Whenever any other religion besides Christianity approaches the issue of salvation, redemption, etc., the focus is ultimately on man.  While a supernatural figure or entity may enter into the picture, the responsibility of attaining perfection rests on man’s shoulders.  Christianity alone proclaims man to be incapable of achieving salvation on his own power.  The only way perfection can be attained is through someone who is perfect.  The Bible repeatedly states that mankind is fallen and sinful — by default, imperfect.  However, God sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to redeem mankind.  Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross, and rose again three days later.  His death served as payment for the sins of humanity.  By confessing Jesus’ lordship and believing that He was raised from the dead, one may be saved.

The message of the Gospel truly is simple — confess and believe, and you shall be saved.  When a Christian understands the Gospel’s terms of salvation and recognizes the underlying assumption that all other religions hold, he can more confidently defend his faith.  Gaining a greater understanding of specific religions would certainly help in finding common ground when addressing non-believers — the apostle Paul provided an excellent example of this when he addressed the Greek Areopagus (Acts 17:16-34).  Even so, understanding that all other religions believe that man is basically good and capable of saving himself is a tremendous advantage.  How so?

If man is basically good, then it should be easily observed.  However, we see exactly the opposite.  Looking around on the news at all the crimes, violence, political corruption, and numerous other examples of immoral behavior should provide a clear picture of the state of mankind.  Some would argue that man only appears to be flawed because of society’s influence.  The problem is, people make up society.  How could society be the reason people are flawed, when society is made up of people?  If one truly considers the state of the world, it is readily evident that something is wrong; not just wrong on the surface, but inherently wrong.

Once we understand the true condition of man’s nature, we are better able to relate to any belief system we encounter.  Because other religions will teach — in some form or another — that man is basically good and can save himself, our response would be to point out the impossibility of this claim.  If man is basically good, then why does he continue to do bad things?

In order to stand before a holy God, man’s sinfulness must be fully atoned for.  Even so, the One who created mankind is eternally faithful, steadfast in His love, perfectly just and righteous, yet abounding in grace and mercy.  By accepting His gift of grace, there is no longer any need to seek salvation on one’s own might.  No one can satisfy the price for their sins — it’s too steep.  That’s what Jesus did on the cross 2,000 years ago. His death and resurrection are sufficient.  There need be nothing else.

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

One of the fundamental aspects of Taoism is its exploration of the existence and nature of the Tao.  The Tao is shrouded in mystery, so there is no specific way to define it.  In essence, it is a force that underlies all existence. It is believed that by becoming more in tune with the Tao, we can reach harmony with the universe.  This should be done via the principle of wu-wei.  Wu-wei advocates doing something because it is a natural action, as opposed to doing something that goes against the natural purpose of something or someone else.  Stated simply, wu-wei is performing an action because it comes naturally.  By aligning ourselves with the Tao through this “purposeful inaction” of wu-wei, Lao Tzu taught that the Tao would be able to work through us to achieve harmony.

Taoism holds that the Tao is divided into two parts — the Yin and the Yang — that are constantly opposed to yet interact with one another.  For example, where the Yin side represents dark, cold, and good, the Yang side represents light, hot, and evil.  This idea is represented by a circle with two halves, one white and one black, curling into each other.  While the opposite sides are opposed to each other, together they create balance and harmony.  Everything is believed to have a Te, or inner connection with the Tao.  Because the Te for one person, animal, object, etc. may be different from that of another, the characteristics present in one Te should not be imposed on that of another.  Doing so will cause the oppressed to resist, thus disrupting the harmony of the Tao.  According to Taoism, people should respect the different Te that others possess and abstain from imposing their own viewpoints on others.

Taoism teaches that while there is a degree of chaos and disorder in the world, this chaos can be remedied by aligning oneself with the Tao.  As one is aligned more with the nature of the Tao, he achieves peace and harmony in himself and helps bring order to society.  However, because good and evil are not only coexistent, but also considered mutually dependent, this harmony is achieved with no regard for moral absolutes.  After all, if the Te of each person is different, what if the natural flow of the universe would require someone to perform horrendous atrocities, all in the name of maintaining the balance of the Tao?  Since it is considered more worthy for balance and harmony to be achieved through the Tao, this is a necessary price that must be paid.

