The Word This Week
Matt 7:13…
The most popular thought about how to get into heaven is, “all roads lead to heaven.”
Most people don’t realize when they profess this popular belief, they are still positing a narrow viewpoint. They are saying some sort of sincerity in a religious faith aimed at a god or gods is required to gain entry to heaven.
This belief would exclude atheism and most likely, agnosticism. So, perhaps the “all roads lead to heaven,” belief is not as broad and open-minded as those who profess it may think.
But the spiritual ignorance of this viewpoint is startling. It may be popular, but it completely ignores the exclusive claims of each of the world’s major religions.
It seems only Biblical Christianity is singled out for criticism about this, however. Biblical Christianity, in the view of the world is, ‘narrow-minded.’
Here, in The Sermon on the Mount Jesus has presented truth as the logical basis for every aspect of life, and now He presents truth as the only logical basis for entry into heaven.
If each of the world’s religions present an exclusive and entirely different concept of how to have eternal life in the kingdom of heaven, and each of the world’s religions believe in a different God or gods, how could it possibly be true ‘all roads lead to heaven?’
Since that cannot possibly be true, how can we possibly find which faith in which God or gods is true?
What each of the world’s religions have in common is this: they each and every one depend upon man’s works as the basis for whatever they describe ‘salvation’ to be. Each of the world’s religions have been invented by men. The man or men who invented each of the world’s religions is dead.
Jesus, provably the Son of God - God Incarnate - enters the world to proclaim ALL the world’s religions are untrue. It is a lie to believe man can enter eternal life in heaven by doing good works and keeping sacraments. It is a lie to believe man can EVER be good enough to enter heaven on his own merit.
On the contrary - and COMPLETELY exclusively - man can only gain entry into God’s kingdom by being born into it – by placing their faith in the grace of the saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation.
Things notable about truth: It is narrow, it is exclusive, and whether it is popular or not does not change it. There is only one road which leads to heaven. You choose which road to follow. The truth is ALL ROADS professing religion as a basis for salvation lead to hell. (And you can throw in atheism and agnosticism as well.)
Pastor Bill
The most popular thought about how to get into heaven is, “all roads lead to heaven.”
Most people don’t realize when they profess this popular belief, they are still positing a narrow viewpoint. They are saying some sort of sincerity in a religious faith aimed at a god or gods is required to gain entry to heaven.
This belief would exclude atheism and most likely, agnosticism. So, perhaps the “all roads lead to heaven,” belief is not as broad and open-minded as those who profess it may think.
But the spiritual ignorance of this viewpoint is startling. It may be popular, but it completely ignores the exclusive claims of each of the world’s major religions.
It seems only Biblical Christianity is singled out for criticism about this, however. Biblical Christianity, in the view of the world is, ‘narrow-minded.’
Here, in The Sermon on the Mount Jesus has presented truth as the logical basis for every aspect of life, and now He presents truth as the only logical basis for entry into heaven.
If each of the world’s religions present an exclusive and entirely different concept of how to have eternal life in the kingdom of heaven, and each of the world’s religions believe in a different God or gods, how could it possibly be true ‘all roads lead to heaven?’
Since that cannot possibly be true, how can we possibly find which faith in which God or gods is true?
What each of the world’s religions have in common is this: they each and every one depend upon man’s works as the basis for whatever they describe ‘salvation’ to be. Each of the world’s religions have been invented by men. The man or men who invented each of the world’s religions is dead.
Jesus, provably the Son of God - God Incarnate - enters the world to proclaim ALL the world’s religions are untrue. It is a lie to believe man can enter eternal life in heaven by doing good works and keeping sacraments. It is a lie to believe man can EVER be good enough to enter heaven on his own merit.
On the contrary - and COMPLETELY exclusively - man can only gain entry into God’s kingdom by being born into it – by placing their faith in the grace of the saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation.
Things notable about truth: It is narrow, it is exclusive, and whether it is popular or not does not change it. There is only one road which leads to heaven. You choose which road to follow. The truth is ALL ROADS professing religion as a basis for salvation lead to hell. (And you can throw in atheism and agnosticism as well.)
Pastor Bill