Category Archives: Compared Religions

Authority of the Bible, Compared Religions, Jesus Christ, Salvation, Uncategorized

Does anyone own the Truth?

glen001-sm By Glen R. Jackman

You may have pondered the thought, asking, “Does anyone own the truth”, and concluded, “no one owns the truth”. Let’s look at this together.

Pilate before Jesus was crucified asked Him, “What is truth”?Jesus had claimed that He not only had the truth, He owned the truth and was actually the embodiment of Truth. During His ministry on earth, embedded in His teaching was the fact that He was the Son of God, the creator of the universe, of man, and thus the master creator of the languages of mathematics, physics, DNA, speech, of every intertwined law we’ve heard of and researched as scientists.

Hence, His ownership of all truths and laws of creation makes Him, both creator and sustainer of every law, including the law of Love – the sustainer of relationships. He combined and centered the statement proclaiming that He was the Truth, with the “Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6 NIV). He is the way to Life, and the truth of why we have our being and can function standing free on the earth, with a thinking mind and conscience. The way is via the map of His intertwining physical laws and the ways of the mind and the heart of love which lead to Life – a fuller joy filled Life, more abundantly lived with confidence. (see John 10:10).

Jesus knows you personally from birth. Moreover, Jesus as the Son of God with the Father know us intimately. Have a look at a few points Jesus articulated on how He knows every one of His people on earth. He came to reveal the love of His heavenly Father to us. Speaking of little children that He was blessing He said, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10 NASB) Children have angles watching over them as military guards on behalf of the Father and the Son.

GP (10)

Jesus knew every disciple before He selected them. When He saw Nathanael coming towards Him, He said, “there is an Israelite without any deceit in Him”. “Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” (John 1:48 ESV)

Jesus like His Father in heaven knows us even prior to our birth. Jesus created this earth as noted by the apostle Paul, whom Jesus chose to articulate His mission on earth. He said: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Col. 1: 15-17 ESV)

The entire bible speaks of God’s intimacy with mankind. King David noted God’s creative powers attributed to His birth: “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” (Ps. 139: 13 ESV) He also admitted that God personally knew him, that God is not some abstract unknown being or force or many gods who play handball with our minds [Montaigne], but one who is intimate with His people: “O LORD, you have searched me and known me!” and further that He knows every action and thought of our being: “You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways”. (Ps. 139: 1-3 ESV)

Jesus knows the time of a man’s death. When Jesus was summoned by Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, he knew that Lazarus would ultimately live: “Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill”. But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (John 11:2-4 ESV) In a short while, Lazarus died though Jesus brought him back to life which glorified God.

Jesus knows who have the faith to follow His truth and way. Jesus is actually aware of who will accept the teaching of His death and resurrection as an act which He achieved on behalf of sinful man to redeem him legally from eternal death – in other words, Jesus died in your place as a substitutionary ransom for your life. He died so that you would go to heaven ultimately to be with Him. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23 NIV) because “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned”. (Rom. 5:12 NLT)

Jesus does not forget his own children. My mother loved this text and held on to it until the day that she died: “I go and prepare a place for you, I will come and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:3 NIV)

The Gospel simply means the Good News to mankind. The Gospel only asks that by faith you accept this and in so doing you accept that Jesus is your creator and sustainer in Life and after your death He will give you eternal life. Knowing the mind of man, and what is in man’s motives and thoughts towards Him, he calls those whose heart will hear the calling via the Spirit: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the ways of his Son” and, “those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Rom. 8:29-30)

By accepting Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the sustainer of your life – of all Life, we are forgiven and the legal term is justified, made right with God by your faith in Jesus. Not a bad deal, I would say if you trust Him by faith as I do and as my mother did. If you have a struggle with faith, pray to Jesus to show you the way to believe. Say “Lord, help my unbelief”.

