For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave
thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were
darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools… Romans 1:21-22
Satan has led many quasi-religious groups to unite around a mixture of
religious teachings and then brand honest Christian believers as bigots
for clinging to salvation in Christ alone. An outgrowth of the postmodern era in
which we live is that many people no longer believe in absolute truth. A natural
extension of this lack of absolutes is the widely held view that there is good
in every religion and all roads lead to heaven. Individuals can then pick and
choose the elements they wish from whatever faith and mix them all together.
This is true syncretism. Chuck Colson refers to its impact on our faith as
“salad-bar Christianity!”
Satan is delighted when people believe and expound on his lies. He does not
want anyone to know the truth and come to a personal relationship with Jesus who
is the truth, the way and the life (John14:6). Jesus
is the only way.
One man reportedly traveled the world to find one name for God that would be
universal and bring all people together. Instantly the word love came to
his mind. He later wrote, “Give God the universal name of Love and we will
create a golden cord to tie together the truths of all the religions of the
world.” But love is not God’s name. It is His nature. And God expressed
it most fully when He sent His Son to die for our sins (John 3:16). Only
when we accept Christ’s sacrifice for us will we know the love of the one true
God that can bind people together.
A few years ago, an inter-faith group of 10,000 people met at the Vatican in
Rome. The group included the Pope, the Dalai Lama and Muslim Imam W. D.
Mohammed. An outspoken Hindu woman was quoted as saying, “It was refreshing to
note that the idea that all religions have universal truths, and are merely
different paths to the same goal was accepted as a given from the outset by all
delegates without a single dissenting voice.”
The same delegates also endorsed a general condemnation of “aggressive”
proselytizing. This is the prevailing thinking of our day and age. Satan will do
all he can to cause this thinking to even invade the church and individual
Christian thinking and action.
The end result of syncretism in free societies will be anti-conversion laws
and a prohibition of Christian witnessing. The euphemism for this law will
probably be called “religious freedom.”
RESPONSE: Today I will guard carefully against the deceptions of Satan
leading to syncretism.
PRAYER: Lord, help me to fix my eyes on You and Your Word today so that I
will not stumble.