Taoism provides no standard for moral absolutes, and therefore no way of knowing justice.  The Tao is supreme, and allowing it to produce balance and harmony is considered the highest order.  However, approaching reality with such a relative attitude  towards moral standards is extremely dangerous.  If people are supposed to follow their Te in order to achieve harmony with the Tao, then we need to understand what the true nature of man is.  Regardless of whether man should pursue harmony with the Tao or not, his natural character is going to come out.  One can look at the world as a whole to see what happens when man follows his natural character.  It’s not pretty.  A look at the newspaper or news channel provides clear evidence that we live in a fallen world.  Taoism would argue that the deterioration we see in society is a result of falling out of harmony with the Tao.  The irony is that by telling people to follow their natural character, Taoism is encouraging the perpetration of brokenness and pain.  It fails to take into account man’s nature: fallen, helpless, and incapable of achieving perfection on his own (Romans 3:10-18).

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith….” (Romans 3:23-25)

God’s Word tells us what man’s true character is.  Man is sinful, and he has fallen short of God’s glory. He has no way of being justified on his own.  Even so, God sent his Son, Jesus, to pay the price for man’s sinfulness and rebellion towards Him.  The payment of Christ’s blood is sufficient for man’s sinfulness and satisfies God’s justice. Christ gave his life as a gift of grace, to be received through faith in Him.  As a result, no one can claim that through his own works he is justified in God’s sight (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Seeking to bring harmony to the universe by looking within oneself will only further the depravation in the world around him.  The only way man can be rescued from the vicious consequence of sin and death is to look beyond himself, placing his faith in Christ.

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

While the history of the Jewish people reaches much farther back in time, the term “Judaism” will be used to refer to the system of beliefs that developed in Jewish culture between 200 BC and 70 AD.  From 200 BC on, new traditions and ways of life developed that moved Judaism further from the religion of ancient Israel.  One of the primary developments was the impact of the office of the rabbi — a Jewish leader who holds religious authority.  After the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, rabbis became the authorities for establishing religious traditions and laws.  As a result, Judaism is heavily influenced by the teachings and insights of these leaders.

While much of Judaism was heavily influenced by the teachings of the early rabbis, the religion has since divided into three major groups — Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative.  Orthodox Judaism places a heavy emphasis on tradition and strict adherence to the Law of Moses, as interpreted by the rabbis.  When the Enlightenment swept across Europe during the eighteenth century, many Jews felt the best way to preserve their identity was to pursue modernization.  The denomination of the faith that this movement gave rise to was eventually termed Reform Judaism.  Because of its emphasis on innovation and modernization, this branch is more liberal than the other two.  Finally, Conservative Judaism takes a more middle-ground approach.  While not as strict as Orthodox, Conservative Judaism does have some liberal elements as well.

Regardless of the denomination, Judaism maintains the basic premise that man is naturally good.  As a result, man is supposedly able to earn his salvation.  Whether that be ultimately realized in the legacy a person leaves (Reform and Conservative) or in a future physical resurrection (Orthodox), man is believed to be capable of achieving it on his own.  However, man isn’t in that kind of situation.  Romans 3:23 says that “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”.  Psalm 14:2-3 provides an Old Testament reference, as well:

“The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.  They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.”

When addressing the Jewish religious leaders on one occasion, Jesus put it a bit more bluntly:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.  So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” – Matthew 23: 27-28

While Jesus was addressing the hypocrisy of these leaders, the diagnosis of the human condition is the same.  Despite any attempts at attaining righteousness on his own, man’s efforts to earn salvation are like whitewashing a tomb.  People may appear to be good by the things they do and the ways they live, but their hearts are “desperately sick” (Jeremiah 17:9).

