When we examine all of the other gods of this world, we find common denominators. For one, they are usually the creations of men and their imaginations. The Bible defines all of these man-made gods as empowered by demons who are fallen angels masquerading as gods.

What am I saying then? That an idol is really a god? No!, The things which the Gentiles sacrifice to these gods, they really sacrifice to demons and not to God ~1 Corinthians 10:19-20 (RCR)

The gods of myth and legend all resemble the nature of men. They have tempers that tend to flare. They are full of wrath, and destroy without justification. They are adulterous, murderous, lacking moral perfection, and are nearly identical in their behavior to that of human beings. This is because they are not real, but simply the creations of men.

Some people assert that the God of the Bible is also an imperfect God. He is observed in His wrath, destroying entire cities and peoples.

This Essay Is From Chapter 10 Of The Book: “Why Jesus Is God.”

The reason that this God is often criticized for His wrath is due to a misunderstanding in what has taken place to cause His anger. The God described by the Bible is angry because of the pain and suffering that sin has caused in the lives of people He loves so dearly. If you or I observed our child or someone we love being hurt by the actions of others, we would also feel anger.

When we examine the people that God warns, we see that they have been living lives of unbelievable depravity for a very long time, before He pours out His wrath.

In the case of the Canaanites who occupied the land that Israel came to inhabit, we discover that they are vicious and reprobate in all their behavior.

The Amalekites and the entire Canaanite culture were amongst some of the most evil people who have ever lived on the face of the earth.

The Word Amalekite means: “A People that licks up”.⁠1 This gives us a clue as to the kind of people we are speaking of. The Amalekites were a populace who literally licks up or drains away the life of other people. The Amalekites had no permanent home. They were nomadic, roaming from place to place in the Sinai desert.

The people of the Canaanite nations were some of the most brutal and vicious human beings who have ever lived on the planet. While Israel was traveling across the desert on their way to the land that God had promised, the Amalekites ruthlessly tormented, attacked, and killed God’s people. As a result of their cruelty to Israel, the Lord instructs Moses to record these events, so that later generations might understand when God finally sent judgment upon the Amalekites, that His actions were justified.

Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. …Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”  ~Exodus 17:8-14

The Amalekites attacked the helpless: the women, the children, the sick, and the old when Israel first came out of Egypt. They attacked Israel a second time at Hormah without being provoked, as described in Exodus 17. They joined a third time with Eglon and attacked Israel in the days of the Judges. Whenever Israel planted their crops, the Amalekites, along with the Midianites, in Judges 6, destroyed Israel’s animals and crops.

Since the Amalekites attacked Israel from the rear and slaughtered the women, children, sick, and the helpless, as well as destroyed Israel’s animals, crops, and dwellings, God’s judgment on the Amalekites is equal to their crime. The Lord, here in 1 Samuel 15, tells King Saul to “destroy their weak, their helpless, their animals, their crops, and their dwellings.” The punishment that God gave was equal to the crime they committed.

…utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. —1 Samuel 15

The Amalekites were well known by the Lord as a people completely given over to satan, totally debased and perverse from their infancy. Known as eaters of raw meat, having no house, having the instincts of an animal, and living like wolves.”⁠2

These debased people practiced child sacrifice, which is confirmed by archeological artifacts discovered in the remains of Amalekite villages.⁠3 In 2 Kings 23:10 and Jeremiah 7:31, there is a vivid description of how the Amalekite children were offered to one of their most bloodthirsty gods, Molech.

And King Josiah defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech.  ~2 Kings 23:10

Molech was a great cast-iron god that sat upon a stone throne above the people. His body was hollow, with an area at the lower section of the statue where a fire could be kindled. Flames from this superheated cast-iron god could be seen from the outstretched arms of Molech. A newborn baby, brought by a willing family, was placed alive onto the outstretched arms of this vicious god, and burned to death. This was one of many horrible gods that the Canaanites worshipped.

Paul G. Mosca, in his Greek thesis, describes a similar type of child sacrifice:

“There stands in their midst a bronze statue… its hands extended over a bronze brazier, the flames of which engulf the child. When the flames fall upon the body, the limbs contract and the open mouth seems almost to be laughing until the contracted body slips quietly into the brazier. Thus it is that the ‘grin’ is known as ‘sardonic laughter,’ since they die laughing.”

Molech, God of the Canaanites [4]

⁠Archeologists have uncovered the ruins of Canaanite villages and found the remains of clay jars that were used in their ritual worship.⁠5 Newborn babies were dismembered, and their body parts were placed inside these jars and sealed inside the walls of newly built homes in order to bring the blessings of their brutal gods.⁠6

It is not necessary to list all the horrendous acts that were perpetrated by the Canaanites. It is sufficient to say, if all the facts were known by people today regarding the horrific deeds that were carried out by these cruel people, we would likely commend God for ending their lives.

Was God justified in wiping out the entire Canaanite nation in the Old Testament? For almost 900 years, the Lord warned these brutal people to cease their worship of demonic gods and the offering of their children to the fiery hot arms of their sadistic god, Molech. After nearly a millennia, these warnings bore consequences, as the Lord ordered the systematic destruction of all the nations of the Canaanites.

Because of the patience of God, He was willing to delay judgement for an extraordinary long period of time. The Lord loved the Canaanites and earnestly desired that they would not see judgment but, instead, turn to Him in repentance and be saved. Before the Lord ordered their complete annihilation, He would demonstrate for us a very important principle in the Old Testament: God’s hatred of sin is rooted in His love for us.

Although God hates sin, His love for us is exceedingly greater. Although His law demands judgment for the sinner, His mercy offers us forgiveness. The consequences of sin is death, but the Grace of God offers us eternal life. Jesus was willing to bear all of God’s wrath for sin in His own body and die for all of our transgressions. Those who think God is willing to send sinners to hell should consider that His Son died so that this might never happen.

God’s Judgment Is Always Preceded By A Long Interval Of Time

Before the Lord would order the destruction of the Amalekites, He would provide their nation with an extended period of time in which they might change their minds and come to Him for salvation.

Before it is too late for each one of us, God allows an entire lifetime in order that we might decide to obey Him and receive His salvation. The Lord is always very patient, kind, and long-suffering towards us. Although each one of the Amalekites would face their own separate judgment at the conclusion of their life, the Lord would allow nearly 900 years before His judgment would fall upon the entire nation.

