What Makes the Christian Faith Different From Any Other Religion?

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I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ.You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ. Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed. Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. Galatians 1:6-10

What makes the Christian faith different than any other faith? Answer, the Gospel. The Good News is that Jesus has done for us what we could not do for ourselves. Jesus opened the way for us to have a right relationship with God. There is nothing we could ever do to earn God's love, but Jesus gave us the free gift of the forgiveness of sin and eternal life. 

Why is it different than any other religion? In every other religion someone is made right with God, or whoever they choose to call God, by works or some other system of law. Whether it is the good works of Judaism (Mosaic Law), or the good works of Islam (Five Pillars), or the detachment from our flesh and bodily to achieve "nirvana" like in Buddhism, and Hinduism, in no other religion does God come down to save humankind Himself. 

This is why Paul is so passionately against what the Galatian church is doing. They are going back to Mosaic laws like circumcision and dietary laws, after having received the Good News of being justified by grace alone, through faith alone. Paul himself did everything he could to measure up to the Law, as a Pharisee, even to the point of directing the killing of Christians, who did not submit to the Jewish religion. But when he found grace, he would never go back. 

Paul knew the difference between Law and Gospel, because he had experienced both, and he knew that only one could set a person free to live the life they had always wanted. This is life God had in mind when He created us and made available to us through His Son!  

Paul knew the church would always have a tendency to go back to the Law, after having received the gospel! Why do you think that is? Why do we want to go back to the slavery of the Law, after experiencing the freedom of the gospel? Do you think you have ever really accepted the Good News? Has it become Good News to you personally?  

Here is a good test. Are you still trying to earn God's love? Do you beat yourself up constantly and feel like you will never be good enough to be seen as righteous in God's eyes? Do you feel like the issue of whether you will get into heaven or not is based on your religious performance. 

Friend if you are like this please receive the Good News today. Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me all you are weary and burden, and I will give you rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  

Stop trying to please God, you can't. None of us can. His standard is perfection, and only His Son could measure up to it! God sent His Son Jesus to save you from you sin to set you free to live the life you've always wanted! 

When you receive God's amazing grace you can truly sing, 

"Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I'm found. I was blind but now I see!" 


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