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Now, here's today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. We share God's Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program. On today's edition of Pathway to Victory, the question is, which God do we worship? There are thousands of different gods. So out of thousands of gods and thousands of world religions, how can I know Christianity is the right religion?
That's what we're going to talk about today. Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor, Dr. Robert Jeffress. Statistics have cited that our world is home to some 4,000 different religions today. So how can we be certain that Christianity is the only way and not some other belief system? Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress presents four convincing pieces of evidence that argue for the exclusivity of the Christian faith. Now, here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message.
Dr. Jeffress. Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. Time is running short, but there's still a few spots available for the upcoming Pathway to Victory Journeys of Paul Mediterranean Cruise. So don't delay in making your reservation. The dates for this unforgettable tour are May 5th through 16th, 2025.
All the details are found at ptv.org. Well, for the entire month of January, Pathway to Victory is featuring my practical teaching series called How Can I Know? Answers to Life's Seven Most Important Questions. One of those seven questions is the one we're addressing on today's program. How can I know Christianity is the right religion?
As Americans, we're proud to live in a multicultural country that celebrates a wide variety of nationalities, and our friends and neighbors often practice different religious traditions. Well, as followers of Jesus Christ, it's important to understand how our faith rises above the others as the only true faith. I've written a booklet for you that's called How Can I Know? Christianity is the Right Religion, and when you get in touch with me today, I'd be happy to send you a complimentary copy. In addition, I've written a full-length book called How Can I Know?, in which I provide answers to common questions like, how can I know there is a God?
Or how can I know how to start over when I've blown it? And how can I know the Bible is true? At the close of today's program, we'll explain how you can receive your copy.
But right now, it's time to pick up the message introduced on Friday's program. Today, we're answering the question, how can I know Christianity is the right religion? Today, I'd like you to consider four pieces of evidence that lead to the conclusion Christianity is the right religion. First of all, the uniqueness of Jesus Christ.
The uniqueness of Jesus Christ. It's interesting, few historians doubt that Jesus existed. Even Thomas Paine, a well-known deist, believed that Jesus was a historical figure.
The problem is, Thomas Paine believed what most people believe today. They believed he was a good moral teacher, he was a religious person, he was a great example, but he wasn't much more than that. And yet, Jesus claimed a lot more for himself than being a good moral teacher. In fact, Jesus claimed to be God. No religious leader, no founder of a religion ever claimed to be God himself.
They simply claimed to point people to whatever God they believed was the real God. For example, Mohammed, the founder of Islam, said, surely I am no more than a human apostle. However, Jesus said in John 10 30, I and the Father are one. He claimed to be the same as God. This is what makes Jesus unique, his unique claims.
You can't say he was just a good man because he claimed a lot more than that, a whole lot more. That's what makes Christianity unique. Now, that leads to the second distinguishing thing about Christianity, the teaching of Jesus. Now, if Jesus is right about who he is, then it means we better pay attention to what he says about everything.
Because if he's telling the truth about his own identity, everything else he speaks about is true as well. So what did Jesus say about exclusivity, there being one way to heaven? Well, first of all, Jesus taught there are two possible eternal destinations for people.
There are two possible destinations, not one. Everybody's not going to the same place when they die. Everybody's not going to heaven. Jesus said in Matthew 25 46, the unrighteous will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. Jesus taught there is both a heaven and a hell.
If you get mad about hearing from me about hell, don't direct your anger toward me, send a letter to Jesus about it. In fact, Jesus had more to say about hell when he was on earth than he did about heaven. Jesus taught there are two possible destinations, not one. Secondly, Jesus said, this will blow your mind, the majority of mankind will spend eternity in hell. Jesus said there are only two roads, one leads to heaven, one leads to hell, and more people are on the road to hell than are on the road to heaven.
Where does he say that? One place is Matthew 7 verses 13 and 14, enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. But the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are what?
Few who find it. Again, people ask, how could so many billions and billions of people in the world be wrong about religion? It's troubling to think, and I acquiesce, it is troubling to think that the majority of people are on their road to eternal destruction. But Jesus said that's exactly the way it's going to be. The way to heaven is a narrow way, few are those who will find it. Matthew 7 verses 21 to 23, Jesus said, not everybody who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, the judgment day, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles. And then I will say to them, I never knew you, depart from me, those of you who practice lawlessness. Jesus said there are two possible destinations.