What we find in the example of the Amalekites is that God is not angry and spiteful as with other gods but, instead, He is extraordinarily kind and patient. Although the Lord warned these nations to cease their evil, He relented from destroying them for a very long time. The Lord always gives us as much time as possible, with the hope that we will see how much He loves us and His ways are far better than those we have chosen for ourselves.

The God of the Bible is exceedingly different from the gods of myth and legend.

Gods Of Myth, Legend, And Lore

A common objection for critics is the idea that the God of the Bible is superior to all other gods of the world.

When we actually examine these other gods and religions, we see a stunning difference.

• The God of the Bible is Personal; all other gods are impersonal and often unknowable.
• The God of the Bible is uncreated and has no beginning; other gods are created beings who had a beginning.
• The God of the Bible is sinless, perfect in every regard; gods of other religions, myths, and legends are consistently imperfect, and display characteristics similar to human behavior.
• The God of the Bible is loving, compassionate, patient, kind, and merciful; all other gods do not possess these desirable attributes.
• The God of the Bible is a righteous judge who makes determinations based upon the heart and motives of a person; other gods cannot see into the heart of a person, nor do they know their true motives.
• The God of the Bible is the Creator of all that exists; other gods are a part of the creation but did not create the universe.
• The God of the Bible is compassionate and understanding in the fallen human condition. He departed heaven to become one of us in order to secure our salvation. All other gods are insistent that they are served and honored, and none would ever die for a human being.
• The God of the Bible has made over 3,500 prophecies—2,500 of which have already been fulfilled without error. The gods of this world do not have the ability to accurately predict the future, nor do they know their own future.
• The God of the Bible is all powerful and cannot be overcome by evil in any form. The other gods have limited power and cannot defeat all enemies or adversaries. They are often overcome by more powerful gods.

Many gods of this world are imaginary, carved from wood or cast from metal. These gods exist only in ideals but not in reality.

How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don’t know this, so they are all put to shame. Who but a fool would make his own god—an idol that cannot help him one bit? All who worship idols will be disgraced along with all these craftsmen—mere humans—who claim they can make a god. ~Isaiah 44:9-11 (NLT)

Many of the gods who exist in religions of the world are mortals or men themselves who have ascended to the position of a god. The God of the Bible has stated that only He is truly God, and exists as a non-material Spirit-Being.

This is what the Lord says—“I am the First and the Last; there is no other God. Who is like me?Let him step forward and prove to you his power. Let him do as I have done since ancient times when I established a people and explained its future. Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago? You are my witnesses—is there any other God? No!  ~Isaiah 44:6-8 (NLT)

In all religions except those who trust in Jesus for their salvation, a works-based redemption is necessary. Those who make themselves a part of these particular religions must keep a code of behavior in order to be saved. The final destiny of the member is often unknown until that person dies.

In the case of a Mormon member, their eternal salvation is in the ultimate hands of the church founder, Joseph Smith. No Mormon can get into heaven without his express permission, even if they have a perfect record of obedience.

“No man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith. From the day that the Priesthood was taken from the earth to the winding-up scene of all things, every man and woman must have the certificate of Joseph Smith, junior, as a passport to their entrance into the mansion where God and Christ are”  ~Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, p.282-91

The God of the Bible wanted us to know that we can be saved by our simple willingness to turn to Him. If we will trust in Jesus for our salvation, we can know for certain that we have eternal life as a present possession.

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.  ~1 John 5:13

All religions and churches of the world have methods of redemption that are far different from those prescribed by Jesus’ death and resurrection.

The followers of Jesus are saved by God’s grace (unmerited favor), through their faith in what Jesus has done for them in dying for their sins. In all other religions, the participant, must, themselves, be perfect in their behavior before admission is granted. Christianity is unique amongst all religions in that salvation does not depend upon the performance of those who want to be saved, but upon Jesus who is saving them.

What is unique about Jesus, in contrast to other religions and the reason that He claims to be the only way to heaven is His unique, sinless character and record of sinlessness while living as a man on earth.

Jesus was born of a virgin by a supernatural work of God when Mary carried the Seed within her that permitted Jesus’ conception. This Seed was promised, in Genesis 3:15, by God as a prophecy of Mary’s future pregnancy through an act of God and not by any man.

Because Jesus was born without a sin nature, He was sinless from birth. In order to be qualified as our Savior, Jesus must not commit any sin during His entire life. According to the testimony of all those who knew Jesus and lived in close proximity to Him, He never sinned.

Jesus Claimed He Was Without Sin

But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?  ~John 8:45-46

Either Jesus is telling the truth, or He is lying. If Jesus is lying about being sinless, then He is a sinner, just like all other men. If Jesus is a liar and deceiver, how could He also have the power to heal the sick and raise the dead? If men who are sinners can command a person to see again, walk who are paralyzed, or raise them from the dead, why don’t we see sinful men today with the ability to heal or raise the dead?

The evidence that is presented to us confirms that Jesus was sinless, or He never could have done the things that are written of Him.

The men who didn’t believe that Jesus was God, at first, later confirmed that they had never seen Jesus sin in the nearly four years they knew Him.

• Paul: For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  ~Hebrews 4:15
• Peter: but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.  ~1 Peter 1:19

When we examine all of His behavior in the four Gospels, there is no record or mention of any sins that Jesus committed. This distinguishes Jesus as the only sinless human being in existence, and therefore qualified to be the Savior of the world.

A man who is, himself, a sinner can never act as a Savior for other men who are sinners. Because Jesus is the only man who is sinless, only He is qualified to act as our Savior. No other god or religion has a Savior who is sinless, therefore they are all inferior to Jesus.

Examine the graves of all others who claimed to be a savior, and you will find that their bones are still in the grave. The testimony of those who were there when Jesus was crucified is that three days later, He was seen alive by over 500 eyewitnesses, over a 40 day period of time.

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.

After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.  ~1 Corinthians 15:3-8

Paul wrote this testimony. It was he who carried documents of authority from the government to towns all over Israel to arrest and condemn Christians to death (Acts 9). Paul wrote that Jesus appeared to Him personally after He had risen from the dead. From that moment, Paul changed from an adversary of Jesus to His chief advocate in proving that He rose from the dead.

It was because of Jesus’ resurrection that He had such a profound impact on the world. This effect is still being felt today by over two billion people who also believe that Jesus has risen from the dead.

The truth of Jesus’ resurrection is an anvil that has worn out many hammers of opposition over the past 2,000 years.

