janice!” You shrug it off, thinking he simply made a mistake. Now, for the next two weeks, let’s say that he keeps calling you Janice; obviously, he believes that your name is Janice. Question: Does what he believes change the truth that your name is Kate? No! By no means! His belief is wrong, and it needs to be corrected.

So it is with worship of God. You cannot say that God is subjective in truth. If He were, then He would be inconsistent; and if inconsistent, then fallible; and if fallible, then He is not God. For James declares that God is “the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17). He is consistent in His revelation to us. If He were inconsistent, then we could not depend on Him nor could we hope in His promises.

The Hour of True Worship

When Christ revealed God’s intention of worship to us, He said, “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” Jesus makes a huge implication with the word “true worshipers.” By saying true worshipers will worship God in spirit and truth, then He is implying that there are many who are not worshiping in truth (see also Matt. 7:21–23). To remedy this problem, Jesus (the Way, Truth and Life) has revealed the Father’s truth to us! That is so much more gloriously satisfying than making up traditions and/or simply believing that God will accept people on their own “righteousness.” No, Jesus has made the way clear! There is another implication in Saint John’s gospel that must be emphasized if the good news of Jesus Christ is to not be nullified of its power to save. That implication is sin. Listen to Jesus’ words:

“I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he [the Messiah, the Savior] you will die in your sins” (John 8:24).

Jesus tells us the requirements for the forgiveness of sins: “Believe that I am he.” No other religion or cult in the world truly believes that Christ is the Messiah, not even the non-Christian Jews. The apostle Paul echoes a very similar statement in Romans 10:9–10: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” Paul gives us a clear indication of what Jesus meant by “believe that I am he.” To believe that Jesus is “he” is:

• to confess Jesus as Lord...with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
• to believe in your heart that God raised Christ from the dead...for with the heart one believes and is justified.

“Justified” is a legal term. It means to be declared no longer guilty. Guilty of what? Guilty of sinning against a holy, righteous God. The sin which Jesus spoke of in our passage, in the Gospel of John, is what makes us guilty before the Judge. His wrath can only be appeased by one thing, and one thing alone: Jesus Christ; that is, His sinless life, His death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead. Nothing else justifies us. Therefore, we put our faith in nothing more than the finished work of Christ in taking away sin from those who believe in Him. This is very important, because this is truth echoed all over the Scriptures. What does this mean for other religions? Let’s take a look at Islam as an example.

Now, in response to Jesus’ own words, and to the words confirmed by Paul that we just looked at in Romans, compare those to the words from the Qur’an of Islam, Surah 4:157, written several hundred years after Christ’s death and resurrection:

The Qur'an

And [for] their saying, “Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah .” And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain.

If God is the same god that all people seek and serve, then how can there be such an inconsistency in these two holy books? The Bible says that Christ died on that Cross and paid for our sins and that His payment appeased God’s wrath and declares us righteous by faith in Christ alone. Muslims completely deny this truth; that is, they deny the Christian’s central truth that Jesus and all the apostles say that this event did happen. How can both of these things be true? If they are both true, then we have no rock on which to stand in this life. Logic declares this!

Another problem with the Qur’an is that, if a mere man was put on that cross to take the punishment for my sins against God, then I am still in my sin. No man can do this for me. Only Christ Jesus can do it, who was fully God and fully man. It took the infinite value of Christ’s blood, suffering and death to appease the infinite transgression of my sins against God. No sinful man can do this for you or I. Okay, let’s see what the apostle Peter has to say in the book of the Acts of the Apostles.

Peter's Stance

It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed...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 4:10, 12

Here, we have Saint Peter telling us where we can find salvation: “It is by the name of Jesus Christ...Salvation is found in no one else.” What was the Jews response? “So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” But Peter and John answered them, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19–20)

Now, these apostles had an opportunity to do what our modern world would consider more “loving” by not saying anything about the name of Jesus. Guess what? They didn’t stop preaching the name of Jesus Christ and because of this, the Church grew and many were being saved from their sins.