There are more people headed toward the wrong destination than the right one. Thirdly, Jesus offers the exclusive way to heaven. Jesus didn't come to point us to the way. The way to heaven is not through believing the right things or creed. It's not through religious rituals like baptism.
It's not trying to be a nice person. Jesus didn't come to point us to the way. In John 14, 6, he said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No man comes to the Father but by me. Jesus taught that our eternal destiny depends on what we do with Jesus. Do we trust in him to be the one who forgives us of our sins, or do we reject him? In John 5, 24, Jesus said, truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and does not come into judgment but is passed from judgment unto life. I don't think it is any accident that Jesus chose to give his greatest explanation of how to become a Christian. He chose to give that proclamation and explanation not to a hardened atheist but to a devout religious man named Nicodemus. Remember in John chapter 3 the story of Nicodemus? He believed in God. He worshiped God. He was a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Jews. He tried to follow the Mosaic law the best he could but he still wasn't certain about his eternal destiny.
He knew that wasn't enough. And Jesus said to him, Nicodemus, you have to be born again. You have to be born again spiritually if you're going to see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus didn't understand what that meant and so in John 3, 14 through 16, Jesus said, Nicodemus, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whoever believes in him shall have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son that whoever believes, that means to trust him, to cling to, to depend on completely, whoever believes in him will not perish but will have everlasting life. There are not many ways to God.
There is one way to God. Some people argue that that must be enough to provide salvation for everybody. When Jesus died on the cross, he forgave everybody of their sins. But listen to what Jesus said.
Yes, he died on the cross. He offered salvation to everybody but it is only received by those who believe. There has to be a point in your life, ladies and gentlemen, when you come to the point in your life that you kneel before a holy God and you say, God, I know I have sinned.
I know I deserve your punishment. I know I can't save myself but I believe with all my heart that you sent Jesus to die for me and today I'm pressing in him for my salvation. And the Bible says when you say that and you mean that with all of your heart, you're given the gift of eternal life. That is the teaching of Jesus. But you know, Jesus is not the only one who taught that there's only one way to heaven. Consider the teaching of the entire New Testament.
Throughout the New Testament, the writers affirm that there's salvation only through Jesus Christ. Recently I was visiting with a Jewish businessman here in our community. I met him for the first time and he was so nice and he said, you know, I'm surprised you're so nice to me. And I said, why would you say that? He said, well, because you believe I and every other non-Christian are going to hell. And I said, well, that really wasn't my idea.
I got that idea from one of your people. He said, what do you mean? I said, oh, it was a Jewish rabbi. His name was Jesus. He's the one who said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No man comes to the Father but by me. And contrary to popular opinion, Jesus was not a Southern Baptist televangelist. He was a Jewish rabbi. But he wasn't the only Jew who made that claim. Think about the example of the Apostle Paul.
Paul was a Hebrew of the Hebrews. He kept the law as well as he could. He was a sincere follower of Judaism. In fact, he was so zealous in his faith.
Remember what happened? He went on to Damascus to stamp out the heresy known as Christianity. But on his way there, he met Jesus on that road to Damascus and Jesus transformed his life. And the greatest accuser of Christianity became the greatest defender of the Christian faith. And in Romans 10, he said, this is my prayer that all of Israel be saved.
Or think about Peter. Again, Peter wasn't a Baptist. He wasn't a Catholic.
He was a Jew. And yet in Acts chapter four, he stood before the crowd and said, there is salvation in no one else. There is no other name given among men by which we must be saved, other than the name of Jesus. Now think about it. The three most prominent Jews of the New Testament, Peter, Paul, and Jesus.
Sounds like a singing group, doesn't it? Peter, Paul, and Jesus, all three Jews who said there's one way to heaven and it's through faith in Jesus Christ. But that's not the only example in the New Testament. Think of the example of Cornelius. He was a Roman centurion. He was a non-Jew, a Gentile. Acts 10, verse 2 describes him this way. He was a devout man, one who feared God with all of his household and gave many alms to the Jewish people and he prayed to God continually.
Now think about Cornelius. He was devout. He was religious. He prayed all the time and he gave his money to the poor. Now by those standards, most people today would say, well, he's a believer.