The Singular Life Of Jesus

When we explore who Jesus really is and compare His life with those of other religions and gods of this world, we see a distinct difference.

Only Jesus has displayed evidence that would allow us to conclude that He is God. Some have expressed doubts that Jesus really intended that people would believe He is God. When we examine the literary evidence from first century sources that are extant today, we see just the opposite.

The Entire Reason That Jesus Was Crucified Was Because He Claimed To Be God

But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!”

Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! What do you think?”

They answered and said, “He is deserving of death.”  ~Matthew 26:63-66

It was clear to the Pharisees that Jesus was asserting that He is the Eternal God, Yahweh. It was because He claimed to be God that the Pharisees sought to have Jesus crucified.

The men who knew Jesus didn’t believe He was God at first. He looked just like any other man. He was from a poor family, lived in a small town, and made His living as a simple carpenter.

The Prophet Isaiah Predicted The Messiah Would Be Ordinary In Appearance

There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.  ~ Isaiah 53:2

Though Jesus was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.  ~Philippians 2:6-8 (NLT)

At twelve, Jesus went to the temple and began to ask the religious leaders questions. Although He was just a boy, Jesus already knew the power of questions as a tool in teaching and overcoming arguments.

…when He was twelve years old, …the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem…His parents found Jesus in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.  ~Luke 2:42-47

Jesus often used questions as a powerful method to take control over those who sought to exercise authority over Him. When the soldiers come to arrest Jesus, He takes command and asks: “Who are you seeking.” When the soldiers say, “Jesus of Nazareth,” He said, “I AM.” As Jesus speaks the eternal Name for God that was given to Moses, the soldiers fall backwards under the power of God.

At thirty, Jesus suddenly gathered men from common occupations to follow Him. For three and one half years He began to teach the true meaning of the ancient prophecies about the Messiah, and apply them to Himself.

He moved about Israel and did all of the things the prophets wrote concerning the Messiah. He did this with the clear intention of validating Himself as God in human flesh and the Messiah whom God promised Israel. Jesus fulfilled every prophecy given by God to identify the Messiah.

Jesus Frequently Asserted That He Is God

Matthew writes that Jesus healed a man who was paralyzed, and claimed for Himself a right that only God has to forgive sins.

But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”  ~Matthew 9:6

The Pharisees objected to Jesus’ claim that He could forgive sin’s so Jesus took His proof a step further. Jesus could not prove that He is God, with the power to forgive sins because no one could see whether this man’s sins were really forgiven. What Jesus could do to validate His claim as God was to heal the man of His inability to walk, also a power which only God has.

By commanding the man to stand up and walk, Jesus was affirming Himself as God, also with authority to forgive sins, a right exclusive of God. The entire purpose of this exercise was to prove that He is God.

The men who had been following Jesus understood what He was doing. From that moment, they began to imagine that Jesus really was God.

Jesus Claimed To Be The Son Of Man

When Jesus called Himself the Son of Man, He was making use of an Old Testament idiom that Daniel used to describe the promised Messiah. Daniel said he, will also be called “Son of Man.”

As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence.  ~Daniel 7:13 (NLT)

When the Pharisees criticized Jesus for claiming to be God, in the verse of scripture we recently looked at from Matthew 26:63-66, Jesus used Daniel’s description of the Son of Man to describe Himself:

I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” ~Matthew 26:64

By Jesus’ self-attribution in using the term, Son of Man, sitting at the right hand of God, there is no doubt that He is claiming to be the Messiah and God in human flesh, whom Daniel predicted.

In the Old Testament, the Son of Man, the Messiah, is God who comes to earth to redeem mankind. Psalms 45:6 was written exclusively for the Messiah. In this scripture, He is declared to be God.

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. ~Psalms 45:6

Paul confirmed that Psalms 45:6 was written for the Messiah to describe Him as God, and that Jesus was the intended object of this Psalm.

But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.”  ~Hebrews 1:8

The more we investigate who Jesus is, the more we learn that the entire New Testament is dedicated to proving that He is the Creator from eternity who came to earth as a man—dying for the sins of the world.

A Life Of Infinite Value Required

Because Jesus is the Eternal God, His life is of infinite value, and therefore sufficient to pay for the lives of all other people who will be born on the earth.

Every other god or person who asserts that they are the way to heaven are imperfect, non-eternal, and do not possess a life of eternal value to redeem everyone on earth.

Only Jesus rose from the dead, never to die again, as a sign that His death was the only acceptable and complete payment for the sins of all people.

These unique and stellar attributes of Jesus set Him apart from all other religions and gods, and make Him the only perfect and worthy Savior of the world.

Other gods

When we examine other gods and religions, we see that their precepts and principles are drastically different from what we learn about Jesus in the New Testament. This is important because we find in this world that counterfeits are often similar to the genuine, but less-than, or incomplete in comparison.

Allah is similar to the Hebrew God, Yahweh, but does not have a Son who took the body of a man and died for the sins of the world. A works-based salvation, Islam demands obedience in order for salvation to occur. In examining their scriptures, we see that the Koran teaches violence and death as acceptable methods for conversion.

Quran (2:191-193) – “And kill them wherever you find them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out. And Al-Fitnah [disbelief or unrest] is worse than killing…but if they desist, then lo! Allah is forgiving and merciful. And fight them until there is no more Fitnah [disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allah] and worship is for Allah alone. But if they cease, let there be no transgression except against Az-Zalimun (the polytheists, and wrong-doers, etc.)”

Islam is a religion of violence; whereas Jesus taught love, peace, and kindness as emblems of faith. Islam teaches vengeance for enemies; Jesus said to love your enemies and do good to them.

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  ~Matthew 5:43-45

Those who follow the religion of Islam believe  that human beings are sinners because Allah has willed this. Muslims do not teach or know that the Bible describes sin as the fault of human actions, not the fault of God (Romans 5:12, 18, 19). In Islam, God is responsible for the condition of the world. The Bible teaches that the world is full of evil, violence, suffering, sickness, and death because man brought sin into the world.

Former member of Islam, Nabeel Qureshi, said this:

“I left Islam because I studied Muhammad’s life. I accepted the Gospel because I studied Jesus’ life.”

