How Is Christianity any Different than Other Religions?

A crucial distinctive about Christianity is that God cared enough about humankind to reach down and compassionately provide a way for us to be in a right relationship with Him.  In other religions, people vainly attempt to reach God and earn their own salvation by doing good deeds and by refraining from bad behavior. 

The problem for those people is that no one can ever be good enough to earn his own salvation.  In other words, no one can ever reach God through his own efforts.  That is why God made a way for us by sending His Son Jesus to live a holy and sinless life and suffer the payment for our sins.  In this way, if we believe in Jesus and choose to follow Him, we are forgiven by God and given new life.

Another critical difference is that in Christianity people can truly have genuine assurance of their salvation.  They can be certain that they are going to heaven because their salvation is anchored in what Jesus already did for them.  As a result, Christians have peace in their hearts about where they will go when their lives on earth are finished.        

In other faiths, people cannot be assured that they will go to heaven because they can never know if they have done enough good works to earn God’s favor or forgiveness.  They have to continually try to earn their salvation—even until their last day and dying breath.  They cannot experience the restful assurance that God gives those who trust in Jesus Christ.