Introduction: According to a February 11, 2022, article by
Anshool Deshmukh, Christianity is the largest religion in
the world (31%), followed by Islam (25%), Unaffiliated
(15.6%), Hindus (15.2%), Buddhists (6.6%), Folk religions
(5.6%), and Jews (.2%). I looked at other estimates and they
are similar.
What should we conclude from this? At best, 31% of the world’s
population will go to heaven? For a long time I have heard
those advocating “many paths” to heaven. Related is the idea
that the Abrahamic religions, like Islam and Judaism,
worship the same God, so that they, too, have a path to
heaven. Others may think that Jesus made eternal life
theoretically possible for all, so God will sort out those
in the Eastern religions who make it to heaven. It is true
that God will sort out who is saved, but our study this week
reveals some very specific statements about who will qualify
to be saved. Let’s plunge into our study of the Bible to
explore the criterion for external life!
I. The Life Test
A. Read John 3:16. What is God’s motive for making
eternal life available to humans? (His love for
us.)
1. What is the criterion for obtaining eternal
life? (Believing in Jesus.)
B. Read John 6:40. What is God’s attitude towards
humans obtaining eternal life? (It is God’s will
that we should have eternal life, but it is based
on a condition.)
1. What is the condition for eternal life?
(Looking on and believing in the Son.)
C. Did you notice that both of the prior texts said
that “believing” in Jesus is the test for eternal
life. What do you think that means?
1. Much of the world’s population believes that
Jesus existed. At least some of Islam
(Shiites)believe that Jesus is coming back at
the end times with the Mahdi, who is the final
Imam and their savior. Does that qualify as
“believing” in Jesus?
2. Why does John 6:40 refer to “looks on” and
“believes?” (This suggests that more than
recognizing Jesus as a person is required.)
D. Read John 6:63-64. We previously studied this
event where Jesus creates food and then begins
what seems to be an odd discussion about eating
His flesh and drinking His blood(John 6:53). The
listeners all believed that Jesus existed, after
all He was speaking to them! What kind of belief
is required by John 6:64 and the discussion of
bread and blood? (Your admission ticket to heaven
is to believe that Jesus is God, and that He died
on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins.
When Jesus died, and we accepted that on our
behalf, our death penalty was satisfied. Compare
Matthew 26:26-28 and 1 Corinthians 10:16-17.)
1. Where does that leave the “many paths”
advocates and the majority of the world’s
religions? (God’s word tells us that they are
not eligible for eternal life. They do not
believe that Jesus is their Savior. God, of
course, is the final Judge, but what we have
studied is rather explicit.)
2. If you believe what we just studied, how does
that leave you? Smug? Feeling superior?
3. Consider this. I suspect that most of my
readers, like me, were raised by Christian
parents, or at least raised in a country in
which most people are Christians. What do you
think are the odds of you becoming a Christian
if you were raised by [insert a different
religion] parents in a majority [different
religion] country?
II. The Logic Test
A. Read Romans 8:1-3. Assume you were raised as a
member of any of the other world religions. What
would your instincts tell you about how to be able
to acquire a new and higher life form after death?
(Logic would tell me that I would have to work for
it. It would be something that, like most other
things in life, I need to acquire through superior
performance.)
B. Look again at Romans 8:3. Is my logical conclusion
consistent with Christianity? (No. God did what
weak humans could not do, by sending Jesus.)
C. Read Romans 8:4. What does Jesus do for us
regarding keeping the law? (He kept it for us. He
fulfilled “the righteous requirement of the law”
in us.)
1. If you have not already done so, make at least
a brief study of all world religions and ask
yourself whether they all are consistent with
my logical conclusion? (The answer is, “yes,”
they are all based on works. Even the “low
works” new pagan religion, Wicca, follows
something called the Wiccan Rede. It
essentially says you can do whatever you want
as long as you do not harm anyone. It requires
the work of “no harm.”)
2. What conclusion should we reach about this?
The facts are that Christianity is different,
God does the works. But is that a good thing?
Does that convince us that Christianity is the
one true religion that gives us eternal life?
(Logically, it is the only religion that
elevates God over humans. Human works, and
thus human arrogance, are central to all other
world religions. Sadly, some Christians have
fallen into that same thinking.)
III. The Incomprehensible
A. Read John 1:9-11. Why should the world have
accepted Jesus? (He made the world.)
B. Read John 1:12-13. What does this say about the
path to becoming a child of God? (It is not
through will power, it is not through the power of
another human, it comes from God.)
1. Why is this so hard to believe? (Jesus made
the world! Do you fail to grasp that He can
give you new life?)
C. Read John 1:16-17. How do Moses and Jesus compare?
(The law was given through Moses, grace was given
to us through Jesus. He is God and He can give
grace to those who believe in Him.)
IV. The Walk
A. Read Romans 8:5-8. Wait a minute! Someone always
has to come and spoil the party. Is Romans now
telling us that Christianity is just like every
other religion in that we need to “please God,” by
submitting to “God’s law?”
B. Read Romans 8:9-10. Who is doing the work here?
(The Holy Spirit and Christ.)
C. Read Romans 8:11. Is it part of your “works” to
have the Holy Spirit dwell in you?
D. Let’s go back and re-read Romans 8:6. How would
you describe what it means for you to “set the
mind” on something? (My view is this is not a
work, but rather an invitation to an attitude. If
I truly believe that peaches are superior to
pears, then I buy peaches and not pears. If you
believe that Jesus died a horrible death in place
of you dying, and He did that to satisfy the
penalty for your sins, then you will avoid sin.
You will not embrace sin.)
1. How easy is it to control your mind? Can you
decide on an attitude and then firmly adopt
that attitude? (This explains “set the mind.”
You determine that Christ is your Lord and you
want to advance His Kingdom. The Holy Spirit
then takes that “set,” and at your request,
changes your attitude in the direction
needed.)
E. Skip down and read Romans 8:14-15. There is a
tremendous problem with fear and anxiety in the
American population today. Do you think that is
connected with sin? (I do. The point I think
Romans is making is that when we decide for Jesus,
when we ask the Holy Spirit to change our
attitude, then lots of positive changes take
place, including lowering our level of fear. Why?
Because we are trusting God, not ourselves.)
F. Friend, have you “believed” in Jesus in the way we
just discussed? If so, you have eternal life. If
you have not, why not, right now, decide to
believe and to set your mind on that belief?
V. Next week: The Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Copr. 2024, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are
from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard
Version ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing
ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All
rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within
parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail,
but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this
link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the
Holy Spirit as you study.