Buddha: based upon the life of Siddhartha Gautama, a mortal man who was known as “the Buddha” or “the enlightened one.” To Buddha, the principal problem of earth is “Dukkha” or suffering. Only by achieving a mental state of “nirvana” through ridding the body of all physical or mental cravings and desires can a human being be free of suffering. Freeing a human being from temptation is never going to happen and it will not rid the world of sin, which is man’s basic nature.

The central problem with Buddhism is that its founder was a mortal, sinful man who has no real power to save anyone. This is a works-based religion without true eternal salvation. Buddha remains in his grave to this day, unable to achieve his own resurrection or to help anyone else with their resurrection. Jesus rose from His grave, never to die again. Jesus exhibited a power over death that Buddha could not attain.

Gnosticism: In the religion of Gnosticism, God is unknowable; the creator-god is evil, and all matter is evil. This religion is ancient, but made a prominent return in the third and fourth century after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Salvation in Gnosticism consists of returning to the spiritual world through secret knowledge of the universe.

Similar to many other religions, Gnostic salvation is the work of the participant, not the actions of God or His grace as described by the God of the Bible who gives eternal life as a free gift.

Hindu gods: number over 330 million. This is a works-based religion which is appealing to the human ego, but ineffective to really save.

Where the Christian God is personal, the Hindu god is impersonal and cannot be known.

The central problem of mankind from the Hindu perspective is ignorance, whereas the God of the Bible describes moral imperfection or sin and man’s central problem.

Salvation in Hinduism is a personal work of ridding self of ego and becoming god-like. The Christian God describes the salvation of all people as possible only because of the work that Jesus, the Son of God, has completed for us, and is offered as a free gift to anyone who will receive it.

Krishna: is an ascended man who became a god, one of millions of Hindu god’s. Salvation is by the achievement of an altered state of consciousness, which is used by demons to enter the body of unsuspecting human beings.

Taoism: is based on the teachings of a mortal man, Lao-Tzu, c. 550 B.C., from China. A therapy-type religion which promises peace and tranquility but no afterlife.

The Mormon God: has a son who is known by the same name as the Biblical Jesus, but is not the historical Jesus of the Bible.

When the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gordon Hinckley, was asked if Mormons believe in the historical Jesus of the Bible, this was his response:

“No, I don’t. The traditional Christ of whom they speak is not the Christ of whom I speak. For the Christ of whom I speak has been revealed in this the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times. He together with His Father, appeared to the boy Joseph Smith in the year 1820, and when Joseph left the grove that day, he knew more of the nature of God than all the learned ministers of the gospel of the ages.’”   ~Gordon Hinckley, LDS Church News, Week ending June 20, 1998, p. 7)

The Mormon Jesus

• A Created Being, older brother of Lucifer.7
• Was once a man, just one of many gods.8
• Not a Virgin birth. Conceived by a physical sex act by Elohim (God the Father or Adam) with Mary.9
• Was once a sinful, imperfect man.10
• Had to earn his own salvation.11
• Married to many different wives.12

The Jesus of the Bible

• Eternal, the Creator Himself, always was God.13
• Has always been God, became a man for us.14
• Conceived by the Holy Spirit with Mary who was a Virgin.15
• Eternally sinless and perfect forever.16
• Has always been God, did not have to earn salvation.17
• Never married to anyone.18

Although most people think that Mormons are Christians, they do not believe in the Christ who is the only Savior, therefore their religion cannot save.

In order for salvation to be possible, a person must trust in the Christ who is described by the Bible, not in a different Jesus created by the Mormon religion.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses:

The Jehovah’s Witness’ God is Yahweh from the Bible, not Jesus. Although the New Testament is clear that Jesus is Jehovah, this fact is denied by the JW religion. Although the Bible describes Jesus as the Son of God, the JW religion states that God did not have a son. The Jesus they call savior is not the Eternal God who came to earth as a man, but simply a created being. Because the Jehovah’s Witnesses diminish Jesus, take away His power as God and make Him a created being, the Jesus they believing in, cannot save. The following are some of the Jehovah’s Witness Doctrines:

• Jesus is not God. Jehovah is the mighty god who created Jesus.19
• Jesus was formerly the Archangel Michael.20
• Jesus was only a perfect Man, but He is not God.21
• Jesus did not raise from the dead Bodily, only in Spirit.22
• Jesus’ sacrifice alone did not pay for our Salvation. The JW’s must themselves earn their own salvation by performing good works.23
• There is no Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who are “God.” Only “Jehovah” is God.24

New Age: god is an impersonal life force that is inside every person. Each member is their own god and a part of the total universe. The usage of demonic practices such as astrology, mysticism, use of crystals, yoga, tarot readings, holistic medicine, psychic abilities, angelic communications, channeling, amulets, and fortune telling, are all used by demons to deceive human hosts. In many cases, these New Age practices are a point of entry for demonic oppression and possession.

The primary  difference between Jesus and all other gods and religions is his eternality, power of creation, power over death, and tremendous sacrificial love.

The View Of Jesus, By Other Religions

A common error by other religions and many people in the world is the diminishing of Jesus from who He is portrayed as by the Bible. The Hebrew and Greek scriptures portray Jesus as God, Creator of all that exists and the only Savior.

Many of these religions make Jesus a common, ordinary man–without the power to save anyone.

•  Islam: Jesus was only a man, a prophet below Mohammed.25
• Hinduism: Do not believe that Jesus is God but just one of many incarnations of Vishnu the Hindu God.26
• Buddhism: Jesus is not God. In fact, they do not believe in a personal God.27
• Baha’i Faith: Jesus is just another man whose career as lord ended when Mohammed founded Islam.28
• Christian Science: “The Blood of Jesus was no more able to cleanse sin when it was shed on the cross than when it was flowing in His veins”.29
• Evolution: “There is no purpose or meaning to life. All mankind is one cosmic accident…” “The man called Jesus is a mythical person created by religious zealots.”30

The Term “Begotten,” And Jesus

Many people are confused by the term “begotten” or “firstborn” when used in the New Testament to describe Jesus Christ. Some people believe that because Jesus is described with terms used for those born of a natural birth, that He must be a created being, and not the eternal God.

The Jehovah’s Witness church uses verses from John 1:14, Colossians 1:18 and Revelation 1:5 to affirm their doctrine that Jesus Christ is not God. They state that the terms “firstborn,” and “begotten,” define Jesus as a created being, not God.

The fact is: The Greek words used in these verses, for “firstborn,” and “begotten,” are prototokos and monogenes. They do not define Jesus as a created god.

