Works-based, monotheistic religions (the belief in only one God) teach: I must do something to make myself good enough for God to accept me. Most of these religions teach that God is perfectly good. Now, if God is good and I, quite obviously, am not, how could I ever hope to make myself good enough to be with Him? Evil, as we all know, contaminates good. The two cannot co-exist without the evil eventually overtaking the good--hence the need for me to make myself good enough... except that this is impossible. I've already sinned, and since I don't have the power to reverse time and undo what I've already done, I'm pretty much doomed before I even start thinking about such things. Then, once I do start thinking about them, I still struggle with impurity. Even my thoughts would have to be completely holy at all times for me to measure up. --Whoops! There they go again! Now what? So, the result of all this is work, work, work--trying to please a god who will never accept me anyway--and die still wondering if I was good enough to tip the scale that has perfection on one end and me on the other.
Works-based, polytheistic religions (the belief in multiple gods) teach: I must do something to please the gods in order that they will bless me instead of curse me. This belief system exists almost entirely on fear. (Actually, so do the others, now that I think of it.) There is absolutely no eternal security. The most I can hope for is to please as many of the gods as possible and not tick off too many of them so I have a good life on earth. Then, if I am really, really good, I might actually become a god later to stalk around instilling fear in everyone left on earth. Of course, it's far more likely I will tick off a god or two (there being so many of them and none of them completely good nor very understanding), and I might be cursed to a miserable life on earth and maybe even be forced to come back as a flea or a slug. Another problem with this belief system is that it is appealing mainly because so many people follow it. Try to find some hard, factual evidence to support it.
Works-based, pantheistic religions (the belief that god is abstract and/or present in everything) teach: I must make myself as enlightened as possible, melding myself with the "god" or "goddess" in everything. Ah! If only we could all be gods someday! Hey, maybe we are already! --That is pretty much where this kind of belief system leads. Evil becomes very relative when no one god defines what "good" is. I could be a murdering child molester, but--hey!--if I'm a god, who's to say I'm doing anything wrong? And, if god is in everything, isn't god also in me? Of course, if you're a little more grounded, as most people are, there is the fear of what happens after you die. In this system there is little chance that your psyche--your spirit, what makes you "you"--continues to exist once you're gone. You either get reincarnated and forget everything--until some guru charms you into remembering bits and pieces as if it was some dream of long ago (how many Pocahontases could there have been, anyway?)--or, you join the mass consciousness of all the other spirits who have gone before you, becoming just a single, indistinguishable drop in the sea. Again, try to find some hard evidence for any this.
Other: I am likely leaving out several other sub-categories by this generalized approach. However, before dropping me a note to complain, do me the favor of thinking it through first. You may be surprised at how cleverly disguised some of these belief systems can be.
Why Christianity is Different:
You may recall that I said even Christianity can become a works-based religion. It certainly can; however, it is not designed as such. When Jesus died on the cross as a payment for our sin, He made a bridge for us to cross over into God's presence. By accepting this payment on our behalf, we take on Jesus's righteousness as our own. It was something God chose to do because we could never have paid that price. (Well, that's not true. We could pay that price, only the penalty is death and separation from God. Not exactly an option I want to take.) What do we have to do? Nothing. Only believe and accept His payment on our behalf. That is not something you do. It's something you become--a new creation, created originally by God and re-made by Him.
The Bible tells us: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:9 (NIV)
How are we saved? By grace.
What is required? Faith. (Which is also given by God, by the way.)
What is it? A gift of God.
Who does it? God.
Who doesn't do it? Us.
What doesn't work? Works. (Doing stuff to please God, make ourselves good enough for Him or make Him love us more.)
Why not? So that no one cannot boast.
And, finally, why is it so important that we cannot boast? Because God went to all the trouble to love us despite our ugliness and filth, come to earth, die a horrible death for us and, thereby, make the way for us to be with Him. And, if we keep trying to earn what is given as a gift, we are not only spinning our wheels, we are slapping Him in the face and saying, "No, God. I think I would do a better job than You when it comes to making myself good enough for You--even though I am starting off from a sinful place, am not nearly so intelligent or wise as You, have no clue what the future brings, and don't even know myself as well as You do, since I didn't create myself."
When I reject God's grace and try to work my way into Heaven, I take the focus off of Him and put it on myself. I suddenly become my own god. And that is not only the most arrogant thing I could do, but also the most foolish.
