Recently, I came across a video that showed, by a series of interviews, how persons can be so convinced that their chosen religion is the truth.
Such experiences can make one wonder if any religion can claim to be the true one or if it is even possible for humans to arrive at the truth. Is there an all-wise, all powerful creator that seeks to communicate with his earthly children? If not, then all of these poor people are hopelessly deluded.
If you personally do not believe in God that may be your conclusion. If so, you get no condemnation from me. Nor do I personally believe you are condemned by God because I cannot provide the answers you seek. So you can rest assured, this article is not designed to convince you. For I believe that is impossible for me or any human because you have questions that only God himself can answer. And I pray one day he will to your satisfaction.
But if there is a God, what does God think about all of these people? Did he hear their prayers? Is he pleased with the path they chose? Are they all lost? To say that truth doesn’t matter, that God accepts you as long as you are sincere in your quest, that all religions are simply different roads all leading to God seems to fly in the face of the teachings of the various religions presented, since they are all mutually exclusive. All claiming to be the one true religion, the only path leading to God.
I think, if nothing else, the video illustrates the importance of not trusting ones heart or emotions for arriving at conclusions in such an important area of life. If all of these people did truthfully receive a message from the same God why would they not be tolerant of one another? Why would God convince them all that their particular religion is the only true way to Him? Would not that God be responsible for confusion, division, intolerance, even war? And if God did not deliberately intend to give each of them the impression that theirs was the one true religion while all others were false, wouldn’t he then be a very poor communicator?
I believe there are people in every religion sincerely seeking for answers to the many wonderful mysteries and also perplexing problems in life, who value truth above all other things. The fact that the search for answers is intrinsic in humans is to me a very strong indication that, rather than being the result of a random chance assortment of the right molecules in the right conditions at just the right time, we were created by higher intelligence like ourselves. And this yearning was implanted within us by him because he wants to supply the answers. (I say “him” but this is merely an anthropomorphism since I believe God is sexless)
“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’
(Act 17:24-28 NASB)
However, if they have been trained in a system of religious belief and doctrine from birth, they will have been mentally conditioned by well-meaning parents to accept what they have been taught to be the truth, which ironically can be the greatest hindrance at arriving at it. This can occur whether or not that system is of any number of Christian religions, Judaism, Islam, Eastern philosophies or atheism. It is equally dangerous for an adult to allow themselves to be led like a child by emotion or to be persuaded to accept a particular belief without critical and logical examination.
If indeed the Bible is true to it’s claim to be a message from our creator, we would be missing out on a valuable source of guidance if we were to ignore it. For example, in light of the questions raised above, consider this warning:
But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. (2Co 11:3 NASB)
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds. (2Co 11:13-15 NASB)
Would not ignoring a warning of such magnitude leave them vulnerable to being deceived and manipulated? But to be drawn out by God, they must allow that love of truth to override their emotions. An emotion that has perhaps the most powerful affect is fear. Fear of losing family and friends as they embark on a course which might put them at odds with their established religious or non-religious community. Fear of being persecuted by that same community that once called them friend. Since I am a firm believer in the God of the Bible and of Jesus Christ, what appears on this site is presented from that perspective.
It is well known that Jesus in his ministry claimed of being the Son of God coming from the spirit realm with a mission to show humans the way to a relationship with his Father. He claimed to be speaking the truth. But not only that. He is also reported to have furnished proof of his claim by performing miraculous works that relieved many men and women of suffering and pain. This brought him into direct conflict with the Jewish religious leaders of his day. They saw him as a threat to their authority. Despite their confidence in having God’s approval, Jesus condemned them because of their deviation from God’s word of truth and placing more importance on their religious traditions. (Matt. 15:7-9)
“I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.” They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus *said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. “But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. “You are doing the deeds of your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. “But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.
(Joh 8:38-45 NASB)
For this he experienced ostracism and eventually death.
Jesus prophesied that the same condition would develop among his followers. (Matt. 7:15-23)
Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. “But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. “But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. “The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ “And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves *said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ “But he *said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. ‘Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”‘”
(Mat 13:24-30 NASB)
In this illustration of wheat and weeds, Jesus said that the two would be virtually indistinguishable until he sends, not men, not a restored Christian congregation serving as his sole channel of communication on earth, but his angels to make a separation.
Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. “So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. “The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. “Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
(Mat 13:36-43 NASB)
Hence, in keeping with his words we must conclude that all of what he started, what is called Christendom today, is contaminated by Satan with weeds. It is extremely difficult for humans to say who truly is a genuine Christian. Only Jesus, upon returning will be able to collect out of it all things that cause stumbling and any people who practice lawlessness. (Matt. 7:22,23; 13:41) The sincere Christian should take care to guard his association with those within it. (2 Tim. 2:20-26) His leader is one, the Christ. (Matt. 23:10) His guide in life should be God’s inspired word of truth. (2 Cor. 10:5; 2 Tim. 3:13-17)
With all your heart you must trust the LORD and not your own judgment. Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow. Don’t ever think that you are wise enough, but respect the LORD and stay away from evil. This will make you healthy, and you will feel strong. (Pro 3:5-8 CEV)
The problem is, as the video shows, many of theses persons truly believed they were trusting in the LORD. In many cases what it was that moved them was beyond their understanding. It was a feeling in their heart and they simply gave themselves over to it. What I didn’t hear, however, was anyone quoting Jesus words. Their faith seemed to be for the most part in men. That if they followed men, these men would lead them to God and his approval. I believe this is where the danger lies and what Jesus warned about.
Watch out for false prophets! They dress up like sheep, but inside they are wolves who have come to attack you. You can tell what they are by what they do. No one picks grapes or figs from thornbushes. A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. Every tree that produces bad fruit will be chopped down and burned. You can tell who the false prophets are by their deeds.
