Over the centuries Christianity has grown immensely in popularity. I feel that why this has come to pass is because it is the only religious doctrine that is based solely on us praying in the name of Jesus to God to ask forgiveness for our sins, and forgiveness being granted by God. In John 14:5-6 (NKJV) Thomas said to Him, 'Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way'? Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.' These two passages clearly instruct each of us to ask forgiveness of our sins in Jesus name.
Our Father in Heaven knew that no matter how hard mankind tried, because of our imperfections, we would always be sinners; and sinners are not permitted to enter His kingdom in heaven. In the Old Testament we can read how mankind, in general, kept falling short of God's commandments, and how even when led by Moses, the people had weak days and could not sustain these commandments of the Living God on a continual basis. My conception of the Old Testament and other major religions portray to me that they are works based. God bridged this gap from the works based type in one sole act. He sent forth to earth His Son for all of mankind. This is best summarized by Jesus' disciple John in the New Testament; John 3:16 (KJV) which says, 'God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.' This is also reinforced by The New Testament in 1 John 2:1, 2:2 (NCV) which says, 'But if anyone does sin, we have a helper in the presence of the Father'Jesus Christ, the One who is right. He is the way our sins are taken away, and not only our sins but the sins of all people.' In my mindset only the New Testament of Christianity offers mankind the only feasible alternative.
The unique posture that Jesus Christ offers mankind in the New Testament of Bible is His covenant that He made with God, and is expressed by Jesus at the Last Supper, in the New Testament in Luke 22:19, 20 (NCV). Then Jesus took some bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to the apostles, saying, 'This is my body, which I am giving for you. Do this to remember me.' In the same way, after supper, Jesus took the cup and said, 'This cup is the new agreement that God makes with His people. This new agreement begins with my blood which is poured out for you.' From this point forward Christianity was born, and mankind truly had the way to enter heaven.
Jesus, during His crucifixion, said in Luke 23:34 (KJV), 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do'. Alone, this selfless statement by Jesus, thinking only about us, in His ultimate anguish and pain of taking on all on the mankind's sins past, present and future during the crucifixion portrays the truest love that He had for all of mankind, and set the example for His Father's second greatest commandment, 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' |