The term “firstborn,” prototokos, indicates that Jesus is “first in order of importance” over all creation.31

The second Greek word that has been used to translate, begotten, is “monogenes.” This Greek word is very specific in that it conveys the idea of “uniqueness or singularity, the only one.”32

Jesus is the only Son of God who is first in order of importance over all creation, singular and the only one, since He Himself is the Creator of all that exists. In no way does the term firstborn imply that Jesus is a created being. To use this word for the purpose of trying to prove that Jesus is a created being violates every scholarly usage of the original Greek language in which this text was written.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten (monogenes) of the Father, full of grace and truth.  ~John 1:14

And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn (prototokos) from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.  ~Colossians 1:18

And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn (prototokos) from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood…  ~Revelation 1:5

Jesus is portrayed throughout the New Testament as the Eternal Son of God, who spoke the universe into existence, in Genesis 1:1. The book of Colossians describes Jesus as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, by three specific points:

1. All things in the universe were created by Jesus and for Him.
2. He existed before all things.
3. In Him, all things consist.

For by Jesus all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.  ~Colossians 1:16-17

As Jesus is uniquely begotten (First) as the only Son of God, Peter wrote that each one of us who love and follow Him have also been begotten again to a living hope…

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you…  ~1 Peter 1:3-4

As monogenes defines the term begotten as unique and unlike any other,33  the intent here is clear:

Those who follow Jesus have a unique and very special place in eternity. We are heirs of an inheritance which will never grow old, decay, or be destroyed. It is perfect.

Only those who place their complete trust in Jesus Christ, now, have been given this distinctive designation as joint heirs with Christ Jesus. This means that in eternity all of the wonderful blessings that the Father has bestowed on His Son will also be ours.

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  ~Romans 8:16-18

How The Name “Jesus” Originated

The name “Jesus” was originally written as “Lesous.”34 When the Bible was translated into Greek, there was no Greek word for Jesus. In each subsequent translation of the Greek text from the Hebrew, the name Lesous became Jesus in the New Testament.35

Jesus is His Greek name. His Hebrew name is Yeshua. The term Yeshua means Salvation, Deliverance, Victory, Help, or Welfare.36

The literal meaning of the name Jesus is: The Lord (Yahweh) is my Salvation. This is interesting because the angel who came to Joseph told him that his son should be called Jesus because He will save His people from their sins.

When Phillip asked Jesus to show him the Father, Jesus told Him that if he has seen Him, he has seen the Father—for Jesus is God, even as the Father is God.

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ ”  —John 14:9

I and My Father are one.  ~John 10:30

By this statement, Jesus is claiming that He is Jehovah-God, even as the Father is also Jehovah-God. If we want to know what God is like, all we have to do is look at Jesus. The words that He speaks and the things that He does are the words and actions of the Eternal God.

David Described The Future Messiah As LORD (Jehovah), Exalted Above All Other gods.

For You, LORD, are most high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.  ~Psalms 97:9

In the New Testament, Paul clearly understood that the LORD of the Old Testament scriptures is the risen Christ, or Messiah of the New Testament.

Though Jesus was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  ~Philippians 2:6-11 (NLT)

But this Man (Jesus), after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God…  ~Hebrews 10:12

…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  ~Hebrews 12:2

Psalms 97:9 is validated as a prophetic, Messianic scripture, which Jesus fulfilled in the New Testament. This scripture describes Messiah as exalted above all gods. The Old Testament term, LORD, is Yahweh. In the New Testament Greek, Jesus is frequently referred to as Lord or Yahweh.

When Philippians 2:6-11 states that Jesus was exalted by God and given a name above all other names, this corresponds with the Messianic Prophecy of Psalms 97:9, Yahweh is exalted above all gods.

For You, Yahweh, are most high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods. ~Psalms 97:9

Therefore God also has highly exalted Jesus and given Him the name which is above every name. ~Philippians 2:9

It is clear that the Messiah of Psalms 97:9 is Jesus of Philippians 2:9

Scriptures like these are one of the reasons that it is surprising that New Testament scholars cannot find that the New Testament validates Jesus as God. It is clear from verses like these above that the writers of Jesus’ narrative intended that the world would understand He is the Messiah who is God, described by the Old Testament.

Religion vs. Relationship

From these examples, we see the stunning difference between the true identity of Jesus as the One True Eternal God and the gods who exist as creations of men. Religions such as the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses retain a partial resemblance of Jesus, while denying Him as the Eternal, uncreated God.

These religions require personal obedience for salvation, whereas Jesus provides redemption based upon His obedience. In religion the system always fails because people are not capable of keeping the rules. With Jesus we cannot fail because He perfectly kept the rules for us.

Religion is a works-based salvation; Christianity is a grace-based salvation.

It is important to remember that religion is a creation of man, not from God. Jesus never intended that we would make a way for ourselves to heaven that was based upon rules that we set. It was the intent of God that our salvation would come through a relationship with Jesus and by what He has done for us.

In this regard, salvation through Jesus is not by religion but through relationship.

Mortal Leader vs. Immortal Savior

In every major religion, the leader, founder, or teacher is a mortal man who is himself an imperfect sinner. Jesus is described as immortal, perfect in every regard, and sinless. He is the Eternal God who took the body of a human being, so that He could die for the sins of the world and make our salvation possible.

Good Works vs. Perfect Savior

All of the major religions predicate salvation upon the good works of the participant as a prerequisite for eternal life.

All that Jesus requires for salvation is that we are willing to turn from our sins and trust Him for our redemption.

Reincarnation vs. Eternal Life

Many religions do not teach eternal life, but a mystical sort of existence where people migrate into a higher consciousness. Some of the religions teach repeated reincarnations where people return to earth as animals or a different human being. These returns are necessary because the person has yet to achieve the perfection required by the religion for an eternal existence.

This is in contrast to the salvation that Jesus made possible by His death and resurrection. Anyone who places their trust in Jesus receives eternal life—instantaneous with their belief. Those who trust in Jesus do not have to go through a long process where they are made worthy of eternal life. It is because Jesus perfectly secured our salvation that we are perfect also and ready for heaven.

Jesus taught that the moment our earthly life is over, if we have trusted in Him, we are taken immediately to heaven where we will live forever in perfection.