He is still calling men and women to Himself. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28)

Compared Religions

Eastern Mysticism

The following table will compare various views coming from what we classify as Eastern Mysticism. Many who follow these religious views often engage in conversations about the Bible, Jesus, the Gospels, the Apostle Paul with an ideology imparted via the group from which they learned their tenants of faith. However one thing becomes clear: they are not well versed in the Word of God. Thus their paradigm is formed before the Bible speaks to their hearts, which makes it most difficult to assimilate without looking through the spectacles of Baha, Buddha, or Maharishi Mahesh Yogi etc,

Thus it is imperative to only look at the Bible as one compares the worldview of these Eastern Mystics if one is not to be led astray into doctrinal error. These snippets gauge just how far off these views are outside of the Word of God and His Kingdom, especially with disregard to the Sovereignty of Jesus Christ as Lord and God of our minds.

TRUTH
ERROR
WORD OF GOD
EASTERN MYSTICISM
VIEW OF GOD VIEW OF GOD

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

God is a Spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:5)

Go…and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)

Jesus was baptized: the spirit descended; the Father spoke: (Matthew 3:16-17)

Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. (Genesis 11:7)

From the time that it was, there am I; and now the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me. (Isaiah 48:16)

Brahma, the Absolute, other than which there is nothing else–without qualities, unknowable, impersonal, beyond all appearances, changes, differences.

God is all there is. “All visible objects are but modifications of self-existence, of an unconscious and impersonal essence which is called God” (Walter R. Martin, Kingdom of the Cults, p 239).

God is omnipresent and almighty, and is in the heart of everyone (Transcendental Meditation, p. 61).

In his real nature man is divine. The inner man is fully divine. Vedanta teaches no other dogma but the divinity inherent in man, and his capacity for infinite evolution (TM, p. 58).
JESUS CHRIST JESUS CHRIST
In the beginning was the Word,…and the Word was God. (John 1:1)When, as His mother, Mary, was espoused to Joseph before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18)Behold, the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)God was Manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the nations, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Timothy 3:16)And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:18).

And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. (Roman1:4)

And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain… (1 Corinthians 15:17)

Wherefore, he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

This same Jesus…shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven. (Acts 1:11; cf. John 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

 All religions from times immemorial are just different branches of the main trunk of the eternal religion represented by the Vedas (Tm, p. 19).”I don’t think Christ ever suffered or Christ could suffer” (Maharishi MaheshYogi, p. 123)

Christ is considered to be one of a long line of “Masters” who had themselves realized divinity. They are recognized as “divine,” and addressed as such. Through such individuals at various times in history, the “divine truth” was transmitted to men. His picture is frequently to be seen beside that of Buddha, or of Shandaracharya, or Yogananda, or other recognized “Divine Leaders.

The “Masters” are considered to be realized expressions of divinity and, as such, are worshiped.

Bahaism: This emanated from Persian Islam but is essentially eclectic. All ways are of God, but Baha has the truth for this age.

Divine Light Mission: Guru Maharaj ji is presented as the uncover the light of knowledge which is within the disciple himself.

Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon): Devotion centers on the god Krishna.

Transcendental Meditation: Deceitfully propagated as nonreligious, this is undoubtedly Hindu. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is the leader. Mandatory initiatory rites in Sanskrit address the Lord Narayana, Brahma the Creator. Daily meditation focuses on the Source of Creative Intelligence within the individual himself.

Vendanta Society (Rama Krishna Mission): This group also teaches the Perennial Philosophy, that God is the essence of all that is, and salvation is to “realize” the god (reality) that is within you.

Yoga: This is one of the six major Hindu philosophical systems to be followed in order to obtain union (yoga) with the Ultimate, the Great All-pervading Soul. Self-realization Fellowship advocates practice of disciplined Kriya Yoga as the path to realization of the good within, the true self.

Zen Buddhism: The major Buddhist activity solves eternity’s problems by illogical koan to produce enlightenment–similar to T.M,
HOLY SPIRIT HOLY SPIRIT

When the Comforter is come, who I will send unto your from the Father, even the Spirit of truth,…he shall testify of me. (John 15:26)

When he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement. (John 16:8)

When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. (John 15:26).

The Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, …he shall teach you all things. (John 16:13)

His spirit that dwelleth in you… (Romans 8:11)

Be filled with the Spirit… (Ephesians 5:18; see also 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 3:16

But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:9; see also vv. 14, 16)
SIN SIN

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23).