When God led the Israelites out of Egypt, He made a covenant with them.  That covenant required them to observe numerous laws and regulations.  However, many years after the Israelites had taken possession of the Promised Land, the nation that had been so magnificent under David and Solomon’s reign split in two.  Eventually, both Israel and Judah would turn away from the Lord, be invaded by a foreign nation, and taken into captivity.  Despite their unabashed apostasy, God promised the establishment of a new covenant:

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord.  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.  And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord.  For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Jeremiah 31:31-34

The new covenant that God promised was ultimately realized in His Son, Jesus. When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the price for every sin committed by every human being.  Whereas the sacrifice of animals was required to sanctify a person under the old covenant, Jesus’ death freed us from sin and is able to “…purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”  (Hebrews 9:13-14)

“Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”
Hebrews 9:15

Judaism proclaims that good works are required for salvation to be obtained.  However, the covenant that God has made with mankind through Christ leaves no room for us to obtain salvation on our own.  It is only by His grace and mercy that we can ever receive eternal life.  (Titus 3:5-7) Because of his sinful nature, man maintains the belief that he can better himself on his own power.  While the “word of the cross” (1 Corinthians 1:18) may seem foolish to many, it is the only hope that mankind has for eternal redemption.

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

The term “Islam” means “submission”.  Consequently, a follower of Islam is known as a “Muslim”, or “one who submits (to the will of Allah)”.  In order to please Allah and gain entrance to paradise, Muslims must have their good works outweigh their bad works here on earth.  Though their entrance to paradise is determined by Allah alone, Muslims may make progress toward this goal by following the “Five Pillars” of Islam.  The Five Pillars are: 1) reciting the Shahadah (There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet), 2) praying five times a day, 3) giving alms, 4) regular fasting, and 5) if financially and physically able, making a pilgrimage to Mecca.  Additionally, Muslims hold the Quran to be the sacred word of Allah.  Certain other scriptures are accepted as well, but only the Quran is believed to have endured uncorrupted.

Because Muslims must perform good works in order to gain entrance into paradise, Islam is yet another religion that relies on the belief that man is basically good.   After all, if man were able to save himself by his own deeds, he must be perfectible by his own power.  As a result, if performing good works and following the Five Pillars are what make one good enough to gain entrance to paradise, man must be intrinsically good.  However, who determines what is “good enough”?  According to Islam, only Allah knows for sure.  One might spend their entire life as a devout Muslim, but still not perform enough good deeds to satisfy Allah.  While it might be satisfying to attempt to achieve salvation, what if all of one’s good deeds still weren’t good enough?

God understands our nature better than we do.  He realizes that we are sinful, lost, and totally incapable of performing enough – indeed, any – good deeds on our own power.  In essence, left to ourselves, we’re hopeless. However, in His infinite and unfathomable grace, God sent His only Son, Jesus, to live a perfect life on earth and to die for our sins.  His death paid the price for our sins – in full.  Consequently, if we accept His gift of grace, God accepts Christ’s death as payment for our sins.  Because it must rely on someone’s own deeds, Islam can only hope to cover over one’s sins with good works – much like covering an ink blot with white-out.  You might not be able to see it, but the blot’s still there.  It hasn’t been taken away. The question isn’t how many good deeds one must perform.  The problem lies in what must be done about the bad deeds. If the bad deeds can be taken away, the situation is resolved.  Islam can only hope to use enough good deeds to cover the bad ones.  Christ’s blood is sufficient to pay for every one.

While many may not consider Secularism to be a religion, it nonetheless holds a number of basic beliefs.  Fundamentally, Secularism denies the existence of God and seeks to provide an explanation for life apart from His sovereign rule.  As a result, it strives to explain reality only by the use of science and natural laws.  The belief that God doesn’t exist produces a number of additional consequences as well.  Without God, there is no standard of morality, no purpose or meaning to existence, and no afterlife.  Secularism holds that we only exist for the here and now, with no hope for an eternal future.  Therefore, any form of “salvation” is simply what one makes of life.  If there is no life after death, then the best thing one could do is to live their life to the point of maximum enjoyment.  Apart from any purpose or solid moral foundation, all of life becomes relative.

