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In the sight of God, sin is the critical issue of issues since the creation of angels and men! Before the creation of either, He inhabited eternity in the purity of His holiness! In His sovereign, calculated decision to create first angels who sinned and then men who did likewise, the God of all creation foreknew and predetermined His response: eternal death (separation from Him) in a lake of fire for the guilty (Matthew 25:41)! However, God made a distinction between angels and men. Angels who sinned would be condemned without hope; mankind guilty and condemned through their progenitor, Adam, would be granted a chance to be saved from God´s just penalty.
Why did God make a distinction between angels and men? It is because of His purpose in creating them! Angels were created to serve God and men (Psalm 104:4; Hebrews 1:14). Men were created to be the sons of God ruling over all of His creation (Hebrews 2:5-8). So, why don´t we see this? Sin, as foreknown by God, intervened to temporarily halt the full implementation of His glorious plans.
What do we see now? We see Jesus Christ, the Son of God; higher than angels and men because He is God (Hebrews 1:1-13)! He is also the Son of Man who came into the world as a second Adam to suffer God´s death penalty for sin on behalf of all men. His mission was through His suffering, atoning death and resurrection to "bring many sons to glory," (Hebrews 2:9-13). He was God´s predetermined plan to save men from their sins as the Lamb of God slain "before the foundation of the world," (I Peter 1:17-21).
Why create a creature for which You personally would have to suffer in order to save? God loves man (John 3:16). God also wants us to love Him freely in return. He gave angels and men free will in order to be able to freely choose whether they would love, serve and obey Him. Though warned in advance, the angels who fell made their choice; Adam made his choice. Sin and death came into existence. But now, Christ has come on behalf of men and conquered both through His triumphant death and resurrection (Romans 5:12-21; I Corinthians 15:55-57; 2 Timothy 2:8-10)!
Thus, God has spoken finally and fully through His Son on the critical issue of sin. Judgment day is coming for fallen angels and men. Since there is no hope for them, fallen angels live in terror and dread of the day (Matthew 8:28-29). As for men, God in His grace and mercy has given us time to repent and believe on His Son to be saved from the day of His wrath and judgment of sinners.
Contrary to the claims of thousands of saviors and religious systems from the first century even to this very hour, the Lord Jesus Christ is man´s only source of salvation. Truly, His apostles have dogmatically stated that there is not "salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved," (Acts 4:12, NKJV). The apostle Paul solemnly testified:
God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above
every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in
heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.
Philippians 2:9-11, NKJV
Those of us then, who have come to believe on Jesus Christ through the testimony of His apostles, firmly stand on their word no matter how politically incorrect or intolerant. Their word has been ratified by God to us as His Word, the New Testament (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:12-21)! Also, if indeed we have believed on the name of Jesus, we have tasted and seen for ourselves just how sweet, powerful and wonderful is that name by the inner working of God´s Spirit! We have even experienced the truth of His words, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me," (John 14:6, NKJV).
Therefore, knowing that all religious roads do not lead to God´s salvation, that the name of Jesus is the only name and He the only Savior exclusively given to men, why are there professing Christians validating other religions in the cause of unity? Why in particular are there professing Christian black Americans locking arms with black Muslims to offer spiritual answers for the problems of the community? Are they really the same faiths?
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