Do all religions lead to
salvation / God / heaven?
Why is Christianity different
from all other religions?
g

• Pray regularly.
Pray regularly • Memorize Scripture
Memorize Scripture.
• Go to church. • I was baptized.
• Meditate. • Be faithful in your
belief.
• Do good deeds.
g
• The answer is within
– feed the hungry
y
you.
– give to the poor
• What ever makes
– Help your
neighbor
g you happy or brings
peace.
• I’m a good person.

Salvation
from…
• Eternal separation from God.
• The bondage of sin and death.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
“ ll h d d f ll h fh l f d”
(Rom. 3:23)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23)

Salvation to:
•Eternal Life with Jesus in His Kingdom.
•Adoption as God’s children. (John 1:12)
For God so loved the world that He gave his only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall
not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
For by grace you have been saved through faith,
F b h b d th h f ith
and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not
of works lest any man should boast. (Eph 2:8‐9)
All who believe in all sufficient death, burial, and
resurrection of Jesus are eternally secure in Him.
ti f J t ll i Hi
(I Pet. 1:3‐5; I Cor. 1:20‐22)

God
• Th i
There is one true God, eternally existing in three
G d ll i i i h
Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each of whom
p
possesses equally all the attributes of Deity and the
q y y
characteristics of personality. He is creator and sustainer
of all things. (Gen. 1:1; Deut. 6:4; Psa. 90:2; Mat.28:19; 2
Cor. 13:14; Psa. 18:35)
Cor 13:14; Psa 18:35)
•Jesus is the only way to God :
“I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the
y,
Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad
“ bh f d h db d
is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many
who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is
g y g
the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
(Matt. 7:13‐14)

Heaven
• The eternal state of blessing, called heaven, for the
saved. (Acts 1:9‐11; 1 Thes. 4:13‐18; Phil. 3:20; Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:15;
J
John 3:16; 1 John 2:25)
3 ;J 5)
•“…the Lord’s throne is in heaven…” (Psalm 11:11)
• Eternal state of blessing (Rom. 6:23; Phil. 3:20; 1 John 2:25;
Rev. 20:15)
• The abode of God; paradise. (The 3rd heaven as in 2 Cor. 12:2)
• There are no tears, death, crying or pain. (Rev. 21 – 22)

Salvation / God / Heaven
• Waiting on the Messiah for salvation.
• He will not change the religion of the Jewish people.
g g J pp
• He will lead all Jewish people to follow their laws and
Righteousness is
commandments in the Torah, which will never change and
last forever. not found by
following the Law
Law.
• Obt i d th
Obtained through prayer, repentance, and good
h t d d
(Gen. 15:6; Rom
deeds; also by being born into a family practicing
3:20)
Judaism.
•Judaism reversed itself – b li f th t
Jdi d it lf belief that you can come to
t
God directly and the blood of sacrifices was no “I am the
longer needed. way, the truth
and the life.
life
•Reformed Judaism
No one
– Messiah is actually a golden age or utopian age
comes to the
established by man.
Father except
– by improving one’s self and society.
through M ”
th h Me.”
• Repent (change one’s mind, turn from and to) to
(John 14:6)
come to God or back to God and walk in His ways.

Salvation/ God / Heaven
• Submission to the will of Allah (monotheism).
• F ll h Pill f I l
Follow the 5 Pillars of Islam. (Repeat the
(R h
“He who
statement of faith, prayer, fasting during denies the
Ramadan, alms giving, Hajj – travel to Mecca, Son, does not
Saudi Arabia)
d b) have the
Father either...”
• The weight of good works is compared to bad
(1John 2:22)
works on scales which determines the salvation of
a soul to heaven or loss to hell for eternity (Surahs
7:8‐9; 23:102‐3; 21:47).
• Ultimately Allah has mercy upon who he has
Ultimately, Allah has mercy upon who he has
mercy and there is no assurance of salvation until
judgment day.
• I l d i th t J
Islam denies that Jesus is God’s son and His
i G d’ d Hi
death on the cross.

Salvation/ God / Heaven
S l i / G d / H
• All is God. “Brahman” is the term for the impersonal,
unchanging, ultimate REALITY & includes the whole world.
• Spiral out of the cycle of reincarnations until one is absorbed
into oneness with Brahman, thus becoming God. “You shall have
Many paths to obtain oneness with Brahman that include no other Gods
• yp
before me.”
f
the following:
(Ex. 20:3)
– The Way through knowledge.
– The Way through devotion / love (loyalty, relationships).
Enter through
– The Way through work (no motive for personal gain / caring the narrow
for idols and death rituals). way, Jesus is
– The Way through psychophysical exercises (observing the only gate.
cleanliness, contentment, self‐control, resisting bad actions, (Mat. 7:13-14,
meditation). John 14:6)
• Jesus is considered by some Hindus as a great spiritual
leader or an incarnation of God; one among many.
l d i ti f G d
• Popular deities that are worshiped include: Brahma, Vishnu,
Shiva, Ganesh, and Krishna.