Needless to say, Secularism and Biblical Christianity are entirely at odds.  Secularism places its foundation solely on scientific reasoning, while Biblical Christianity is grounded on God’s Word.  Many would claim that because Secularism is supposedly able to explain reality by only natural means, Christianity’s acceptance of the Bible makes it entirely irrelevant.  However, they neglect to understand that true Biblical Christianity doesn’t discount scientific reasoning or natural laws.  In fact, those things would be unable to exist apart from a sovereign creator God.  If there was no omnipotent Creator over the universe, how could order be brought to chaos?  What about the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states that the amount of disorder within a system can’t decrease, but can only increase?  Biblical Christianity doesn’t discount scientific reasoning.  Rather, it makes it possible!  Additionally, claims of moral relativism are completely illogical, as they contradict themselves.  If I say that all truth is a matter of opinion, is my statement true?  Secularism attempts to explain reality apart from God, but, upon serious consideration and honest analysis, it is entirely unable to provide a reasonable explanation.

If you’d like to explore the evidence for the reliability of the Bible, check out the “Apologetics” tab in the category menu to the left.  There’s also a series of posts addressing evolution in this section as well.

The central focus of Buddhism is the denial of desire.  According to the Buddha’s reasoning, desire is the root of all suffering.  The reason we experience pain is because we desire things.  Therefore, if we are able to end desire, we can also eliminate suffering from of our lives.  When we reach the point that desire no longer has a hold on us, we become enlightened and enter a state called “nirvana”.  While there are different variations of Buddhism that outline different doctrines, the goal of attaining nirvana is the same.  According to Buddha, salvation (nirvana) can be attained by following a list of teachings known as “The Four Noble Truths”, as well as “The Eightfold Path”, a list of characteristics and disciplines one should develop in their life.

Although some of the principles taught by Buddha are worthy goals to live by (doing good deeds, living a morally upright life), they fall short of satisfying the true need of every human being: freedom from sin.  Seeking to be free from desire in order to eliminate suffering is an impossible task.  After all, if one decides to eliminate desire in order to get rid of pain, aren’t they desiring to do that?  Pain is an inevitable part of life in a fallen world.  There is simply no way to dodge the presence of pain.  Suffering will still be present, regardless of how much one seeks to put an end to desire.

Buddhism’s teaching of becoming free from desire is inadequate because its focus is fundamentally flawed.  Pain is present only because the world itself (and consequently humanity) is broken.  Instead of focusing on a consequence of this brokenness, we need to look to its origin.  Pain and suffering are present because man rebelled against a holy God.  (Genesis 3) However, redemption is found in the death of Jesus Christ.  (Romans 3:21-24) By understanding that we are hopelessly lost and unable in any way to save ourselves (John 14:6), our eyes are opened to the truth of the Gospel, where true, eternal freedom from pain and suffering will certainly be found.

Many people today would claim that all religions are basically the same; that while they have their differences, all will eventually lead to the same place.  These folks would likely consider one’s religion to be of no more consequence than their favorite soda or sports team.  In the secularized society we live in today, religion has been downgraded significantly.  Instead of holding a place of reverence and awe, religion has been relegated to a point of mere preference.  As a result of this attitude, many people have fallen out of touch with the numerous differences in doctrine that various religions hold.

In the next few posts, we’re going to take a look at several religions.  Contrary to the view of many, we will see that there are in fact significant differences among these different belief systems — whether it be in the belief in an afterlife, the terms of salvation, the nature of God, the nature of man, etc.  Once we’ve briefly explored many of their basic doctrines, we will contrast them with Biblical Christianity.  As we delve into the foundational beliefs of these religions and uncover their bedrock assumptions, pay close attention to how they specifically clash with Christianity.  Once we’ve finished the series, we’ll take a closer look at the common thread that runs through every religion contrary to a Biblical Christian worldview.

With that said, there’s one last thing I want to point out.  In light of 1 Peter 3:15 — where we are called to give a reason for the hope within us — it can seem extremely daunting to believe that we would have to study every single belief system in order to understand how to defend our faith against it.  However, as we will see at the end of this series, there is a much more “efficient” way to address the beliefs we come into contact with. Even so, this still doesn’t give us the freedom to take a “Cliff’s Notes” summary approach — we need to be willing to dig deep into understanding other belief systems.  We need to be willing to do the research on Islam so that when we meet a Muslim, we can better relate to his position.  Paul did this with the Athenians in Acts 17. Through prior research and understanding of the culture he was in, Paul was able to effectively speak to the people in the Areopagus.  We too need to be ready to address those in our culture.  Over the next few weeks, we’ll take a closer look at just how we can do that.