A Personal God

The God of the Bible is very personal, and came to earth to show Himself to us so that we might know Him and His love for every person. The gods of men, legends, and Lore are impersonal and care not for the difficulties, sicknesses, or suffering of human beings. They have no power to give eternal life to themselves or any other person. Jesus has power to give eternal life to anyone who trusts in Him.

When we compare Jesus to the gods of Greek mythology, we see hideous, adulterous, and murderous gods who are antithetical to the God of the Bible who is full of love, mercy, and kindness.

Zeus – King of the gods. Immoral, having multiple affairs and marriages.

Hera – Queen of the gods. Wife of Zeus, who is angry, jealous, and unable to stop the lustful affairs and adultery of her god-husband, Zeus.

Aphrodite – goddess of love and beauty. Created from the foam of the sea. Married to Hephaestus, the deformed god of fire. Adulterous with the god Ares.

Apollo – son of the god Zeus. A god of light, truth, healing, archery, music, poetry, but vengeful and forcing mortals into slavery. Killing in retaliation.

Ares – god of war. Bloodthirsty, killing for pleasure and immoral.

Artemis – twin sister of Apollo. The moon goddess. Created an environment of jealousy with Apollo who killed all the sons of Leto.

Athena – goddess of wisdom, war, patriotism, and good citizenship. Born out of a headache that Zeus experienced. Hephaetus used his axe to strike Zeus’ skull, regulating in the birth of Athena.

Demeter – goddess of grain, agriculture, and fertility. Committing many adulterous affairs. Portrayed as kind and generous, but also vengeful in stopping the growth of crops for a year. Angry with Erysichton for cutting down her favorite tree, she called on the god Demeter, the god of hunger, to plague Erysichton. Ravaged by hunger, he ate his own flesh which still did not satisfy his appetite. Eventually Demeter became insane and died.

Dionysus – god of wine. The product of an adulterous affair by his father Zeus. Turned into a goat, later going into hell to bargain for his mother.

Hades – evil god of the underworld and death.

Hephaestus – god of forge and fire. Disfigured and hideous. Cast out of Olympus, wandering the earth. An adulterous relationship with Aphrodite, created the first woman from clay.

Hermes – messenger of the gods. Multiple adulterous affairs. Killed on the first day of his life.

Hestia – goddess of the hearth and home. Keeper of fire in the temple that was used to bring luck to the other gods.

Poseidon – god of the sea. Cause of earthquakes and horses. Committed multiple adulterous marriages and affairs. Angry and vengeful, turning his wife Medusa into a monster in a fit of rage.

Although this is a brief look at the major religions of the world and 14 Greek gods, we see that their character and behavior are nothing like those of Jesus.

It is easy to understand why people have correctly labeled Greek gods as myth’s while the historical Jesus presents a narrative of actual and true events.

In all of these other gods and religions, we see:

• A works-based religion where the members must perform in order to find salvation.
• Religions or gods who are mere men but have no origin from eternity or ability to create a universe.
• Many of these religions have millions of gods who add complication and confusion to the idea of salvation.
• Many of these religions are mere imitations of Christianity which change or diminish Jesus from Eternal God to a created being. All of these other religions have a works-based salvation where eternal life must be earned.

Of all the world’s religions, we see that Jesus is distinct and superior because of who He is, what He has done, and what He requires.

• Jesus is the Eternal God, sinless and Holy. Jesus is not only a great teacher, He lived the life that He teaches.
• Jesus gave His life for us, took the punishment for our sins and removed them. Sin and death are destroyed; suffering is ended.
• Salvation is a free gift, through faith. Jesus paid for salvation; anyone can receive eternal life by trusting in Him.
• The promise of a new world where righteousness and peace never end.

As we examine the requirements for other religions and the character of their leaders, we see a stunning difference.

• Religious leaders who are mortal men and sinners themselves. Although teaching great principles, they are unable to live what they teach.
• Leaders make no sacrifice of their lives, espouse ways to make life better but offer no permanent solution for sickness, suffering, and death.
• Salvation by works; participants must do the work themselves.
• Ignorance or disregard for sin. Many of these religions ignore the central problem of mankind, which is sin, and the cause of all sickness, suffering, and death that plagues our world.
• No promise of a perfect world to come, only a world where people attempt to live differently by the principles of the religion.
• No eternal life, only reincarnation or becoming a part of a central or exalted consciousness.

An Intelligent Gospel

When I began my personal search for truth 43 years ago, I was struck by the clear differences between every other religion of the world and the simplicity of Jesus’ Gospel.

Every person who has lived on earth for 30 or 40 years understands that people are the reason that earth is such a miserable place. The way that we act and treat other people. Our selfishness and greed, lust for material gain, and central focus on satisfying ourselves.

In order to really consider any one of these religions as credible, there must be an intelligible plan to rid the world of man’s current selfish nature. It is sin that has ruined the world; and unless there is a way to change man’s basic nature towards sin, nothing is going to change.

The human species requires a way to change the fundamental nature of people so that they can live for the benefit of all mankind. This cannot happen by any physical methods such as programs, medicine, behavioral modification, and religious activities. These things do not permanently modify human behavior.

People don’t like the idea of sin, but we are all aware that the cause of suffering in the world is due to the way that people treat other people.

God’s intention is not to disparage us for our weaknesses and moral failures but to encourage us in believing that the remedy resides with Him, not ourselves. For over 6,000 years, man has been trying to make his behavior better. Nothing that has been suggested or attempted has worked thus far.

God’s plan is to make us new creatures with a different heart, and this will change the way we live and treat each other.

By a second spiritual birth, any person can start a new life as a new creation.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.  ~2 Corinthians 5:17

The Works Of Man And The Sovereignty Of God

An interesting precept of God is that He does not go where He is not invited. God maintains His sovereignty over the universe, but on earth He uses a different approach. God made earth for human beings. He gave us dominion over the earth. When the first humans decided they didn’t want God to run the world, He departed, and gave control and the consequences to us.

Since that time, human life has been filled with violence, evil, suffering, and death. Every act of violence, abuse, neglect, war, famine, and a majority of suffering was caused by the actions of people.

It was God’s plan that no sickness or disease would be present in our lives. It is because we chose a world without God that we get sick, grow old, suffer, and die.

If we think that God wants us to suffer and He doesn’t care about children who get cancer and die, we must ask why He sent His Son to die for us?

Why did God send His Son to become one of us, heal the sick, raise the dead, stand against the hypocrisy of religion, and help anyone who wanted help?