Salvation/ G d H
S l ti / God / Heaven
• Denial of the existence of a sovereign creator. Thus, Jesus said…
atheism is the general characteristic of Southern Buddhism. “ Come to
Me ll
M all you
• “Nirvana,” a state of pure non-existence, without desire, who labor
suffering, and reincarnation is the goal. and are
heavy laden,
ea y ade ,
•The way of escape is through self-perfection primarily and I will
give you
outlined in the “Eight-fold Path.” (“Right” -views, aspiration,
rest.” (Mat.
)
speech, conduct, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and contemplation). [1]
p p
11:27)
•Jesus is considered as a teacher but is not unique or
divine.
•Northern Buddhism actions point to worship of the
Buddhist religion, therefore “Buddhahood”[2] can be
considered as a god.
id d d
[1] Daniel Heimbach, “Interfaith Witness Belief Bulletin; Buddhism,” (Aplharetta: Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist
Convention 1996).
[2] North American Mission Board, “Interfaith Evangelism Comparative Belief Chart,” (Alpharetta: NAMB, 2004).

Salvation/ God / Heaven
• One God, called Jehovah. He is one, His
Holy Spirit is impersonal, and the idea of a
Holy Spirit is impersonal and the idea of a
Jesus was not
trinity is rejected. created, but is deity
from all eternity (John
1:1,14)
1:1 14)
•Jesus was created and Christ s ransom
J t d d Ch i t’
sacrifice on a “stake” made salvation possible,
“ …for if you do not
but the deity of Jesus is denied.
believe that I am He
[God] you will die in
your sins.” (John 8:24)
• Allegiance to Jehovah and works (baptism,
faithfulness, in Kingdom Hall work) assures
one of eternal life.
one of eternal life
• Life in the new world will come after the
battle of Armageddon for those who believe
b l f A dd f h h b li
in God, practice “good will,” and for His
servants.

Salvation/ God / Heaven (mainstream view)
• “Salvation is an infused process of grace gained over
one s lifetime through faith plus observance of church
one’s lifetime through faith plus observance of church “I am th
the
sacraments and rituals.”* way, the
truth and the
• 7 Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist
life. No one
(Mass), Penance (confession), Anointing of the sick,
(Mass) Penance (confession) Anointing of the sick
comes to the
Holy Orders, and Matrimony.
Father
• There is one true God, eternally existing in three except
Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each of whom
Persons: Father Son and Holy Spirit each of whom through Me ”
Me.
possesses equally all the attributes of Deity and the (John 14:6)
characteristics of personality. He is creator and
sustainer of all things.
g
• Heaven: same as historical Christianity with the
addition of a belief of purgatory (a place where those who
died as believers, in a state of grace, are being purified of sins over
time).
* North American Mission Board, “Interfaith Evangelism Comparative Belief Chart,”
(Alpharetta: NAMB, 2004).

Salvation/ God
• God is the Heavenly Father who is an exalted man
with a physical body of flesh and bone; was a man in
pre‐existence. God is spirit and not
bound to a human
• Jesus is considered as the off‐spring of God both
body (John 4:21)
spiritually and physically and Lucifer is his brother.
spiritually and physically and Lucifer is his brother
• “Exaltation or godhood through obedience to “I am the way, the
Mormon teachings, repentance, faith, baptism, truth and the life.
endowments, celestial marriage, tithing, baptism for
endowments celestial marriage tithing baptism for No one comes to
the dead saves some non‐Mormons posthumously.” the Father except
through Me.”
Heaven
(John 14:6)
• Celestial kingdom involving a renewed earth where
C l i l ki d i li d h h
men become gods or angels.
• Terrestrial kingdom involving a planet for righteous
non‐Mormons.
M

• Many paths to God and they are “relative” to each
person.
• Common Paths: meditation yoga astrology
Common Paths: meditation, yoga, astrology, “Enter by the
“E t b th narrow
contact with spirits, psychic healing, tarot cards, gate; for wide is the
use of crystals. gate and broad is the
way that leads to
y
• God is considered as the “Ultimate Reality ” is
God is considered as the Ultimate Reality, is
destruction, and there
impersonal, and is considered as an energy,
are many who go in by
consciousness, mind, or truth. it. Because narrow is
• Pantheism and pol theism is practiced meaning the gate and difficult is
Pantheism and polytheism is practiced: meaning
the way which leads to
that God is in all things and all things are God.
life, and there are few
• One may worship any and all gods relevant to who find it.” (Matt.
them or their affinity group.
h h i ffi i 7:13-14)
• “Souls are evolving toward union with God and will
eventually find spiritual knowledge & liberation
from the cycle of rebirth” *
* North American Mission Board, “Interfaith Evangelism Comparative Belief Chart.”

Christianity is exclusive in claiming that JESUS is the only
way to salvation / God / and heaven. According to the
way to salvation / God / and heaven According to the
Bible there are no other religions that lead to God and
His kingdom.
“I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through Me.”(John 14:6)
“For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)