It doesn’t take long to realize that the content of what Hollywood, record labels, and even publishers are producing doesn’t exactly line up to Biblical standards. Consequently, it shouldn’t be surprising that many Christians are advocating that we stay away from such industries altogether. If followers of Christ are supposed to be in the world but not of it (Romans 12:2), then how should we approach the situation?

The answer that is often offered to this situation is partially complete, but doesn’t address it entirely. True, Christians are supposed to be set apart from the world and its sinfulness. That’s an uncompromisable fact. However, what about the call to be salt and light? (Matthew 5:13-16). Instead of allowing the culture to degrade and rot away, we should be willing to jump in and make a difference. Living as a Christian doesn’t require isolation from the world. Rather, it calls for a different approach.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Philippians 4:8 (ESV)

Although the content of the art, literature, music, movies, etc. that our culture produces is oftentimes unbiblical, there are certainly glimmers of light. Maybe it’s a movie that communicates a Christian worldview through the way it portrays honor or commitment to family. Maybe it’s a song that supports the sanctity of marriage without stooping to lewd language. Maybe it’s a piece of art that uses an abstract medium to express a Biblical truth. When observing the culture, we need to view and analyze it through Philippians 4:8. By doing so, we will be able to see the true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy aspects of the things it produces.

Even so, just identifying things that correspond to a Philippians 4:8 view won’t fit the bill. If we are to be salt and light, we need to be willing to engage the culture as well. How so? Christians can certainly fulfill this mandate by serving in artistic industries and communicating a Biblical worldview, but not all of us are called to make movies or write novels. For those of us who aren’t on the front lines, we need to do our part in supporting those who are. By seeking out and supporting content that meets the criteria of Philippians 4:8, Christians can take steps toward furthering a Biblical worldview in the culture.

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Philippians 2:5-11

This passage in Philippians is one of my favorite Scriptures. Known as the “Great Kenosis” by Biblical scholars, it is considered by some to be an early Church hymn that Paul incorporated in his letter. The essence of Christ’s life on earth is beautifully portrayed in these seven verses, culminating in an explosion of worship. Although the passage is moving in itself, a greater understanding of its vocabulary yields an even deeper meaning.

In the King James Version, verse 7 states that Jesus “made Himself of no reputation”. The Greek word for “reputation” in this context (κενόω kenóō), from which we get the hymn title, means “to make empty; to abase”. Think about that for a moment. When Jesus came to earth and was “born in the likeness of men”, He was leaving a heavenly throne where He was constantly adored and worshiped by angels. Instead, He gave that up to take on the form of a human being, exchanging His glorious heavenly countenance for a humble, earthly form. Such absolute willingness to humble oneself stands in stark contrast to our selfish, sinful nature. And yet, for those who have given their lives to Christ, it is the path He has called us to walk.

Take a little time to consider just how much Jesus had to give up — how much He had to “empty Himself” in order to come to earth. He didn’t come with a grand entrance; He came to bring glory to His Father. He didn’t come to exalt Himself; He came to show us perfect humility. He didn’t come to live; He came to die. How willing are we to become more like our Savior? If we truly want to have our lives molded into His image, we have to be ready to be made empty.

As Dietrich Bonhoeffer pointedly stated, “When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.” Jesus came to earth to die as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. Why would anything less than this be expected of those who follow Him? Obviously, we can’t die for the sins of others, and it may not be God’s will for us to die for the gospel. However, we will certainly be called to die a spiritual death (Galatians 2:20). Day by day He calls us to die to our sinful nature, that we may increasingly become more like Him. It’s a slow process, and it is oftentimes painful, but the joy of serving the Lord far outweighs the cost.

This Christmas, take a moment to consider how much Christ gave up to bring us life. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords became a humble carpenter, born to a peasant girl. His life would bring hope and salvation to all mankind, but it had to pass through a horrific trial: the cross. By totally emptying Himself for our salvation, Christ made a way for us to spend eternity with Him. Through His sacrifice, we can truly experience abundant life (John 10:10).What greater proof of love do we need?