If God doesn’t care about our suffering then why was He willing to die in order to end our suffering? This was the entire point of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection; to end our misery.

When God physically came to earth and offered us an escape from all of the terrible things that ruin our lives, people told Him, “no,” we don’t want you in our lives.” People continue to do the same thing today.

Many reject God to this very day, while at the same time blaming Him for the condition of the world.

In this, we see the contradiction of terms between those who complain that God is not really loving or fair, while they deny Him the ability to come and do something to change their lives.

The problem with the human condition is that people don’t want God in this world; and they would rather that life go on as it is, rather than submit to God’s authority and allow Him to run our planet.

Those who question why God has not done something to help us have their answer: He did come and they didn’t want Him.

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t want him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.  ~John 1:10-12 (RCR)

God took the form of a man and showed us that He is God by displaying the supernatural abilities that only God is capable of. In spite of this, people today write books, and say that Jesus never claimed to be God and He was not capable of miracles. Even when God did what we demanded: show Himself to us, it was not good enough.

God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ and took away the curse that has caused the plague of our suffering. He gave all He had and did all He could, and it was not enough. People rejected Jesus when He showed them miracles before their very eyes; and they continue to rejected Him today. Though honest men recorded the miracles and power of Jesus as God, people still refuse to believe. The problem in believing that God exists is not due to a lack of evidence, but a lack of desire.

It is not God’s fault that our world is such a mess. It is our hearts that causes us to not receive the One He sent, and be saved.

Our True Nature Is Seen Every Day

As human beings we can easily love someone one moment and feel bitter hatred for this person a short time later. We tend to look for our own personal advantage in everything and seldom consider how our actions will affect others. We focus all of our time, attention, and affections on gaining things that don’t last while ignoring eternal matters.

The only viable solution that I have seen to all of mankind’s problems is the good news that Jesus presented to the world. In this plan, Jesus does the hard work of changing us on the inside. When we believe that His death for us has paid the penalty for our sins, God changes us in our heart and makes us a new person.

It is at that moment we become a new creation, and everything begins to change. God comes to live inside us and lives His righteousness through us.

This is a preeminent difference between religion by personal work and salvation by a personal relationship. As Jesus comes to live in us, we find that sin and the old life are no longer as attractive as they once were. Our desires are different, and we begin to see everything and everyone differently than before.

In religion, we must obey the rules in order to be acceptable. With Jesus, He perfectly kept the laws of God for us. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, God imparts the righteousness of Jesus to our account. Our former sins are no longer on our record; and we exist as perfect beings, ready for heaven.

In religion there is no real solution for sin, suffering, and death. These plans of men do not really understand the problem of sin, which has caused sickness and death. With Jesus, His death has overcome sin and death, and has broken their power. Once we rid ourselves of our present body at death, God gives us a new and perfect body that will never grow old, get sick, or die.

In religion, there are many things to do in order to keep a right standing. With Jesus, His death and resurrection have made us perfect; and there is nothing further we must do to gain God’s favor.

It is the intelligible parts of what Jesus has done and who He is that compelled me to trust Him, and not in any other god or religion.

Why So Many Religions?

I learned many years later that the reason there are so many counterfeit religions in the world is because there is only one true way to God. Consider that satan does not want you to find the truth and be saved. If you are able to see and understand who Jesus is, and believe, you will be saved. In order to make it difficult for people to find the truth of God’s love, the devil creates many false and deceptive religions in order to confuse and confound people.

It is by diligently seeking truth, and studying the profound differences between these religions and the simplicity of Jesus’ Gospel, we find the truth.

• Salvation through faith, not by the worth of the one who seeks salvation.
• Eternal life is a free gift, not a reward for obedience.
• Love without limits, even in the face of terrible failures and inadequacies.
• Compassion for our weaknesses, and frequent doubts and fears.
• Longsuffering, as we deny and ignore God for many years. God waits for us to want Him and then responds immediately when we are ready.
• Not holding our sins and past failures over our head as a threat for judgment or removal from His presence. A constant and never-ending abundance of forgiveness and patient endurance with us through all the years of our life, never giving up or leaving us.
• Coming to earth to become one of us. Taking the body of an infant and willingly going through all of the same trials, difficulties, and suffering we experience. Jesus did this so that no person of low estate would feel like Jesus is not approachable as God, but willing to accept anyone, even in our worst condition.
• Setting aside His rights as God so that He could offer His life in exchange for ours at the place of God’s judgment for our sins.
• Allowing evil men to falsely accuse Him, arrest and crucify Him, without resisting or objecting to His punishment.
• Taking away all of our sins by His suffering on the cross and making it possible for anyone to have eternal life, if they will only trust in Jesus.
• Leaving us the Holy Spirit to take up residence inside us. Living through us and helping us to live the life God has called us to.
• Giving us the ability to understand God’s word and bringing what we have learned to our remembrance so we can share Jesus with others.
• Taking us immediately to heaven upon our death where we will be with the Lord forever.
• Providing an eternal home that is perfect in every regard with no sickness, suffering, evil, or death.
• Loving us throughout eternity in the way that every human heart longs for and seeks after.

The relationship that Jesus offers the world is one where people can see, touch, and hear what God does. By reading the actual words Jesus spoke, we can know exactly what kind of God He is. We find that this God is extremely loving, patient, kind, and compassionate: willing to do the hard work of making a relationship with Him possible.

Other gods require all the effort to come from those who believe in these gods. Jesus left His exalted place and humbled Himself to take the position of a Servant, so He could die for our sins.

• Jesus demonstrated His power over sickness, suffering, and death.
• Evil cannot overcome Him.
• Life takes on new meaning, as we see that God made us for Himself and highly values us as His treasure.
• Jesus’ manner of living is pure and perfect, with all righteousness and peace.
• He has the ability to do anything; and there is nothing that He does not know—neither about the universe, earth, or us.

There is really no other who can compare with the magnificent love and power of Jesus as the Eternal and only True God.

A Work In Progress

People often make incorrect comments about things which they don’t understand.

Those who claim to believe in Jesus while exhibiting behavior that is contradictory to the way that Jesus lived are evidence of the Gospel’s importance.

Jesus didn’t come into the world to save good people; He came to save sinners. Those who place their trust in Jesus do not instantly become perfect by their faith, nor do they become perfect during their life. They are still sinners, yet saved.

God’s grace covers the sins of people and makes them acceptable to God because of what Jesus has done in paying the penalty for their sins.