He's going to heaven. What could you do more than pray and give money to the poor and be devout? And yet it wasn't enough.
It wasn't enough. He prayed to God that he might know him better. So what did God do? He sent that Jewish evangelist, the apostle Peter, to share the gospel with him. And in Acts 10, verses 42 to 43, we find Peter's final words to Cornelius. And Jesus ordered us to preach to the people and solemnly to testify that he is the one who has been appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. Of him, all of the prophets bear witness that through his name, everyone who believes in him receives the forgiveness of sins. Cornelius and his household believed that gospel message and they were saved. You know, this, by the way, answers the question, what about those who have never heard about the name of Jesus?
Wouldn't it be unfair for God to send them to hell? Listen, when God sees somebody who really wants to know him like Cornelius, God will do whatever is necessary to send the right person or the right broadcast into that person's life so that he can know the truth of Jesus Christ. I can't tell you every week, not every month, every week, we hear testimonies from people who have been in the remote parts of the earth, who have heard the message of Christ coming from this pulpit and have prayed to know Christ as savior.
Even somebody living in Africa, Zimbabwe, standing outside of his grass hut, had a cell phone, was able to get a signal and heard our Easter message and prayed to receive Christ as our savior. God's going to get the word out. God will make sure, you see, God doesn't hate people. He's not trying to damn as many people as possible to hell.
He's trying to save as many people. And God says there are not many ways to be saved. There's one way, and it's through faith in Jesus Christ. What is it that makes Christianity different? Consider the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. Secondly, the teaching of Jesus Christ. Thirdly, the teaching of the New Testament. And finally, Christianity offers the unique solution to man's dilemma.
It offers the unique solution to man's dilemma. You know, not all religions are all wrong about everything. There are some common denominators in religions. For example, most religions say that man is flawed.
He's got some problems. We're all flawed. And different religions teach different ways to fix those problems. Some say it's through meditation. That's what the Easter religions say. Buddhism and Hinduism. Other religions like Islam and Judaism say, no, the way we fix ourselves is by keeping a list of rules.
Different religions have different lists, but it's rule keeping. But Christianity's altogether different. First of all, the Bible says we're not just flawed. We're not just slightly defective. We are spiritually sick. In fact, we're spiritually dead. We're separated from God. The wages of sin, Romans 6 23 says, is death. And the way to fix that problem doesn't begin with us.
Our condition is too serious for us to fix ourselves. We currently can't do it by keeping a list of regulations because nobody can keep the whole list, whatever the list is. In Galatians 3 10, Paul said, cursed is everybody who does not do all things that are written in the book of the law to perform them. If you're gonna try keeping rules to earn your forgiveness, you've got to keep all the rules. Do you remember back in high school or maybe college where you would take some classes that were pass fail? Remember the pass fail classes? I used to love a class that was pass fail because as long as you met a minimum standard, you passed. You didn't have to worry about studying harder, make a better grade, didn't matter.
Just meet the minimum requirement and you pass. Now I've got some good news and bad news for you today. God judges us on the pass fail system. That's the good news.
Here's the terrible news. The minimum amount necessary to be accepted by God is 100%. You have to keep all the laws. In fact, James 2 10 says, whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point has become guilty of all.
That means you can be doing everything right, the Bible says. One slip up and you're a goner. Go through 58 years of your life doing everything just perfect, everything right, and then somebody cuts in front of you on the tow away and you have a bad thought. Guess what? You're it. You're damned.
You're gone forever. That's what the Bible says. Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles in one point is guilty. No, God says you have to be perfect to earn my salvation. Well, who in the world can ever do that? Who in the world can never have a slip up in his attitude, his actions, or his words?
No one. That's the point. None of us is capable of being perfect, and that's why we need Jesus. You see, when Jesus came, he's the only perfect person who ever lived. And when he was nailed to that cross, he died not for his sins but for our sins. 2 Corinthians 5 21 says, God took Jesus who knew no sin and made him sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him. I don't understand it, but when Jesus was suffering on that cross, God took your sins and my sins and he placed them on Jesus. Jesus suffered not just the physical but the spiritual torment that we deserve.
