A Barna poll in 2020 titled, ‘The Christian Church is Seriously Messed Up, found that 56 % of people who claim to be an evangelical Christian believe that ‘some type’ of religious faith is more important than which faith a person aligns with. In other words, it doesn’t matter who you believe; Buddha, Allah, or Jesus. It simply matters that you have faith.
This is end time apostasy prophesied in the Bible and violates the words of Jesus Himself saying that He is the only way (John 14:6).
Last Day Deception
The Bible speaks to this condition of the church in the last days. (The last days for the church began with the first coming of Christ and will culminate at the rapture) “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanders, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power (II Timothy 3:1-4)”.
The apostle instructed Timothy to stay away from such people. (v. 5) These are religious people who “will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” as time moves forward (II Timothy 3:13). With access to world wide audiences through modern day technologies, the church and the world are in the times when spiritual deception is growing at an exponential rate.
The apostle went on to say 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 (II Timothy 4:3, 4).” Congregations will choose pastors and teachers not according to sound Biblical doctrine, but will pick people who have a pleasant message even if it’s false.
Modern Day False Gospel
One of the doctrines of tickling ears is the message of salvation. Even though Jesus said He is the only way to the Father, as shown above, much of the church does not actually believe that. Additionally, the survey found that “41% of professing evangelicals said that if a person is generally good, or does enough good things in their life, they will earn a place in heaven; a view shared by 70% of Roman Catholics“. Here again this is contrary to the Biblical message that there is none righteous; that there are none who does good, no not one. (Romans 3:10-12)
There is only one Way
The Bible is crystal clear. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Through His death on the cross, He paid the sin penalty for everyone (Hebrews 2:9). He was buried and rose again on the third day proving that He has the power over sin and death (I Corinthians 15:3, 4). He promises forgiveness and everlasting life to anyone who will believe in Him as the all Sufficient Substitutionary Sacrifice for sin.
Anyone who understands and believes the gospel; that Jesus, fully God and fully Man, died for sin, was buried, and rose again; passes immediately from eternal death to eternal life. (John 5:24) Jesus said, “Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life” (John 6:47). It is a one-time act of hearing (understanding the gospel) and believing it, which causes an irreversible change in your final destiny.
Be careful not to be confused by the false gospels out there today. No amount of good works, righteous living, or religious duty can ever make you acceptable to God. Jesus did it all. He paid it all! There’s no sin debt to be paid. He’s the one and only way.
***Many often ask, “What about the person who never heard?” Find out the answer to this question.
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