There is also an implication and principle here in this Scripture: To not preach Jesus Christ is to not love  your neighbor as yourself. If you know the truth, if you have found deep joy in Christ, then you are obligated (and joyfully willing) to share that truth with a world that is perishing. If Christ brings you satisfaction because of the eternal life He gives, then “we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” At the risk of offending the Jews, the apostles’ joy in Christ’s salvation overcame their fear and they showed real love by speaking real TRUTH, in one name: Jesus Christ. Next, let us look at the Old Testament, and we will see the consistency of God’s Word. Commandment No.1 seems fitting (Commandment No.2 is also very helpful).

Commandment No.1:

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:2–3).

Notice the very stern words of verse 3: “You shall have no other gods before me.” How can there be “other gods” if God is the same God that everyone worships? If we all worship the same God, why even mention “other gods”? Someone might say, “That means material possessions, not actual gods.” But let’s see if that holds up. Watch as we explore some Old Testament.

Idolatry: Exodus 34:12–16

“Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst. You shall tear down their altars and break their pillars and cut down their Asherim (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice, and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods.
You will notice that God has them tear down the neighboring country’s altars and that He is jealous  (righteous jealousy) when His chosen people, the ones He loves, prostitute themselves to other “gods”. Why? Because “other gods,” by other names, do not exist and cannot sustain people’s needs like the steadfast love of the Trinity. Why should we worship gods by other names when those gods can do nothing for us? They do not exist.

Psalm 96:5

“For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.”
God made the heavens, and the gods of other people can do nothing.

1 Kings 11:1–6

King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 2 They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. 3 He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines, and his wives led him astray. 4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done.

This passage is very telling of God’s righteous jealousy for His people.

• Verse 1 tells us that King Solomon married many foreign women.
• Verse 2 tell us that God had already warned His people not to marry people of other nations. Why? Is God racist? No! He gives us the answer: “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Now we find out that Solomon, as wise as he was, became a fool, because he didn’t listen to God’s word. 
• Verse 3 says that he had over 1,000 foreign wives and concubines. Next we are told that “his wives led him astray.” Question: How? How did these women lead King Solomon astray? Answer: 
• Verse 4 tells us that “his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God.” Solomon had a heart problem. He was worshiping other gods. What does this tell us about the character of God, of Christ Jesus? That to follow gods by any other revelation, or any other name, than that which is supplied by the Word of God is to be an idolater (Commandments Nos.1 & 2).

How did God view Solomon’s actions here? Did He simply say, “No problem, Solomon. As long as your wives are happy, just keep worshiping those gods as well as me.” No!

• Verse 6 gives us the answer: “So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord.” 

As we saw from Saint Peter earlier, once the OT prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Emmanuel),  “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Conclusion

Aunt K., you mentioned that the Catholic church does not encourage you to read your Bible. Okay. Let me encourage you to read God’s Word, the Bible, every day. If God spoke the very Earth and all that is in it into existence (“Let there be light . . .” Genesis 1), then what comes out of His mouth is truth! Jesus Himself, quoting the book of Deuteronomy, said, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” The Word of God is food! It is God-magnifying, life-sustaining food.
Now, the truth is that it is so much easier to simply let everyone believe what they want to believe. We don’t suffer persecution from the world when we don’t preach Christ as the “Way, the Truth and the Life.” However, God’s love is perfect, and our love is tainted by sin, therefore we cannot completely understand God’s way of perfect love because our sin nature prevents us. The Bible shows us that the way to truly love others is by sharing Christ Jesus as the Way. We are not justified by sacraments or ordinances; we are not justified by being a good person, because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We are not justified by anything but the work of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ work is the Way. When our heart believes these things, then our mouths and hearts follow suit and admit this truth.

I implore you, study God’s Word and let Him reveal Himself to you. This is what King David said of God’s objective Word: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” That lamp shows that there is one path, and shows us how to find it through its life saving light, through faith in nothing but the saving work of Jesus’ perfect life, shed blood and death on the cross, and defeat over death through the resurrection alone! Praise be to God!


[1] In Two and a Half Men, I am thinking of Charlie's brother Alan, who even let's his ex-wife control him!