It is only after a person dies that they are released from their sinful body, that they are no longer subject to sin. Throughout the life of a Christian they will continue to make mistakes; while God still loves them and grants them eternal life.

Salvation in Jesus Christ is not based upon the performance of the believer but upon the perfection of Jesus who made salvation possible. Other religions are just the opposite: The right standing of an individual is based upon their personal performance.

It is also important to understand that God does not condone the bad behavior of people who claim to know Him. He expects these persons to be better people, and sin less. He does not offer excuses for the way people act, nor does He give them a pass for their bad behavior simply because they claim to know Jesus.

Jesus said that not everyone who calls Him, “Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven.

Just because someone claims to be a Christian, while acting just like everyone else in the world, does not mean that they truly are saved. Those who have come into a genuine saving relationship with Jesus should show a life that is changing and becoming more and more like Jesus.

Jesus Vs. Other gods

None of the gods of other religions like Buddha, Krishna, Allah, Zeus, Shiva, Athena, Apollo, or Horus are comparable to the God of the Bible.

1.  None of these gods are eternal; they all have a cause or god who created them.
2. All of these gods are imperfect at times.
3. All of these other gods are lacking the infinite knowledge the God of the Bible possess.
4. Other gods require sacrifices to appease them. The God of the Bible made a sacrifice of His own life to save us.
5. Other gods are wrathful at times without justice or mercy. The God of the Bible is extremely patient, longsuffering, full of grace and mercy. He only brings judgment after an extremely long period of time in waiting for the sinner to change their mind.
6. Other gods do not afford mankind the opportunity for personal fellowship with them. The God of the Bible earnestly desires fellowship with human beings.
7. Other gods cannot save anyone because they themselves are also imperfect and in need of a savior. The God of the Bible is perfect in every regard and is fully qualified to save sinners.

One day, Phillip said to Jesus, “Show us the Father.” Jesus replied, “Phillip, if you have seen me, you have seen the Father.”⁠ It was the purpose of Jesus to reveal who God is to the world.

Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?  ~John 14:8-9

The purpose of this book, “Why Jesus Is God,” is to present compelling evidence to you that demonstrates that Jesus is God and all others who claim to be god are counterfeits.

See: “Why Jesus Is God,” At Amazon

NOTES:

1 Expositional Commentary on the Amalekites of the Old Testament.

2 Myth of the Wedding of Amru, Inscription of Shu-Sin

3 From the Expositor’s Bible Commentary on 2 Kings 23:10, regarding child sacrifices to Molech by the Amalekites: “An eighth- century b. c. Phoenician inscription speaks of sacrifices made to Molech before battle by the Cilicians and their enemies. Topheth was the cultic installation where children were offered to the god Molech. The word is thought to signify the hearth where the child was placed. The Hebrew term has parallel terms in both Ugaritic and Aramaic with the meaning “furnace, fireplace.” Scholars have thought that Topheth was at the edge of the valley of Ben Hinnom before connecting with the Kidron Valley. The valley of Ben Hinnom has been identified with Wadier-Rahabi southwest of the City of David. Many consider Molech to be a netherworld deity featuring rituals with Canaanite origins focusing on dead ancestors.”

4 Graphic Art by Rob Robinson

5 J.B. Hennessey, Palestine Exploration Quarterly (1966)

6 “There is archaeological evidence that the Canaanites of the second millennium BCE followed the custom of child sacrifice owing to excavations of a shrine near the city of Gezer which has yielded clay jars containing the charred bones of babies.” Retrieved from: http://www.baal.com/baal/about/divine_overview.shtml

7 Milton R. Hunter, First Council of Seventy, The Gospel Through the Ages, p. 15

8 Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, V7, page 333

9 Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, pp. 547, 742

10 Joseph Smith, Times and Seasons, Vol. 5, pages 613-614

11 Joseph Smith, Times and Seasons, Vol. 5, pages 613-614

12 Orson Hyde, Apostle, Journal of Discourses, vol. 2, p. 82 Bruce R. McConkie, Apostle, Mormon Doctrine, p. 516

13 John 1:1, Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 1

14 John 3:16, John 1:1

15 Luke 1:31

16 Luke 1:35, John 8:46, 1 Peter 1:18-19

17 2 Corinthians 5:21, John 1:1

18 There is no record of Jesus marriage in any of the testimony of the entire Bible.

19 The Truth Shall Make You Free, p. 47, The Kingdom is at Hand, p. 46, 47, 49

20 Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, p. 306, “In His Pre-existence, Jesus Christ was the angelic being described in the Bible as Michael the Archangel. He has only the power and nature of a created angelic being,” (The Watchtower Publication)

21 Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, V7, page 333

22 Joseph Smith, Times and Seasons, Vol. 5, pages 613-614

23 Orson Hyde, Apostle, Journal of Discourses, vol. 2, p. 82 Bruce R. McConkie, Apostle, Mormon Doctrine, p. 516

24 John 3:16, John 1:1

25 The Koran, A very great prophet, second only to Muhammad. Jesus is not the son of God (9:30) and certainly is not divine (5:17, 75)) and he was not crucified (4:157

26 The Bhagavad Gita, tr. Juan Mascaró (Middlesex, England: Penguin Books, 1962

27 Buddhism and Interfaith Dialogue by Masao Abe and Steven Heine (Jun 1, 1995) ISBN pages 99-100

Mysticism, Christian and Buddhist by Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki ((Aug 4, 2002)) ISBN 1605061328 page 113

28 Stockman, Robert. “Jesus Christ in the Baha’i Writings”. Baha’i Studies Review

29 Christian Science: Science & Health, 25:6-9

30 Lawrence Krauss: From a Cosmic Perspective, We’re IrrelevantBecause if the universe doesn’t care about us and if we’re an accident in a remote corner of the universe, in some sense it makes us more precious.  The meaning in our lives is provided by us; we provide our meaning.  And we are here by accidents of evolution and the formation of planets.

31 Strongs Concordance, 4416 prōtótokos (from 4413 /prṓtos, “first, pre-eminent”

32 John V. Dahms, “The Johannine Use of Monogenes Reconsidered,” New Testament Studies 29 (1983) 222-32.

33 Ibid.

34 Liddell and Scott. A Greek–English Lexicon, p. 824

35 Strong’s Concordance of Greek words #2424 and Englishman’s Greek Concordance.

36 Ibid.

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