Most faiths believe that there is one God that created the entire universe – seen and unseen.
Hold on to that thought for a moment. Because, when it comes to most things, there are precious few on which most of us can agree. But here it is: Billions of inhabitants on this planet, at this time, believe there is one God and that He created everything. To reduce it even more generically, we agree that there is a single source point of spirit, energy and will that is singularly responsible for creation. You may call your God by a different name, but there is still only one, regardless of how many names He/She is called. That is the reality. After that it starts to go in all sorts of directions – depending on your ancestral /cultural faith. And so the saying: One God but many faiths.
We would then have to agree that this one God is also quite infinite. Infinitely existing, infinitely powerful, infinitely wise, infinitely present, infinitely loving, and so on. You get it- right? Omni-everything. On our own little planet we then see quite clearly that this limitless God is also infinitely diverse, responsible for literally millions of different forms of life – past and present. (There are 20,000 different species of butterflies alone!) God is obviously all in favor of diversity – diversity to the point of borderline chaos to any other mind but His.
If one way God is presented to us is via the infinite variety of life on this planet, and we indeed are created in the image of The God ‘of Diversity’, why is it so difficult for us (in all the diversification that we are) to accept that we are all His divine creations, every single one of us, none better or worse than the other when created? Our diversity is in fact what makes us so special to God. Yet we use it at times as a tool to divide and separate us from each other and ultimately from the One that created us…
So where am I going here? You tell me. I would normally try to wrap this up in something that I had recently learned or saw or read or heard…but what would that teach me? So if you are so inclined, finish the thought in your own head. Or if even further inclined share it with the rest of us: What makes us humans regularly ignore our common heritage as God’s beloved children and think that promise is just for some special ‘us’? (Whatever your particular ‘us’ may be.)
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Though I had little time to ponder the question, some very specific thoughts came to mind….if you will indulge me…..in John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Jesus states clearly He is the ONLY way to heaven or to the Father and In John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. This shows a unique relationship. We as Christians believe in one God in three distinct functions, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: The us is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Now to get to the other gods? Man worships many gods, a god can be another person a place a thing drugs, alcohol, sex a house a car you get my point. You see man was given power to control the earth till he fell….deceived by the devil, who wanted to be in charge. See Isa 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
Isa 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
Isa 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
He wants to be worshiped….and God is so loving and just that He gave the reins to satan, so as to allow him to rule his own kingdom for a time, after the fall of man…satan IS the god of this world 2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
Job 1:7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
What am I saying? Although people claim to say they believe in god it is NOT necessarily the one and ONLY true GOD.
So to wrap up my comment the God of the bible the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is NOT allah, He is not budda, He is not the 10,000 gods of the hindus and He is not the God called by any other name.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
John 1:4 in him was life; and the life was the light of men.
God is also so loving that He allows us to worship other gods. I’m reminded of a commercial many years ago about a car oil filter that say you can pay me now or pay me later…..either way you will pay. Therefore I leave you with these scriptures
Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
To him who is in doubt may God Bless you and draw you to Him.