Final Thoughts

Despite the fact that sometimes we are told for our comfort (and as a sop to other religions, or even to those who have no religion at all) All roads lead to God, as far as the Bible is concerned Christianity is the only true religion. This was the message of the Apostles from the very first day it was preached. Speaking of Jesus, the Apostle Peter said:

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.¹

Giving consideration to the claims of other religions may feel very charitable, but on the Apostles’ (and therefore Christ’s) authority they cannot bring the salvation from death that we all need.

But modern Christians cannot be complacent, for the teaching of organised Christianity today is a poor reflection of that original faith. As has been shown in the preceding pages, the original Christian message has been changed – and changed fundamentally. This is exactly as those early preachers predicted, and the New Testament contains many instances of these warnings. Paul wrote:

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.²

Clearly there is a need to get back to the teaching and practices of the original Christians, and there are some Christian groups today whose aim is to do this – the writer being a member of one of them.

So we ask you to really investigate the issues we have raised: to examine your beliefs with your Bible in hand. Your local church was not intended to be merely a social club – however pleasant that may be – but should be the means of bringing salvation and eternal life to individuals through the saving work of Jesus Christ. And that can only be done by being a real disciple – a follower – of him in all that he said and did.

Are you up to the challenge?