Do all religions lead to God?

It is taken for granted by most people in our society that all religions are equally true - or equally untrue. There are many paths leading to God. It doesn't matter which path you take - they all get to the summit in the end.

However, the Christianity of the New Testament claims to be the exclusive and unique way to God. Jesus said: "I am the Way... no one comes to the Father except by me." Peter claimed "there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved". How can a Christian possibly justify this in our pluralistic society?

There are three things about Jesus Christ that make him different from any other religious leader:

1. One Mediator

Paul wrote that "there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus". Christians believe that Jesus is far more than just a prophet or a teacher or a guide. He is God who became truly man. He is not a man who found the way to God and who teaches us the way to God; he is God who came to us. and if it is true, it makes Jesus Christ totally different from anyone else.

2. One Sacrifice

Christians believe that Jesus did far more than teach us or set us an example. He came to rescue us from our sins. He did this by bearing the punishment for sin on our behalf in order that we might be forgiven and set free from God's judgement for a new relationship with God. His death on the cross was the "one sacrifice for sins forever"…

3. One Lord

Christians claim that God confirmed the claims of Jesus by raising him from the dead. The bodily resurrection of Jesus is an historical fact. Again, this is something that is . God raised no other religious leader from the dead. It was for this reason that the first Christians claimed that Jesus alone was Lord. The Romans persecuted the church for refusing to recognise any other religions. The early church was formed in a multi-faith society, but far from compromising on the uniqueness of Jesus, the Christians were willing to die rather than put him alongside any other religious leader.

Another unique feature of the Christian faith is that it teaches us that salvation is entirely a gift from God through Jesus Christ. It is not earned or achieved by us in any way. This means that Christians can have an assurance of being accepted by God, which is not to be found in other religions. It is for these reasons that at Parr Street Church we cannot accept that Christianity is just one religion among many. We recognise the right that everyone has for freedom of worship and we believe that people with other religious beliefs should be treated with love and respect, but we believe that Jesus Christ has been given "the Name which is above every name".