False prophets do not lead their people to Christ, because they do not believe in Him. They believe in themselves, but are found wanting of any righteousness of God. They are condemned already because they rejected the only way into the Father’s pleasure, which is through Christ alone (see John 14:6). To sum it up, they need Christ for their own salvation as much as we need Him for ours.

In a post I wrote several years ago called Ten Reasons Christianity is Superior to Other Religions, I noted that Christianity was superior because the leaders of other religions needed Christ for their salvation as well. Understanding this truth helps us dispel the notion that, somehow, leaders of other religions have found favor with the God who is, and therefore should be held on a reverent level.

For instance, the Dali Lama came to Dallas a few years back and I was surprised at the number of Christians who went to see him. Members of my family stood in line so they could listen to this supposedly spiritual guru give his wisdom about life. These people ended up pouring out praise and adoration on the man; they assumed that since he is the leader of another religion, he must be holy and must have found favor with God.

Part of their deception in revering this man, is the fact that they do not hold God’s holy word with enough reverence. In their hearts, they exalt what the Dali Lama says over and above what the word of God says. This leads to the false belief that all religions are equal and offer different roads to the same ending.

Yet, as Christians, we cannot fall into the trap of thinking such foolishness. Just given what the word of God says about the fallen nature of man shows that none of these leaders, be they the Dali Lama, Mohammed the Prophet of Islam, Mary Baker Patterson Eddy, Joseph Smith, Buddha, or any other false teacher, will measure up when Judgment Day comes and they stand before Him.

The standard for acceptance is absolute perfection according to the Law. We see this in Christ’s encounter with the rich, young ruler:

Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one isgood but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Jesus, as the Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity, the One who has the pleasure of the Father (Matthew 17:5), is asked about eternal life, and what is required. He is showing the standard that is required for all men, “keep the commandments.” This is the response to those who seek to earn their own salvation, as this man does. This is at the heart of every religion, no matter how pagan it is: keeping a standard of righteousness for acceptance to a god, or some esoteric force (like the eastern religions), in order to obtain some future eternal bliss.

What sets Christianity apart from all of the other religions is that no one can keep the standard of righteousness that is required for eternal life, except Jesus Christ. He is the only One to do so. This is implied in His statement to the rich, young ruler: “No one is good but One, that is, God.” As for Christ being a part of that One, He declares as much in John 10:30 “I and My Father are one.” He is included in the only one that is “good.” That goodness is only achieved in relationship to the Law of God, otherwise known as the Ten Commandments, and one’s keeping of those Ten Commandments.

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