"Can many religions lead to eternal life?" That is the question we examined previously. A whole bunch of people who say they are Christians answered "yes." How can that be? Are we to believe that following the teachings of Moses or Muhammad or Buddha or the infinite gods of the Hindu, or Smith, Russell, White, Hubbard or New Age theology will make us right with God unto salvation - but for the Christian - the horrid, bloody death of Jesus of Nazareth was required? Does that make sense?

No religion can save us. No teachings of anyone can save us; not even the teachings of Jesus Christ. We cannot save ourselves, although our prideful flesh and deceitful hearts do everything to convince us otherwise. But the fact is we are sinners, and "the wages of sin is death." (Rom 3:23a) Every one of us has earned our wages and then some. So how do we attain eternal life? We accept God's gift. "...the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom 3:23b) 

Okay, eternal life is a gift and the gift comes through what Jesus did for us. What did Jesus do for us? Well, a good many folks who profess to be Christains will say: Jesus was a good teacher. Jesus lived a good moral life. Jesus really cared about the plight of the poor. Therefore, if we follow His teachings that are still relevant to our day; try to be good people compared to others; and emphasize taking care of the poor above all else, the gift of eternal life will be given to us.

Is that true? No, it is not true.

What did Jesus do for us? Jesus came "to give His life a ransom for many." (Matt 20:28) He came to die on that horrid bloody tortuous Cross to pay the price for our redemption - "the just for the unjust." (I Peter 3:18) His sacrifice on the cross satisfied the requirements of God's punishment for sin.

What did Jesus do for us? Jesus came for the Atonement - reconciling God and man through His death. (Rom 5:8-11) "He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world." (I John 2:2) The famous passage - John 3:16 says it succinctly: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish but having everlasting life." At the Cross of Christ, God offers the gift of eternal life. (Will we accept His gift?) Notice to whom it is offered? To the whole world - the Cross is not exclusive, but all inclusive - to whoever believes in Him.  

What did Jesus do for us? "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace..." (Eph 1:7) The great Oswald Chambers states it best: "The only ground on which God can forgive us is the tremendous tragedy of the Cross of Christ; to put forgiveness on any other ground is unconscious blasphemy...the revelation of God is that He cannot forgive; He would contradict His nature if He did. The only way we can be forgiven is by being brought back to God by the Atonement." (My Utmost for His Highest)

For a Christian to believe that any thing other than the Cross of Christ leads to eternal life is indeed blasphemous. Sadly, their ignorance and unbelief (the real problem?) will leave them with nothing but a cross of no account.

So, let me ask you "Can many religions lead to eternal life?"