You may remember seeing cans of grocery items in your local store during the 1970s and 80s which had plain white and black labels. They were marked simply “Peaches” or “Peanut Butter” or “Soup,” and below that was a statement that the item was “suitable for its usual use.” The idea was that brand names were unimportant. Any can of generic “peaches” was as good as any other… they were all the same.
Today, society is selling another generic… religion. I’m sure you’ve heard it said: “Well, isn’t it enough just to believe in God? Aren’t all religions the same, anyway?” Today, many people have a generic “God” suitable for the usual uses, Christmas and Easter, funerals, and weddings.
Even the name of their “God” is generic. A cab driver I once rode with said, “Did you ever notice that people who aren’t Christians call God ‘God’ but the ones who are, call Him ‘Lord?'” The world’s “religion” is aware that there is some kind of God out there, but doesn’t acknowledge him as Creator, King or Savior, nor do they surrender to His Lordship.
Jesus says specifically that a generic faith will not do, “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:17-18) And the Apostle Peter said it again, when he was arrested and brought in front of the high priests and scribes: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
Don’t buy into the generic. Salvation has a brand name, “Jesus Christ.” No substitute will do.
Source unknown – circulated by email
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