Why would God be so restrictive?

Three days ago I had a conversation with a customer about freedom and rights and how we are slowly losing both in America. It took an odd turn and he began to talk about the financial benefits of vice – as in, vice is what has made America prosperous. He ended the conversation (he left to go off to work) with this, “If it weren’t for vice there would be no need for religion.” I thought, “What an odd view. I need to take this up again next time he comes in.”

He came in this morning. And I did. I reminded him of his parting comment and said, “I won’t speak about ‘religion’ but Christianity is not about governing vice, it is about knowing God.”

He immediately replied, “You’re being rather narrow and restrictive.” I admit, I thought he was commenting on my definition of a Christian (someone who knows God) and I answered, “Intentionally so.” Ah, but he was talking about religion. Clearly, he had thought a lot about this and began to throw a lot of “religion has done lots of bad things” at me. I’m pretty sure he has done this before and is used to people being overwhelmed by this display, but I swept that aside. I was able to slowly direct him to the main issue, but time and an incredible amount of customers at that hour caused a halt. His main point was that all religions are talking about the same God, just using different names for Him. And to my objection to this he asked, “Why would God be so restrictive?”

Indeed, Why would God be so restrictive as to limit Himself to Christianity? This is an excellent question!

What is it about the Christian faith that makes it “better” than all other religions? Do we worship better? Pray better? Have better ‘rules’ than everyone else? If that were the case, then it would be just another religion and you could just pick the one that fits your culture best. But there is something absolutely unique about Christianity that sets it apart from everything else. What is it?

Jesus.

Which is where I was directing our conversation. How is Jesus different from Mohammed and Buddha? He was a man, they were men. He lived and died, they lived and died. What’s so different about him?

He is the Son of God. Not ‘a’ son of God, as in one of many, but ‘the Son’. The biblical term is, the only begotten Son. Christianity is unique among the faiths of the world because of Jesus.

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
Nothing can compare to what the Son reveals about God.

All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
No one knows the Father, except the Son. If you want to know God it has to be through His Son. When the Son speaks that’s final. This is exclusive.

Jesus.

He’s the difference. Jesus was born to a woman. All men are born to a woman. Nothing unique here. But Jesus was born of a virgin. That’s because he is the Son of God:
And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Jesus died. All men die. Nothing unique here either. But Jesus was raised from the dead. That’s because he is the Son of God:
And declared to be the Son of God with power . . . by the resurrection from the dead

Jesus is the X-factor in all this. God has spoken, He has revealed Himself in a rich, full and complete way in Jesus, His only begotten Son. Nothing else needs to be added to this, or can be.

We are not arguing religious rules, ceremonies, practices, culture. We're saying Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. That’s what makes what he says “better” than what anybody else, everybody else, says.

Why would God be so restrictive? He only has one Son! Jesus and Buddha are mutually exclusive. If Jesus is the Son of God, Buddha is wrong. If Buddha is right, Jesus is not the Son of God.

True Christianity is Jesus: born of a virgin, lived, died on the cross, rose from the dead. The only begotten Son of God, who came to restore us to God. In other words, All roads may lead to Rome, but not all religions lead to God. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

I don't know if I will get to go this far with this fellow, but this is where I want to take him and where I was leading him.

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, 

and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.