The One or the Many

Some surveys today proclaim that religion is either declining or close to extinction. My opinion is just the opposite. I believe that almost 100% of the people of this world have a religion in which they have placed their trust. Unfortunately, most of those have chosen a religion of their own making.

When the Apostle Paul went to Athens, he encountered numerous idols and statues to gods and goddesses including one that was to the Unknown god. The Athenians did not want to offend any god of whom they were unaware. If you read the seventeenth chapter of the book of Acts in the Bible, you will find that Paul taught them about the one true God, the God of creation, redemption, and the sustainer of all that is.

If Paul were to journey to our world today, he might sense the same confusion about God that existed among the Athenians two thousand years ago. Consider the many gods that people today have made objects of their worship.

For some, certain politicians have become their hope for a perfect world. They falsely believe that a person, like themselves, can bring peace and hope to a world filled with chaos and sin. One such person has even said that he has never needed to repent of sin because he has not sinned. Beware of calling someone your god when the truth does not appear in his life.

Others have chosen to bow down to those we classify as celebrities. The ability to draw a crowd for a performance does not mean that the words and advice that comes from the mouth of a celebrity should be heeded and followed as if it is truth. Like a politician, a celebrity says what will draw fans and supporters to him or her.

Some individuals choose to have an object as their god rather than an individual. Wealth, power, position, and even appearance are among those objects that many have chosen to follow regardless of the cost. Beware of that which is temporary and quickly destroyed.

So, in our day there are still as many, if not more, gods to chose from as there were in Paul's day. Have we remained so blinded to truth that we would choose the many over the One. The only true and lasting hope that we can claim is the hope that God has offered to us through Jesus Christ. Anyone or anything you choose over Him is nothing more than an idol or a false god.

Negotiations between nations, a thriving economy, a person with many followers, and promises without fulfillment will not change our world. Our world will only be changed when people recognize their need to put their faith in the One - the God who created us all.

We all tend to choose something or someone that becomes the focus of our religious worship. With so many options, don't be led to one of the many false gods with all the publicity they can generate. There is only One who is truly God, who created the heavens and the earth, who created man in His own image, and who offers us forgiveness and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. Why follow the many when you can choose to trust in the One?