If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:10)

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8).

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also to law; for sin is the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4).

All unrighteousness is sin… 1 John 5:17).

Whatever is not of faith is sin. (Romans 14:23).

Therefore, to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (James 4:17).

 The subject per se is given little attention, and forgiveness of sin is unrealistic, By the Law of Karma, “sowing and reaping,” wrong actions inevitably produce punishment, good actions their reward.

Salvation consists of doing good in excess of evil in order to evolve to the highest state through successive incarnations. This highest state is Enlightenment; the realization of oneness with the World-Soul, Reality.

Sin is not defined. It consists of actions which are contrary to one’s “dharma” or “duty”.

“Sin means wrong doing or wrong thinking due to discontentment. Suffering is the result of some wrong doing in the past.” and “Past sins might induce an action in the present; some tendency of the past may come to us” (Meditations of Maharishi, p. 121).
REDEMPTION AND SALVATION REDEMPTION AND SALVATION
We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. (Ephesians 1:7).

Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things…but with the precious blood of Christ. (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Unto him that loveth us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us a kingdom of priests unto God and his Father. (Revelation 1:6).

Without shedding of blood is no remission (Hebrews 9:22).Made peace through the blood of his cross (Colossians 1:20).

This man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God…For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:12, 14).

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31).

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on his name. (John 1:12).

He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the…only begotten son of God. (John 3:18).

He that believeth on the son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life. (John 3:36).

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:5).

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God–not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Justified freely… through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 10:4).

Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. (Romans 10:4)

 “Be still and know that you are God, and when you now that you are God you will begin to live Godhood…” (Ibid., p. 178).

Go within and experience the Divine Nature is the premise! There is no supernatural intervention. We bear the whole responsibility for our actions. If we attain the clear vision of what we are, “the divine or Inner Light, and the god of what we are, “the Divine or Inner Light, and the god within,” we need not go elsewhere.

“All may say, at the moment of Awakening, ‘I am the Way'” (KC, p. 237).

Salvation comes through the realization that there is no duality. God is all-in-all, is all there is, and “that are Thou” (Upanishads).

God-realization, or Self-realization, the highest of all states of being, is here and now possibility by any of the suggested methods.

1) The Way of Knowledge, usually involving meditation focused within. This may be aided by silent repetition of a designated, personal mantra, which is a group of sounds without meaning. Or by “Knowledge” imparted by a “master” by which “inner light” is given and the “current of real life” (the source of life) is turned and the “current of real life” (the source of life) is turned on within us. Meditation is upon this “light experience.”

2) The Way of Words, following prescribed rules of conduct without desire. This is the more common way of India, much less emphasized in the West.

3) The Way of Devotion to a deity, involving continuous chanting of the chosen name, as exemplified by the vocal Krishna-Consciousness cult.

Transcendental Meditation is a path to God (MM, p. 59).

The way of Yoga (meaning union is that of concentration aided by body control, with the aim being “Union with the Divine.”

Self-realization is entry into the Kingdom of Heaven within, entry into the field of the Creator. ” It is the gradual movement from Matter to Mind, and them to super Mind. Once we reach the supper Mind, we reach union with the Divine.”
JUDGEMENT JUDGEMENT
The wages of sin is death… (Romans 6:23).Those who sleep in the dust…shall awake, some to everlasting, life, and some to shame, and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2).And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. (Hebrews 9:27).And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God….And the dead were judged out of those things … written in the books, according to their works. (Revelation 10:12).The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven…in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel…; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction. (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10).

If thy foot offend thee, cut it off; it is better for thee to enter lame into life than, having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched. (Mark 9:45)

 Heaven and hell are not accepted concepts. Karma, the “law of the deed,” of sowing and reaping, is allied with Transmigration (Reincarnation) in defining the results of sin and rewards of good.Suffering (on earth) is the result of some wrong doing in the past, one’s own repayment of deeds.One who has attained union with God, or “God-consciousness,” has reached the end of reincarnation. As the Buddha is reported to have said, “There is no rebirth for me.”