“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” – Matthew 16:15-16 (NIV)
Who do you say Jesus is? What about God? Who is He?
God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” – Exodus 3:14 (NIV)
“The I Am” is another translation. In Hebrew, God’s name is “Yahweh.” Though, the Israelites rarely addressed Him as such because they feared misusing His name (see Ten Commandments.)
God’s name is Yahweh
Yahweh is not Buddha. Yahweh is not Brahman. Yahweh is not Allah* the Muslim god.
“LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below–you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.” – 1 Kings 8:23 (NIV)
They are not all the same God with a different name. That is a heretical teaching used by some to explain away the consequence of sin and rejection of God.
And there is salvation in and through no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by and in which we must be saved. – Acts 4:12 (AMP)
God does not accept imposters in lieu of Him
There are “churches” that claim that God accepts any religion as a means to Him. But that’s not what He’s said—ever.
If you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, if you serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land He has given you. – Joshua 23:16 (AMP)
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God is not satisfied with you ignoring Him your whole life because you refuse to accept the truth. He is not satisfied with you following and worshiping someone else. He created you. The only reason you exist is because of God. The only reason you have forgiveness of your sins is the sacrifice of His Son.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. – Deuteronomy 5:7,9-10 (NIV)
Jesus Christ is your only option.
“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice.
He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
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Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
There is no other way to interpret what the Bible says. The context and literary style of each book of the Bible is clear. When Jesus said,
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6 (NIV)
He meant it.
Edit:
* In a previous version of this article I made the claim that “Yahweh is not Allah.” I made this statement out of ignorance of Arabic and the meaning of the name “Allah.” Truth be told, Allah is the Arabic word for “God” or “god.” Arab Christians referred to God (Yahweh/Jehovah) as “Allah” before Islam had been founded—and continue to this day to refer to our God as Allah. Just like the early church wouldn’t have used the English word “God” to refer to God—the word hadn’t been conceived yet!
