True-ish: As Long as You're Sincere!

This is the 3rd post of our true-ish series. Click here to read part one and two.

We started out this week by looking at Acts 16:29-30. Paul and Silas had been arrested and had been worshiping, when an earthquake came, their chains fell off and the cells opened. The jailer knew he would be killed because this had happened and so he was going to kill himself. Even though the prisoners could have left, they didn't. The jailer fell before Paul and Silas and asked them, "what must I do to be saved?"

The answer to that question depends on who you ask. We have this relative idea of truth and it changes. We have people who believe it's judgmental to believe that Jesus in the only way. Even Oprah believes that you are your own God and that all roads lead to Heaven.

53% of people believe that if you're good, you'll go to Heaven. That's religion - the idea that you are your own self-sufficient savior and you can save yourself by good works.
43% of born again Christians believe that it doesn't matter what faith you are, because all of them teach similar things.
57% of evangelical church members think that many religions lead to eternal life/Heaven.

Are all world religions basically the same and mostly true?

No! Just because you are sincere, does not make what you believe true! Look at American Idol as an example. Many of those people auditioning sincerely believe that they are the next big thing, but sincerity does not replace truth!

There is truth in many world religions, but all world religions can't be true. This is because they aren't all structured the same foundationally. They can't all be the same when you compare them. There are only nuggets of truth.

Discovering and living truth matters more than anything else in life. Objective truths must be followed or it can cost you your life. We are going to die. There is no question about that. We don't want to be wrong about things that deal with our eternity. So how do we know what is truth?

Take a close look at Jesus. Was He who we say He was?

- Look at what Jesus taught. Look at Luke 6:27-29. "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic." If we actually followed Jesus' teachings, this world would be totally different.

- Look at the miracles Jesus performed. (Mark 6:2) Those who opposed Jesus NEVER discounted what He did. They never claimed that he didn't perform miracles. They just wanted him to stop and wanted him out.

- Look at the resurrection. Acts 3:15 says that "God raised Jesus from the dead. We are witnesses of this." It specifically said they witnessed this. They made sure that no one could get to Jesus in the grave. His followers had basically disowned him before the crucifixion and days later, seeing him alive again rocked their world and they were amazed! Judas took his own life because he was so distraught. The others died martyrs deaths because they saw this dead man walk again.

- Look at what Jesus claimed. "I am the way and the TRUTH and the life. NO ONE comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) Jesus said he was THE way, not one way. No others ever claimed that......not Mohammed, not Buddha. Jesus said no one comes but through me.

So, when you look at all of these things about Jesus, there are only 3 possible options to choose to believe:

1. Jesus is a liar.
You cannot claim that Jesus was a good moral teacher and say that he was a liar too. It's not logical. If he were lying, don't you think he would've broken eventually? Maybe once his flesh was exposed during the flogging? No? How about when the nails were driven into his hands? He endured all of that for a lie? Really?! No possible way. No one would.

2. So perhaps if he's not a liar, Jesus is a lunatic.
Maybe he was just another David Koresh and he really believed his lie.

3. Or, maybe he was who he said he was. Jesus is Lord.

There are no other options. One has to be right. Either you believe he was a liar, he was a lunatic who really believed his own lies, or he really was Lord like He said He was. In Matthew 16:15-16, Jesus asks Simon Peter, "Who do you say I am?"

Who do you say Jesus is? Do our lives reflect He is Lord like we confess He is? What does your life communicate? Have you been transformed? If you are serious about the truth, it all boils down to how you answer that question. There will be a day when everyone will confess that Jesus is Lord. All that will matter at that point is who you said he was. It will not matter how sincere you were. All that will matter is the truth.