“but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

“King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.” – Daniel 3:1

There it stood: an imposing golden figure that towered about 90 feet toward the sky. At the sound of an array of instruments, all the people of Babylon were to fall down and worship this mammoth idol — or be executed. (Daniel 3:6) Undoubtedly, most people obeyed Nebuchadnezzar’s command to prostrate themselves before the “image of gold”. However, there were three young Judean noblemen who refused to obey the king’s command. They answered to a higher King, whose authority superseded that of any earthly ruler. As a result of their obedience, they were condemned to death — by fire. When Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, he gave them a second chance to worship his idol. They refused:

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” – Daniel 3:16-18

Nebuchadnezzar obviously didn’t like this response. In fact, he ordered the furnace used for execution to be heated seven times hotter than usual — so hot that it killed the men who threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego inside. However, the fire didn’t even touch the three captives. Miraculously, God allowed them to walk out of the furnace entirely unscathed — they didn’t even smell like smoke! Nebuchadnezzar, absolutely shocked by this entirely unexpected turn of events, turned to worship not his image, but the God of the three young men who had defied his unholy command.

Several years after Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s experience in the fiery furnace, the reigning powers had shifted from the Babylonians to the Persians. Darius the Mede was governor over the kingdom in the empire that included Babylon (Daniel 5:31). Highly impressed with Daniel’s service, Darius planned to set him over the entire kingdom. However, the other government leaders enviously conspired against Daniel, concocting a plan that ultimately had him thrown in a den of lions. His crime: faithfully praying to God, choosing to honor Him over the decrees of men. The morning after Daniel was seemingly cast to his death, Darius rushed to the den to see if God had saved Daniel. Indeed, He had, and Daniel was lifted out. In his place, the wicked conspirators were thrown in instead. (Daniel 6:1-24)

Although their stories are different, there is a consistent thread in the accounts of these four men. Instead of stooping to obey an earthly authority when it conflicted with the Word of God, the Faithful Four chose to honor their heavenly Lord. In numerous other occasions, they undoubtedly submitted to the leadership that was placed over them. However, when that same leadership challenged the King of Kings, they refused to budge. In choosing obedience to God rather than man, they didn’t know what the outcome would be. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego very well may have been burned to death, and Daniel very well could have been eaten alive. God would still have been sovereign. Even so, they decided to put their trust in Him, knowing full well that although He could most certainly save them, they would willingly die in obedience rather than renounce Him.

The Faithful Four all underwent a “Trial by Fire”. While they may have experienced persecution to some degree throughout their service in Babylon, it was these two specific tests that decisively proved their faithfulness to the Lord. Faced with obedience to man or death, they willingly chose to remain faithful to God. In our current day and age, we don’t necessarily face persecution of this sort. In some areas of the world, yes, but your average American Christian isn’t likely to be threatened for their faith. However, we do face trials of other sorts — physical ailments, painful relationships, spiritual disciplining, etc. Sometimes the Lord allows us to undergo tests that measure our maturity. Other times, He allows us to undergo more serious trials, many of which could be our personal equivalent of a “Trial by Fire”. It is during these trials that more than mere maturing takes place. In a “Trial by Fire”, a Christian’s faith is put under intense testing. However, the goal of these tests is not so much maturation as it is purification. When a Christian comes through a “Trial by Fire”, they emerge with a deeper understanding of who God is, as their relationship with Him has been refined of crucial blemishes that had stood in its way.

Many would shun the opportunity to have their faith tested. From first glance, understandably so! What needs to be understood, though, is that the rewards that come from “Trial by Fire” — a deeper relationship with the Lord, spiritual (or natural) promotion, increased contentment in God — are obtained only through such an intense refining process. Although it may not seem like it, a “Trial by Fire” is in fact a blessing from the Lord. That we would be selected to undergo such refinement for His glory is truly an honor! Just as He required of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, God ultimately requires one thing from us: unwavering faithfulness to Him.

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”