Many people claim, whether ignorantly or not, that all religions are the same. They profess that Christianity, Islam, Judaism, et al teach the basic general tenets: love your neighbor, do good, don’t do anything you wouldn’t want done to you etc.

This erroneous claim fails to understand the true teachings of each religion (which I encourage you to research). All religions are not the same. In fact, at their foundation, they are drastically different. If we took a five-minute look at each religion’s doctrine, the claim that they’re all the same becomes quite laughable.

And yet, most religions do have the same fundamental premise: do good and maybe—just maybe—God will love you. Be good and perhaps—just perhaps!—God will show grace to you. Except Christianity is the only religion that teaches the exact opposite.

The Christian distinction is this: we do not work for salvation; we work from salvation.

That sentence by itself makes Christianity utterly unique; the Christian religion has separated itself from every other world religion. Christians do not do good works in order to obtain grace from God—that by itself negates the point of grace! Believers in Christ do good works because He has previously lavished us with saving grace!

This is not a popular message, as people want to be able to contribute. We want to do good works in order to appease God, but God can only appease himself (hence, the cross)! We have nothing inside us that we can offer that will cause God to show us grace. Salvation is a total, sovereign act of grace.

No other religion, sect, or cult teaches that. Whatever religion you’re researching or pondering, it will always have the similar end goal: do something in order to receive something.

In the Christian faith, the only thing you must do is collapse on the Lord Jesus Christ. Throw your whole sinful self upon him, for he will surely hold you up! No working. No striving. No second-guessing. Only full-hearted embrace from the Son of God who purchased you on the cross. Jesus tells us we must repent of our sins and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15), but both of those are gifts from him (2 Tim. 2:25). Even the instruments you use to grab ahold of salvation are gifts from God—so you cannot boast!

No, friends, all religions aren’t the same. An eternal chasm stands between all of them. There is a Christian distinction . . . and it’s a beautiful one.