Question: What do the Bible, the Koran, and the book of Mormon have in common? Answer: They all claim to have been written by God. Well, that is fine, until one realizes that each book describes God completely differently than the others. So differently in fact, that each contradicts both the others. To make it even more confusing, Christians, Muslims, and Mormons all point to certain supernatural personal experiences as the reasons they believe their “holy book” is true, and why you should believe it too. And before on thinks those experiences are just the results of over-stimulated imaginations, they aren’t: at least not all of them. Many of them are quite valid. However, all they seem to prove is there are contradictory views of God attested to by some supernatural force. What’s up with that? God is not schizophrenic.
Not all that is supernatural is of God. God is not the only supernatural being Who can inspire a book to be written. Nor is He the only One Who can attest to its accuracy by supernatural experiences. So, should we give up on ever finding an answer? No. There is a way to know for sure which is true, and which is false.
What is something only God can do? Obviously, create the world. If through one of the religions a whole new world appeared, that would be proof that religion was from God. Such evidence is not forthcoming however. So is there anything else that only God can do? God is the only One Who can pronounce final judgment and make it stick. He is, by definition, the One Who has the last word. If it were discovered that someone besides Him had the final say in judging sin, that person would be considered God. Therefore, if we were to find someone throughout history who consistently had the last word, who pronounced final judgment on people and things and then made it stick, we will have found God.
Is there evidence that the god of Islam ever did that? No. There are no long-term promises in the Koran anyone can show ever happened. How about the god of the Book of Mormon? Once again, no. The only long-term promises in it were plagiarized from the Bible. Only the God of the Bible has shown that He has the final say in judging sin.
Jesus Christ pronounced permanent judgment on the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, because they wouldn't repent of their sins (Matthew 11:21-24). A fourth city nearby, Tiberius, received no such promise. All four were damaged in an earthquake around A.D. 400. Tiberius was rebuilt and still exists today. The others were not, and exist only as ruins. The Bible promised permanent
destruction on the two ancient cities of Babylon and Nineveh because of their violence and pride (Nahum 3:19, Zephaniah 2:13, Isaiah 13:19-22). They were destroyed and to this day remain uninhabited. The Bible promised judgment for sin on the ancient city of Tyre. It said it would be scraped flat, thrown into the sea, and that fishermen would spread their nets to dry on the place where the city once stood. That all happened, and to this day fishermen still spread their nets to dry there. Conversely, the Bible promised that although Jerusalem and Damascus would be punished for their sins, both would still exist in the last days when Jesus Christ returned (Joel 3:20, Zechariah 12, Ezekiel 47:17-18). The Bible promised judgment on the ancient Philistine city of Ashkelon because of its sin. It promised that it’s civilization would disappear as a people, but that Ashkelon, although destroyed, would be rebuilt and continue through the centuries. It promised even who would be living in the city in the last days (Zephaniah 2:5-7). Note: The Philistines have long since disappeared, and that people-group God promised occupied Ashkelon about 50 years ago. The Author of the Bible is God. It says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God…” (II Timothy 3:16).
For further evidence along this line, read Evidence That Demands a Verdict, by Josh McDowell.
What does the Bible say about my final fate?
Jesus Christ said: “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5).
Most people in America believe that because they keep the Ten Commandments as well as the next guy, they will probably go to heaven. The problem is that the next guy is not going to make it either. The Bible says, “Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them” (Galatians 3:10b). Jesus said, “That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). The Bible says the final fate of all sinners is hell. “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened which was the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 21:12,13).
The Bible says that the only reason Jesus came to die for our sins was that we weren’t righteous enough to make it to God on our own. “…if there had been a few which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law” (Galatians 3:21). “…for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain” (Galatians 2:21). “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God…” (I Peter 3:18). Jesus literally took our sins on Himself, and died on the cross as a bloody sacrifice for them, so that we could be completely forgiven, and allowed into heaven freely. He did so because He loves us. He rose from the dead, and today is waiting in heaven to save anyone from sin, who will rely on Him alone for salvation.
The Bible says, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). Take God at His promise. Call on Jesus, repent of your sins, and trust in Jesus alone for your salvation. The God of the Bible has proven that He keeps His promises. He will keep this one too.