Faithful Living: Do you know the only Transcultural God?

Sourced from Wikipedia and Pew Research Data: Below is a breakdown of world religions.

Christianity 31.1%, Islam 24.9%, Irreligion 15.6%, Hinduism 15.2%, Buddhism 6.6%, Folk Religions 5.6%, Other Religions 1%. Judaism comprises about 0.195% of the world’s population or about 15.2 million in Israel, the USA and elsewhere around the world.

Christianity: Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Christians believe that God sent his Son to earth to save humanity from the consequences of its sins.

Islam: The word “Islam” means “submission to the will of God.” Followers of Islam are called Muslims. Muslims are monotheistic and worship one, all-knowing God, who in Arabic is known as Allah. Followers of Islam aim to live a life of complete submission to Allah.

Irreligion: Irreligion is the neglect or active rejection of religion and, depending on the definition, a simple absence of religion. Irreligion takes many forms, ranging from the casual and unaware to full-fledged philosophies such as atheism and agnosticism, secular humanism and antitheism.

Hinduism: A Hindu views the entire universe as God's and everything in the universe as God. Hindus believe that each person is intrinsically divine and the purpose of life is to seek and realize the divinity within all of us. The Hindu belief is totally non-exclusive and accepts all other faiths and religious paths.

Buddhism: Buddhism is one of the world's largest religions and originated 2,500 years ago in India. Buddhists believe that the human life is one of suffering, and that meditation, spiritual and physical labor, and good behavior are the ways to achieve enlightenment, or nirvana.

Folk Religions: Folk or traditional religions are faiths closely associated with a particular group of people, ethnicity or tribe. They often have no formal creeds or sacred texts.

1% Group: Worldwide, there are an estimated 58 million members of other religions, accounting for nearly 1% of the global population. The “other religions” category is diverse and comprises groups not classified elsewhere. This category includes followers of religions that are not specifically measured in surveys and censuses in most countries: the Baha’i faith, Taoism, Jainism, Shintoism, Sikhism, Tenrikyo, Wicca, Zoroastrianism and many others. Because of the paucity of census and survey data, the Pew Forum has not estimated the size of individual religions within this category, though some estimates from other sources have been recorded.

What separates Christianity from the rest of the pack?

“In Christianity, the truth is essentially revealed in a Person, Jesus, full of grace and humility. All other religions God is impersonal, but in Christianity we meet God in Jesus. The truth is a Person who dies for us.” Excerpt from The Gospel Project.

Simply, the cornerstone of Christianity is the God-Man Jesus. God the Father had to send His only Son to earth to fix the mess humanity put itself in. Thus, bringing us back in right relationship, as it was from the beginning. God’s love. God’s plan.

Christ is the way, the truth and the life. No one gets to Heaven … or to put it another way, experience "perfect everlasting life" unless they open the door to Christ in their personal life.

Abraham is dead. Moses is dead. The Apostles are dead. The Prophet Muhammad is dead. The Buddha is dead. Laozi is dead. Mahavira, Parshvanatha, Rishabhanatha, and Arihant are all dead. Guru Nanak is dead. Nakayama Miki is dead. Zoroaster is dead. Martin Luther is dead. Thomas Hooker is dead. The Wesley brothers are dead. Gerald Gardner is dead. Mary Baker Eddy is dead. Joseph Smith is dead. Allan Kardec is dead. John Calvin is dead. Thomas Coke and Francis Asbury are dead. John Knox is dead. William Seymour is dead. Charles Taze Russell is dead. Victor Paul Wierwille is dead. Charles Fox Parham is dead. Albert Benjamin Simpson is dead … etc. But, dear friends, Jesus is alive! And, He created each one of the above and frankly, everything else.

God was right when He penned through Moses in Genesis 3:29, “You are dust and to dust you shall return.” Everyone who rose to become a significant figure in the major and minor religions, factions and movements of the world have died. Their bodies still lie in the dust. Waiting. All are waiting. Waiting for what? The Bible doesn’t mince words. In paraphrasing Hebrews 9:27, It’s appointed once for humankind to die and then the resurrection.

No person will get out of this world alive … save only their souls. Those breathing at the return of Christ and all those who have passed from this life that have both professed Jesus will in a moment be caught up with Jesus in the air … and ushered into Heaven. At the close of the age, all will face judgment. We will either stand before the Great White Throne Judgment (those without Christ) or the Judgment Seat of Christ (those with Christ).

God has always been loving, but He is also just and has given Messiah absolute power and authority to judge the living and the dead. It’s never been about religion. From the beginning, it has always been about a personal relationship.

Subscribe Now: For all the latest local developments, breaking news, and high school and college sports content.

Christ welcomed and loved everyone then, and the same is true today.

Jesus really lived on earth. He was brutally tortured and murdered for everyone’s sake; and His body was triumphantly and magnificently resurrected on the third day, thus defeating the final enemy — death forever. He yet remains, to intercede for all of us … as the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

This is the truth: Christ wants all of us to be with Him where He is. Draw close to Jesus and He will draw close to you. Trust Him with your life — past, present and future.

— Joe Wagley is a Realtor and broker in Lenawee County. He is the owner of The Wagley Group Real Estate Advisors in Adrian and Manitou Beach. He can be reached at 517-265-6000 or at Joe@TheWagleyGroup.com.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Joe Wagley: Do you know the only Transcultural God?