"Same same, but different"

After only being in India for 10 days, this is a phrase that I've heard several different times. People are very open to talking about spiritual matters here and, as we've explored different places of worship and talked to all types of followers of religion, I have to agree. 

All religions are the same. 

They all have the same idea about God and man. God is holy, above us, separate from us. Man is sinful, we do bad things, have bad thoughts, and we are below God. The Hindus, the Muslims, the Siks that I've met, they all agree (separately) that, in order to reach God, we have to do good things, be good people, and outweigh our bad with good. Even a woman I met who doesn't believe in any god believes that we just have to be good people and then our karma will lift us up and good things will result. Bad things happen to bad people (whatever your personal standard may be) and good things happen to good people (again, whatever your personal standard may be). The sad truth is, even many Christians believe that this is the way to eternal life. Yes, all religion and non-religion believe the same thing. 

BUT (c'mon guys, of course there's a but!)

Jesus is different.

He agrees that, yes, God is holy, above us, separate from us. Man is sinful (Rom. 3:23), we do bad things, have bad thoughts, and we must be punished for that (Rom. 6:23). This is where His truth veers from all the beliefs of every other religion and non-religion: Absolutely nothing (NOTHING) we do can allow us to reach God. We are forever separated from Him by our sin, no matter how big or how small (ie: murder or a white lie). 

What to do? Someone has to pay our penalty, someone has to be punished. In every temple and mosque I have visited, the people are frantically scrambling to do all they can to not have to pay that penalty (prayers, offerings of food, money, gifts, good deeds). It breaks my heart to see the futility of their works. 

Jesus is different. While we were still sinners, he came to earth in humility, as a man, and died for us (FOR US!). He took on the penalty, he paid the price, so we don't have to (Rom 5:8). We are free from obligation to do all of those "good works," and we do them instead out of a response for what God has done in us. 

Making offerings at the Hindu temple

Offerings at the Muslim mosque

Temple for Sikhs

I'll just close with a verse from my beloved book of truth:

Romans 10:9-10, and 13 
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved ... For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

All religions are the same, but Jesus is different.