Read all about it - Eternity
What makes Christianity different? |
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Why can't we take the best out of all the religions and go for that?
Why is the Christian the only one who is going to heaven? Isn't that narrow minded?
These doubts and criticisms seem reasonable. Let's look at why Christians make these bold claims.
*The God of the Bible claims to be the only ......... God.
Jeremiah 10:10-12: "The Lord is the only true God, the living God. He is the everlasting .........! The whole earth................. at His anger. The nations hide before His............ Say this to those who worship other...........: 'Your so-called gods, who did not make the heavens and ............., will vanish from the earth. But God made the earth by His ..........., and He preserves it by His wisdom. He has stretched out the ................ by His understanding."
*Either this is true or God is a .......... ..
*Jesus claims to be the only way to God. John 14:6: "I am the........, the............ and the......... No one can come to the Father except through ........."
*The Bible is claimed as the only true ..................... from God. Isaiah 8:20: "Check their predictions against My testimony,' says the Lord. 'If their predictions are different from mine it is because there is no light or .............. in them."
Revelation 22:19: "If anyone removes any of the .......... in this prophetic book, God will remove that person's share in the tree of life and in the holy ......... described in this book."
*The way of salvation presented in the Bible is claimed to be the only ..........
Galatians 1:9: "If anyone preaches any other .............l than the one you welcomed, let God's ........... fall upon that person."
So why should we accept these claims?
Christianity is based on historical acts and facts. Other religions are based on the teachings of their
................................ Jesus did more than just ............... (like Mohammed , Buddha and Confucius). He practiced what He ................... by healing the ........., raising the ............, staying away from wrongdoing, performing great
..................... like feeding 5000 people and rising from the .......... If He didn't do these things people would not have ........................ Him.
What are these historical facts that make Christianity so different?
1. Origins
2. Other religions believe in ...................... -they try to explain how primeval matter may have gradually been transformed into the present world. The Babylonian 'Enuma Elish' began with a primeval chaotic mixture of three kinds of water. The Egyptians assumed a watery chaos which
started life. The Greeks and many animists did the same. Many Romans assumed that a blind meeting of atoms started life. Our modern........................ theories have no scientific explanation for the origin of .............or how animals and plants evolved from a ....................... organism.
Only the Bible starts with the special ........................ of all things by an e..........., p..........l and all p........................ God. Only an eternal, all-powerful and everywhere present God can explain the marvelous creation we have around us. Check out 'All About Science' on your search engine.
3. Jesus is unique
His coming was p............................. in great detail.
His birth from a .............. is unique and yet He was a man in every way. His ........................... were unique, e.g. Sermon on the Mount, parables.
His .............. was unique. He decided how and when He was to die. 'It is finished and He bowed
His head and gave up the ghost.' (John 19:30) He prophesied He would do this. (John10:18)
4. Jesus rose again
Jesus is the only person in history who rose again from the dead by His own ................ And He p........................... it! 'I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it up again.' (John 10:18)
There is overwhelming evidence that He did rise again.
All other religious founders are .............. and we know where most of their tombs are. Jesus' empty tomb is visited by 1000s every year.
Death comes to us all but Jesus showed what He can do by conquering death, showing us He is
"the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25).
5. The Bible is different to all other books and can be trusted as telling the truth because:
a. 66 books by 40 authors over .......... years yet it is united with no ............... No other book is like this.
b. Hundreds of prophesies were fulfilled hundreds of ............ later. No other holy book does this.
c. History and Science is showing the Bible is accurate. Archeological d.................... every year show the Bible is right and the doubting s................... wrong.
d. Enemies have tried to destroy the Bible over the centuries but it is still the most.......... book ever and has the ......................... copies of all ancient books.
e. The writers of the Bible claimed that God gave them their t.................. to write down (inspired them). Mohammed said this too but the number of Bible writers who said this and their strong fierce anger over any phonies is truly amazing.
f. Christianity is the only religion which does not teach that you can get to heaven by w............. for it. While others teach that you must have ......... and ............ Christians are saved through faith alone. It is a .......... gift of God which is called .............
Romans 10:9 "If you ............... with
your........................ that Jesus is .......... and believe in your ............. that God raised Him from the dead, you will be ............"
Romans 6:23: "The wages of....... is death but the free ......... of God is eternal ............ through Jesus Christ our Lord."
"Men would never i.................. a religion where you could not earn salvation by works or have such a high st................. But God's ways are not our ................ nor are His thoughts our .................. " (Isaiah 55:8).
"You were bought with the precious ................. of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18-19).
Why can't other religions help me find God?
All other religions are alike in that they were founded by ............... men who are all in their .........................., defeated by death. Their books are nothing like the Bible and their method of salvation by doing work is faulty and without p..............
Islam
Islam means "sub....................... to God".
Mohammed (570 -632 AD) was an or......... given to m............ who was both gen............ and cr........, z............... and sen........... He received v.......... and rev.................... which he claimed added to the Old and New Testament prophecies. The 114 'Suras' or chapters, became the Q'ran (Koran).
Salvation and heaven are earned by the Muslim through belief in one God (Allah), angels, the Koran, the prophets (of whom Mohammed was the last and greatest), the final judgment and God's decrees, and through the faithful practice of p............., f............., alms........., recital of the cr....... (No God but Allah and Mohammed his prophet), and a once- in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to M.............
Hinduism
Hinduism, the national religion of I.........
There are many types but they are similar to the ancient G........... in their w............. of many
............. Their writings are the four Vedas (Veda means kn........................) and later included the doctrines of re.............................. (new Being) and K............. (deeds which lead to a better or worse reincarnation). N......................... is the ending of all this ex.......................... by good w........., m.............. or ritual de...................... to the gods.
Buddhism
Gautama (563-480BC) reacted to popular Hinduism, attained a foretaste of Nirvana. He taught that it could be achieved by 8 steps -right b................., aspirations, sp.........., con........, means of live..................., end............., mind.................. and med............... There are many offshoots in Tibet, Japan, etc.
Confucianism
Confucius (551-478BC) was a Chinese practical philosopher who devised an e................... system rather than a r...................... It is sil......... about the e................... of God and a future life. He wrote "Analects" and other semi-s..................writings. He taught ancestor w..................... and tolerated poly......................... (worship of many gods) though he was a h........................ He was worshipped by many after his death, e.g. Tao (the way) pantheists.
Animism
Animism is the common name given to beliefs that worship n................... and s............ beings that control the processes of n................ Animism is only passed down through o........l tradition in tribes in A.........., In........, Sth P.............. and A........... Animism is similar to ancient poly................................ religions and oc.............................. and sp...................... today.
Many so-called 'Christian systems are also ........................-based where h..................... are the focus instead of ..................... There is no power or f........................ in any of them.
If your study the evidence carefully you will see clearly why you can be sure Jesus is the way to God.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
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