Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (NKJV)

This singular verse in Ephesians, which is repeated elsewhere in the Bible (Acts 15:40, Galatians 1:3, Philemon 1:3, etc.), sums up how God wants to touch mankind — he offers his grace (unmerited favor) and peace to all who put their trust in Him.

When comparing religions, it is soon evident that the God whom Christians follow is not like other gods. In Hinduism, there are some 330 million gods for worshipers to call on, many of whom are vindictive, spiteful, and just plain mean. Hundreds of millions of people in India are enslaved to these gods whom many Christians consider to be demons in disguise.

Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world, with more than one billion followers, most of whom live in what is called the 10-40 window. If possible, adherents are expected to make pilgrimage at least once to Mecca and keep a code of rules and regulations to appease Allah. One of the pillars of this religion is praying five times daily, facing Mecca. Clearly, how well you perform your faith in this life determines where you will spend eternity. To fully understand Islam, followers are expected to learn Arabic.

Followers of Buddhism have varying beliefs depending on the sect. Some consider Buddhism a religion, while others call it a way of life. Your speech, action, and livelihood play an important part in your life, but as far as life after death, the teachings of Buddha are silent.

For the follower of Jesus Christ, we know that our God isn’t fickle, mean, or vengeful. True, vengeance does belong to our God, but it isn’t something that is held over our heads 24/7/365, particularly when we have entrusted our lives to Him. Our God wants to fellowship with us and His incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection were space-time events which connected sinful man to a holy God. God always takes the initiative — we are to respond and to consent to Him. Christians have translated the Bible into thousand of tongues — demonstrating how our God comes to people where they are at.

God wants everyone to taste His peace and to live with Him forever. We can’t follow an impossible set of rules and there is nothing on earth that we can do to win His favor. Out of love we serve Him, knowing moment-by-moment that Jesus broke the power of death and we shall live forevermore.

Photo courtesy of Manu M.