| It seems logical to reason that one can achieve | | | | sources (doctrines). However, Christ doesn't allow the |
| spiritual enlightenment through the acceptance and | | | | taking of his materials to be added to a foundation |
| practice of the good aspects of every religion. | | | | that he did not supply. This is why he was very |
| However, like any other discipline, religion has a | | | | descriptive in what kind of content makes up his |
| foundation of core teachings that determine if one is | | | | foundation. |
| even permitted to accept instruction from other | | | | In a nutshell, any foundation that denies and rejects |
| belief systems. | | | | him as the one and only Christ of God is identified in |
| It's interesting to note that the Protestant Bible | | | | the Bible as being of the spirit of anti-Christ (1 John |
| actually aligns the building of faith in God to the | | | | 2:22-23). Any foundation that denies and rejects his |
| construction of an invisible, but very real, building into | | | | divinity is also identified as being of the spirit of |
| which the believer is to move permanently. Scripture | | | | anti-Christ. Where does the Bible say this? The |
| even advises one to sit down and think over such a | | | | scripture of 1 John 4.1-3 speaks of the significance of |
| task before undertaking it, to determine if he really | | | | Jesus' coming to Earth "in the flesh". "In the flesh" |
| wants to construct a sound structure that must not | | | | refers directly to divinity--God in the flesh. How can |
| fail him later. Certainly if one cannot even plan a | | | | one be sure of this? In the very first verse of the |
| foundation, he can never hope to lay one. If he | | | | New Testament book of St. John, it's recorded that, |
| cannot lay a foundation, he has nothing on which to | | | | "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was |
| raise walls, place a ceiling, and add barriers, making his | | | | with God, and the Word was God." Later, verse 14 |
| building a fortress. | | | | of the same chapter (one), says that, "the Word |
| Jesus asked, "for which of you, intending to build a | | | | was made flesh." Having previously called the Word |
| tower, sitteth not down first and counteth the cost, | | | | "God", the reader is being plainly told that God came |
| whether he have sufficient (will power/desire) to | | | | "in the flesh". |
| finish it (KJV, Luke 14.28)? | | | | People continue to mix and mingle the beliefs, |
| What would cause the believer not to be able to | | | | teachings, and doctrines of various religions. However, |
| finish his building in Christ? Obviously, the lack of | | | | when they attempt to include bits and pieces from |
| supplies would stop him. What are his supplies? The | | | | the doctrine of Christ which will not be broken into |
| teachings of the doctrine of Christ, in Christianity, are | | | | pieces, they end up with neither a foundation, nor a |
| his supplies, along with his willingness to follow them. | | | | building that is acceptable to Christ. |
| This is only one of literally a vast number of | | | | Jesus spoke plainly and authoritatively when he said, |
| scriptures that should cause a person to realize that | | | | "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man |
| the materials used to construct knowledge of the | | | | cometh unto the Father, but by me (St. John 14:6). |
| sound doctrine, or building of Christ, cannot be | | | | Christ is the foundation for every believer in his word. |
| grabbed from any source. If this were not the case, | | | | These various believers cooperate with him in the |
| all the builder would have to do when he ran out of | | | | building on to that foundation. However, the |
| supplies is take from another source, in other words, | | | | foundation, completed structure, and adornment that |
| from any other doctrine. | | | | they work with, are all encompassed in the one and |
| One might suggest that a person then lay his | | | | same doctrine. |
| foundation from materials not belonging to the | | | | Again, the Bible teaches that, "other foundation can |
| restrictive doctrine of Christ. The logic would be that | | | | no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 |
| an inter-faith foundation would be a lot more flexible | | | | Corinthians 3:11). |
| to accept the good building supplies from many | | | | |