Does It Really Matter?

How often do we hear people say something like this:

“There are many religions in the world and there are many ways to God. Some call God by the name ‘Allah’ and others by the name ‘Jehovah’ and others by many other names, but there is only ONE GOD, regardless of how He is addressed. All religions have the same goal, namely, to get to God, and it doesn’t so much matter what a person believes, as long as he is sincere and believes he is doing right in his heart. Eventually we will all end up in the same place.”

The horrific terrorist attacks upon our nation on 9/11 forever put to silence such thinking. IT VERY MUCH MATTERS WHAT A PERSON BELIEVES, and thousands of victims from September 11 attest to this fact. It was a strong belief system that led to the attacks. These men were very sincere in what they believed. They were totally dedicated to Allah even to the point of sacrificing their very lives. Other Muslims may label them as extremists, but they did not consider themselves to be extreme. They believed that they were faithfully following the teachings of Muhammad as set forth in the Koran. They believed with all their hearts that upon the completion of their mission they would appear in heaven to enjoy sensual pleasures forevermore, having received a WELL DONE from their God.

So the next time someone tells you that it doesn’t matter what you believe about religion as long as you are sincere, remind them of 9/11 and that it is crucially important that a person believes the right thing about God, the way to get to God and what a person must do in order to get to heaven (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Acts 16:31).

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Does it matter if a sincere pharmacist puts the wrong pills in a bottle?

Does it matter if a surgeon sincerely believed he removed a kidney when in fact he removed the liver?

Does it matter if a woman eats a poisonous mushroom, even though she thought it would be quite nourishing?

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            One of the most widespread but unsound religious teachings of our day is that there are many roads to God. If men are sincere, we are told, it does not matter which path they travel—in the end they will all reach the same destination.

            Speaking to a large audience on God's eternal purpose in relation to man, a nationally prominent educator quoted an Old Testament declaration that God created man for His own glory, and said that this purpose cannot be defeated. All men, he said, are brothers, and at the last great gathering not even the most erring ones will be missing.

The speaker depicted a beautiful palace standing in a delightful garden. There was only one entrance to the castle, though there were many roads that led to it from all directions. On these roads throngs of pilgrims traveled. Many climbed over tortuous mountain trails; others followed less rocky paths; some, with songs and laughter traversed smooth and flower-bordered ways. But all, finally arrived at the palace gates, and then it mattered not that some had found the journey hard and painful, for all the sufferings of the way were forgotten in their complete and perfect joy.

            A pretty picture, this—but not a true one!

            Since by divine revelation alone we can discover the way to God, we must turn to the Bible, rather than to man's imagination, for our guidance.

            Jesus the Christ, describes the two roads open to men. One is a straight, narrow pathway leading to God and eternal life. The other is a broad and easy road leading to final destruction. On this broad road are many travelers, enjoying the fellowship of their comrades and thinking little about their destination. On the narrow way are fewer pilgrims, but a heavenly radiance lights their pathway.

            Our Lord stated it this way: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

            Jesus is the way (John 14:6); the only way (Acts 4:12)!

            [This last article was copied from a tract published by American Tract Society]