He died in our place. If that's not good enough that he took our sins, he did something even more amazing. God took the righteousness of Jesus, the perfection of Jesus, and wrapped it around us. So that when God looks at you when you become a Christian, the moment you become a Christian, God no longer sees your sin. He sees the perfection of his perfect son. He looks at you just like he looks at Jesus Christ. That is the miracle of salvation.
What's the difference? It all has to do with grace. Every other religion is about works. Only Christianity says the solution to our dilemma is grace.
For by grace, Paul said, for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Years ago there was a conference on world religions in Great Britain, and scholars were debating what was unique about Christianity as opposed to other religions. And in the middle of a heated debate, C.S. Lewis walked in the room. He said, what's the ruckus about? They said, well, we're trying to decide what is it that makes Christianity unique?
Lewis smiled and said, that's easy. It's grace, grace. And when you think about it, that is the distinguishing feature. There are thousands of religions in the world, and they're all spelled the same way, do, D-O. Do this, do this, do this, don't do this, do this, do this, and you might earn God's forgiveness. Only Christianity is spelled D-O-N-E, done. Everything we need has been done by Jesus Christ. That's why he said, teitelestai on the cross, it is finished, paid in full.
And perhaps that's worth applauding for. And that's what makes Christianity different. Christianity offers the unique solution to man's dilemma. It's the dilemma Job first talked about in Job 9-2 when he said, how can a person be right with God? Isn't that the bottom line question?
We're all gonna die. How can we make sure we're in a right relationship with our creator? How can a person be right before God? Every other religion in the world says it's through work. Only Christianity says it's my grace, for by grace, you have been saved through faith. As your radio pastor on Pathway to Victory, I'm no more insulated from our pluralistic society than you are.
My neighborhood is no different than yours. When I look up and down my street, I know that some of my neighbors are Christians, some are Jewish, some are Mormon, and others are agnostic, even atheist. So it's important for us to have solid answers to this all-important question, how can I know Christianity is the right religion? Let me encourage you to dig deeper on this topic. Take some next steps in equipping yourself with the answers you need. You can do that by reading my bestselling book called How Can I Know? Answers to Life's 7 Most Important Questions. This book is designed not only to satisfy your own curiosity, but more importantly to help you telegraph your confidence in conversations with neighbors, friends, and family as well. I'm inviting you to request your copy of the book How Can I Know? Answers to Life's 7 Most Important Questions. It's yours when you give a much needed gift to Pathway to Victory. Now, when you respond today, I'll also include the booklet I mentioned earlier called How Can I Know?
Christianity is the Right Religion. This is something you'll want to pass along to your friends and family members to help them sort through this very important issue as well. Finally, as we begin a brand new year, we're making a concerted effort to add Pathway Partners to our family of supporters. As a Pathway Partner, you agree to give a gift every month, and in this role, you receive exclusive benefits. But best of all, as a Pathway Partner, you'll enjoy the reward of knowing that God is using your personal resources to pierce the darkness with the light of God's Word. Let me invite you to join the team by following these simple instructions.
David? Thanks, Dr. Jeffress. You can become a Pathway Partner by following the easy steps online at ptv.org.
Now, this month, we're aiming to sign up some 300 new Pathway Partners, and we need your help to reach that goal. Now, when you give your first monthly gift or when you give a one-time generous gift in support of Pathway to Victory, you're invited to request the best-selling book How Can I Know? by Dr. Robert Jeffress. And when you give an especially generous gift of $75 or more, we'll also include the complete How Can I Know? teaching series on audio and video discs.
This recently updated series is perfect for listening in the car or watching with a small group Bible study or maybe a Sunday school class. One more time, call 866-999-2965 or go to ptv.org. If you'd prefer to write, here's that mailing address, P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. One more time, that's P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. Just look around at this world, and you can clearly see the fingerprints of a divine Creator.
But how can we be certain that this being is the God of Scripture and not some other religion? I'm David J. Mullins, inviting you to join us again next time when Dr. Jeffress answers the question How Can I Know the Bible is True? here on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. You made it to the end of today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory, and we're so glad you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. One of the most impactful ways you can give is by becoming a Pathway partner. Your monthly gift will empower Pathway to Victory to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and help others become rooted more firmly in His Word. To become a Pathway partner, go to ptv.org slash donate, or follow the link in our show notes. We hope you've been blessed by today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory.
