What makes Christianity unique?

Frequently avoided questions of the Christian faith
What makes Christianity unique? John 14:1-14

Intro…For most people today, it’s not politically correct to say that Christianity is the only true, right religion.
• How can you know that? Is your answer based on reason or scripture or a combination of both?
• So many people “experience” or “feel” spiritual, so what makes the Christian “experience” unique?
• What is the balance between human reason and faith? (It’s actually both.)

Big Picture: As you grow deeper in your understanding of the Christian faith, you discover that our faith or Christian experience of God in Christ according to the Bible is unique, desirable and at the same time threatening to other religious claims.

Text: John 14:1-14

I chose this passage because it centers on Jesus Christ.
• What makes Christianity unique is Jesus Christ and his grace extended to us.
• C.S. Lewis “Only Christianity dares to make God's love unconditional.”

v. 1-4 (How can Christianity be the ONLY way to God?)
Don’t be troubled. Trust God. Trust Jesus.
• Jesus says that the way to eternal life, though unseen is secure.
• Jesus reminds us that he has already prepared the way, we just need to follow it.

Here we have verses that actually describe eternal life:
• Jesus will return for us.
• Jesus is preparing a place for us.
• In vs. 4 Jesus reminds us that we know how to get there.
• These are comforting thoughts! (On the quest for God)

v. 5 Thomas (doubting) speaks for many, “Lord we do not know where you are going, how can we know the way?”
• So many people feel this way in regards to the exclusive claims of Christianity. (How do we know this is the way?) What is the right way? What is the right path?
• And remember, this is Jesus saying this, not us. Point people to Jesus and let them sort it out from there.

One of the challenges is how we communicate our faith to a culture that does not believe there is absolute truth.
• Why do people want to deny absolute truth? (It’s so limiting, confining, non-politically correct).
• Do we learn about God’s truth only through reason?
• Can we intellectually reason our way to God? (for some yes…)
• For others, God reveals some things to “little children” that the “wise and learned” could not discern.
• Luke 10:21, At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
• 1 Cor. 1:17-31
• So whether Christianity makes sense to you in a “reasonable way” or takes more faith, remember there is truth and it’s found in Jesus!

v. 6 Jesus covers all the bases here, he is:
• The way to God
• The truth we all seek
• The life we all really need
Vs. 7 Know Jesus – Know God
Vs. 8 Philip says, “Show us the Father”
Vs. 9 Jesus says, “I’m right here!”

When it comes to the balance of human reason and scripture, one of the safest ways of protecting ourselves from errors and misinterpretations is to study the Bible in community. That helps keep human reason in check.
• Nothing like a good bible study/discussion to keep us all sharp.
• We need to look for an encounter with God that is both experiential and rational.
• We need to leave enough slack in our beliefs to be corrected, to allow God to teach us even more and to make room for discovering the truth with clearer and clearer vision.

v. 12 If you are willing to believe that Jesus truly is the way, then follow up action is needed.
• “Anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works.”
• IOW, We need to live like Jesus.
• What makes Christianity unique is not only Jesus, but his disciples. We should be living different and better than everyone else!
• If we are doing that, then we can ask anything in his name and God will do it. (that is, if it’s best for us).

Throughout the history of man other religions have a belief in a supreme being, that there is a problem with man, that a god reaches down to man, that a god dies, even the concept of a virgin birth dates back to pagan traditions before Christ, there is a concept of judgment, miracles and the belief in heaven and hell.

Yet that doesn’t mean that Christianity is essentially equal or parallel to other religions. Key elements of orthodox Christian theology stand unique:
• The character of the Christian God (including the way mercy and love are intermingled with holiness, righteousness and purity),
• The transcendent/immanent God (God is God, wholly other, yet with us through Jesus)
• The nature of God (including the Trinity)
• The nature of the love relationship between God and humanity, (although there is sin in the world, God loves us so much that he created a way for us to come back into relationship with him.)
• Salvation by faith alone, (nothing we can do to earn it)
• The openness and the simplicity of the gospel (the good news is to all, no secrets, no difficult rituals)
• The role of sacrifice in the life of the believer (a reflective role versus an appeasing role, we don’t need to appease God)
• The humility and the exaltation of the lowly (servant to all, first will be last and the last will be first)
• The community of the church as the body of God (we are his “hands and feet.”)
• And the nature of the eternal state. (our souls in heaven)
• The resurrection of Jesus (necessary to make his death on the cross complete and show that he is God…)

Conclusion:
(Chuck Swindoll)
When it comes to following God, believing and having faith, he still prompts us to follow a certain direction. No audible voice. No image of Jesus on a piece of toast or tortilla. Nothing mystical or magical. But as you are moving along and trusting Him, you stay sensitive to the quiet, yet all-important prompting of God through His Holy Spirit. By doing so, you may well sense inner promptings that will spur a thought, such as, “I can’t believe I’m still interested in that. I wonder what the Lord is doing? I wonder where He’s going with this?”
That inner prompting is crucial because, much of the time, we just can’t figure it out. Evaluate the prompting. Obviously, you know the Spirit of God will never contradict the Bible. In fact, the prompting often is a passage from Scripture.

However, there is nothing wrong with planning. Nothing wrong with thinking it through. There’s everything right and wise about listing all the pros and cons. But stay sensitive to God’s leading. His plans may be different than yours. By the way, His are always better.

“The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. . . .
Man’s steps are ordained by the LORD, How then can man understand his way?” (Proverbs 16:9; 20:24)

I love that! When all is said and done, you’ll say, “Honestly, I didn’t figure this thing out. It must have been God.” Talk about mysterious! The longer I live the Christian life, the less I know about why He leads as He does.
But I do know that He leads.

Q & A?