(Mat 7:15-20 CEV)Many false prophets will come and fool a lot of people.
(Mat 24:11 CEV)False messiahs and false prophets will come and work great miracles and signs. They will even try to fool God’s chosen ones. But I have warned you ahead of time.
(Mat 24:24-25 CEV)Dear friends, don’t believe everyone who claims to have the Spirit of God. Test them all to find out if they really do come from God. Many false prophets have already gone out into the world,
(1Jn 4:1 CEV)
The question is, how does one test the claims of those as to whether or not they have the Spirit of God? John answers this question in the context and it would be tempting to use his formula as a way to identify false teachers today. However, John’s test is relevant to a particular situation in which it was possible to regard certain people in his day as inspired by the spirit of evil because of their faulty confession. Therefore, John’s test is not an infallible one for us to use. Jesus himself had to protest against people who called him “Lord”. Yet note what he had to say:
Not everyone who calls me their Lord will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only the ones who obey my Father in heaven will get in. On the day of judgment many will call me their Lord. They will say, “We preached in your name, and in your name we forced out demons and worked many miracles.” But I will tell them, “I will have nothing to do with you! Get out of my sight, you evil people!”
(Mat 7:21-23 CEV)Why do you keep on saying that I am your Lord, when you refuse to do what I say? Anyone who comes and listens to me and obeys me is like someone who dug down deep and built a house on solid rock. When the flood came and the river rushed against the house, it was built so well that it didn’t even shake. But anyone who hears what I say and doesn’t obey me is like someone whose house wasn’t built on solid rock. As soon as the river rushed against that house, it was smashed to pieces!
(Luk 6:46-49 CEV)
Mere confession with the mouth is not necessarily a guide to what’s going on in a persons heart. For various reasons people lie. They could be deliberate pathological liars. Or they could be victims themselves of someone else’s lie or delusion. Whatever the case, we would be in real danger if we followed them. So, how do we protect ourselves? In order to identify false teachers we need to examine not just what they say but also the things they do. The Bible tells us of an occasion when some of Jesus followers heard a voice from heaven:
While Peter was still speaking, the shadow of a bright cloud passed over them. From the cloud a voice said, “This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with him. Listen to what he says!” (Mat 17:5 CEV)
So one test of the claims of religious teachers would be, are they obedient to Jesus and his Father? Where do we find the will of the Father?
In an interesting exchange between himself and Satan, Jesus showed us what each of us can and should do:
The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert, so that the devil could test him. After Jesus had gone without eating for forty days and nights, he was very hungry. Then the devil came to him and said, “If you are God’s Son, tell these stones to turn into bread.” Jesus answered, “The Scriptures say: ‘No one can live only on food. People need every word that God has spoken.’ ” Next, the devil took Jesus to the holy city and had him stand on the highest part of the temple. The devil said, “If you are God’s Son, jump off. The Scriptures say: ‘God will give his angels orders about you. They will catch you in their arms, and you won’t hurt your feet on the stones.’ ” Jesus answered, “The Scriptures also say, ‘Don’t try to test the Lord your God!’ ” Finally, the devil took Jesus up on a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms on earth and their power. The devil said to him, “I will give all this to you, if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus answered, “Go away Satan! The Scriptures say: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’ ” Then the devil left Jesus, and angels came to help him.
(Mat 4:1-11 CEV)
Three times Jesus, instead of relying on what felt right in his heart or on his own judgment he appealed to the Scriptures. In fact, he said that people need every word that God has spoken. Think about that for a moment. How long had Jesus been alive? How much did he know?
Jesus answered, “You are from below, but I am from above. You belong to this world, but I don’t. That is why I said you will die with your sins unforgiven. If you don’t have faith in me for who I am, you will die, and your sins will not be forgiven.” “Who are you?” they asked Jesus. Jesus answered, “I am exactly who I told you at the beginning. There is a lot more I could say to condemn you. But the one who sent me is truthful, and I tell the people of this world only what I have heard from him.” No one understood that Jesus was talking to them about the Father. Jesus went on to say, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, you will know who I am. You will also know that I don’t do anything on my own. I say only what my Father taught me. The one who sent me is with me. I always do what pleases him, and he will never leave me.” After Jesus said this, many of the people put their faith in him.
(Joh 8:23-30 CEV)
With immeasurable existence behind him, why didn’t Jesus answer based on his tremendous wealth of knowledge and experience? Why did he quote from words that were written down by humans belonging to this world? To show us that if we too use the Scriptures, we can be just as successful in warding off the Devil and any false prophet. If Jesus answered the Devil with some powerful irrefutable logic from his mind we would all marvel. But we would say of course he could do that, after all, he’s Jesus! I couldn’t possibly do that!
But by using what was written he showed us that we can. Because these words are not just the words of men. They are inspired by his Father. So we must match whatever any religious teacher has to say with what is said in the Bible. But even if all their words are in harmony with the Scriptures that still would not mean that we should become their follower. They are only a fellow servant, just as imperfect in understanding as we are. There is only one way to salvation.
“I am the way, the truth, and the life!” Jesus answered. “Without me, no one can go to the Father. (John 14:6 CEV)
So their aim should be to make disciples of Jesus, not of themselves. Therefore it should alert us that something is wrong if they discourage honest questions of their teachings or if we cannot come and go if we please. One of the methods false teachers use to gain control over people is to cause them to doubt their ability to understand the Bible for themselves. Instead they would prefer you just trust them. They might even try to twist what it says in Proverbs 3:5-8 quoted earlier to get you to trust them and not your own judgment.
I’ll try and shed some light on this in a future article.