There are so many very serious issues confronting the follower of Jesus today that it is a terrifying proposition to make an attempt to identify one as the greatest. Surely the biblical illiteracy among church leaders and church members is a huge problem. Finding Christian leaders who invest the time and effort on rightly dividing the word of truth is not easy. Surely the absolutely abysmal state of Christian prayer time is a tremendous concern. Finding Christians who will truly come into the presence of God concerning kingdom matters is no simple task. Finding a prayer meeting that is much more than a medical report is difficult. Confronting the killing of innocent unborn children is surely a monumental and important task. Surely defending the God ordained institution of marriage is a job worthy of our best efforts. Surely helping people to escape from the clutches of addictions to illegal drugs, immoral sex, pornography, gambling, alcohol, etc.
is an important aim for us. I must contend that despite the immense significance of all of these issues, there is a greater danger that has crept in among us. It is moving at ever increasing speeds with ever increasing boldness. I speak of religious syncretism.
All across my county, my state, my country, and my world, politicians, celebrities, and false religious teachers are joining together to proclaim a message that could not be more completely opposite to the Christianity espoused by the Bible. They are becoming bolder and more aggressive with each passing day. Their false message that would never have been tolerated in years past is becoming ever more acceptable day by day. Biblically illiterate people all around the world, many of them think they are Christians, are swallowing a lie that “being spiritual” is a legitimate avenue to God. People with no discernment are accepting teaching that any or no religion or any combination of religions is an acceptable path to God. It is getting increasingly more difficult to share the exclusive glorious gospel of Jesus the Christ because of the pervasive and relentless promotion of the false notion that all religions are equal and compatible. The Bible is not ambiguous about that idea. The Bible leaves no room for debate on that. One cannot believe the Bible and also believe that.
God has declared that He alone is God; there is no other. (Dt. 4:35,39; Isaiah 45:5,6 etc.) God has declared that He is a jealous God and that He will not share His glory with another. (Isaiah 42:8) Jesus told His disciples that He alone is the Way, the Truth, the Life and that no one gets to heaven except through Him. (John 14:6) Peter filled with the Holy Spirit put it very plainly in Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” (NASU) Paul made it very clear in 1 Timothy 2:5-6,“For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.”(NASU) Galatians 1:6-9 states, “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!” (NASU)
If Christians do not awaken and recognize this pernicious evil for what it is, and confront it, we will soon not recognize that which was once the church of the Living Christ. This is the great struggle of our day.
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