Right from the very dawn of time, man has been awed by the mystery of the world that surrounds Him. We have always found ways of showing our yearning to know and appreciate the mysterious invisible force we call God.
While many worshipped Him in the stars that light up the sky at night, others turn to trees as their representation of God, and yet some more are amazed by the power of the sea and seek Him there. Earlier on, the Bible says Abraham sensed that all these aspects of nature are not Him and that God Himself remains the invisible LIGHT, the source of life in every form on whom he chose to place his faith. As Christians we all know the story of our religion from this starting point. But then, so do Jews and Muslims alike as each claim to be the only true worshipper of God.
Hindus, Sikhs and others have similar stories of divine revelation and inspiration to tell about the origins of their faith.
Now as I look around and hear the vigorous debates between these different religions today, I ask: Can any one human organisation monopolise the truth? When Jesus Christ said “I am THE WAY”, did that mean the same thing as Christianity is THE WAY, or, can the same truth, i.e. THE WAY to the Father, be found in all the different religions and philosophies. Is THE WAY exclusively arrived at or can only be known through Christianity? Can Christ be known only in the way we know Him in Christianity, as Jesus or can Christ be identified by other religions too in different manifest forms? Can we find people of integrity, sincerity and true devotion to GOD our creator in the different religions of man other than Christianity?
These are questions many Christians have a ready answer to, and that is, other religions like Islam or Hinduism are worshipping the devil and idols. Christianity is the only religion worshipping the true God. What does Jesus Himself say about this?
Religions are created by people, and we all have our different reasons for signing up to a particular belief. For some it could simply be because it is our parents religion and not that we have any personal conviction about it. For others it could be because the experiences of life have driven them to a place of desperation, confusion and ultimate surrender and they are ready for any form of divine intervention in the affairs of their lives. THE TRUTH, THE WAY and THE LIFE have always been, according to John Chapter 1. Christ is the Light of men, whether you are an Aethist, a Pagan, a Buddhist, a Hindu, a Jew, a Christian or a Muslim. These different religious beliefs are cultural paths to true spirituality. In spite of it's mis-use by some of it's leaders, many have successfully taken the indirect path of Christianity to discover THE WAY that CHRIST represents. The direct path is to be guided from within by the Holy Spirit into the TRUTH behind His Gospel.
In most religions, especially Christianity, there are two approaches to having a relationship with the Deity. There is the horizontal or indirect approach which is based on the culture of the organisation, and then there in the vertical or direct approach which is through the inner spiritual experience of awakening in the presence of God. In Christianity, this latter approach is through the Holy Spirit of God that accompanies, counsels and reminds the disciple of the teachings of Jesus Christ, thereby keeping the truly devoted follower constantly spiritually awake in the inner sanctum and in a close relationship with God. To such a devotee, the horizontal approach is merely tradition, different cultural methods that hint in their disparate ways at their various ideas of who God is and what their holy book says about Him.
In Christianity, the path to oneness with God is through faith in Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. Being transformed by the power of the Holy spirit into the nature of Christ. This is the revelation that Jesus brought to humanity.
As a Christian, the life, the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ woke me up out of the darkness and death of the spirit caused by sin, and showed me THE WAY to THE FATHER. This is how I came to know Christ, to know that he is the SON, He is THE WAY to THE FATHER, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE. What does all these mean in real spiritual experience rather than just empty sterile words?
So in fact the way to the Father is first through the spiritual realisation of who the Son is and not a cultural methodology. In Matthew 16:13-17 when Peter told Jesus that He was the Messiah, His reply was to declare that blood and flesh, that is human ways, cannot reveal such, it is only through communion with the Father in the Spirit that one can know this truth. God is spirit, and to know HIM, one has to enter into the spirit, His Holy Spirit in us, it is not by being a "christian", the horizontal way. (see Matthew 7: 21-23 and Mark 7: 6-8).
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are taught by Him through His Word and through the Holy Spirit, how to prepare ourselves for this devotional life (Matthew 10:38), how to follow the Way that leads to the Truth and the Life, and that way is to be at one with the Will of God. To walk intimately with God in humility (see Matthew 11: 28-30 ). It means that the object of our desire is to live in humility, daily praying, studying, meditating and practising the attributes of God. So He is saying, the Way to the Truth, to the Life, to the Father, is through these spiritual disciplines, practising the attributes of God, doing His Will and not by just being"christians" the horizontal way. Read Matthew 7: 21-23 and Mark 7: 6-8 again.
So what is the will of the Father?
Okay, so now we know that being "christian" as a tradition or cultural practice is not what brings us to the Father. The BIG question is, can you come to realise who the Son is and pursue the Way the Truth and the Life that leads to an intimate relationship with Father without being a "Christian"?
Can all these be found, albeit with different labels, in other religious traditions? That is the big question.
The Bible says in Acts 2:36 that:
36 “Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
Earlier on in Luke 2:52, we learn that “....Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”
It was not Christ that grew in wisdom, as He is the creator of the universe. It was Jesus, the man, who grew and grew until he became one with Christ. To Him, the will of the Father is number one, not himself being called Lord. (see: Matthew 7:21, Matthew 12:50, This total surrender to the will of God in creation, which is Christ) To me, one thing is clear, it is best to adhere to a particular path of understanding to start with, until the TRUTH is illuminated in your spirit. The truth has illuminated my spirit and I have chosen to follow Jesus Christ. The TRUTH has set me free.

