(Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: Pray Like Jesus! Pray for Divine Glorification!)
“We all believe in the same God and just call him by different names.”
“All gods are essentially the same.”
This phrase is often put forward to essentially end discussion about the differences in religions and to conclude, “It doesn’t matter what you believe.” The statement attempts to shut down what some would perceive as petty arguments or spiritual arrogance to claim that there is only one God or one way to heaven.
Yet that is exactly what one God claims.
Perhaps Allah, Brahma, Ra, Jupiter, or Buddha might agree to the statement that all gods are the same, yet one would disagree and would be insulted if he was lumped together with everything else that is called “god.”
How do we know?
The Lord God gave the direction, “You shall have no other gods before me.” This command in Exodus 20:11 acknowledges that there will be other things that will be called “god” or we will make them to be god in our lives. The Lord says, “Nope, I’m not going to be lumped with all that.”
When Elijah met the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, the challenge was to determine who the true God was. When Baal failed to send fire from heaven after much calling, cajoling and cutting of oneself, Elijah prayed to the LORD and HE sent fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice, the altar, and the water which had been poured on it.
Not all gods are the same.
There is only one true God, and that God is passionate for us to know him as the true God.
Why?
Because the true God is the only God who not only promises eternal life, but did the work to secure eternal life.
That’s why knowing Jesus Christ the one God sent is also unique to Christianity. Sure, others acknowledge Jesus Christ. For the Muslim, he’s a great prophet. For the Mormon he is a man who became a god and sets the pattern to follow. For the Buddhist, he’s a great moral teacher. Only for the Christian is Jesus what HE claimed to be, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
You won’t get to God through meditation. You won’t get to God through pilgrimages. You won’t get to God through high performance. You won’t get to God through five pillars. You only get to God through Jesus Christ.
Why does it matter? As Jesus prayed, he said, (John 17:3) “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
Eternal life is at stake. That’s why we pray for divine glorification.
We want to see the glory of the true God, because when we do we obtain eternal life.
Sure, there may be a similarity here or there in different gods. However the key question is, “Do they give eternal life or demand you earn it?” On the surface people may never take time to support or discredit their claim that all gods are the same. However, it wouldn’t take long to compare the main attributes of god and realize, “Not all gods are the same.”
I’m thankful all gods are not the same. For the gods that man invents leave us working hard to miss out on eternal life, because they give no solution for sin than ‘work harder.’
Jesus on the other hand gives eternal life as a free gift of his grace.
Now that’s a God worth believing in!
Apply: Make a chart and list as many gods as you can think of in the first column. List in the second column key as much as you know about their character and their demands (the gods)
Prayer: Lord, thank you for revealing yourself to us that we might know you with confidence as the only true God. AMEN.