| Christianity does not leave loose ends. The plan of | | | | This plan of redemption is what the Bible is all about. It |
| redemption goes full circle. God is holy and our sin | | | | is unveiled and unfolded throughout the early history of |
| separates us from Him. God's justice demands a price | | | | man. It starts in Genesis with the story of Adam and |
| to be paid, the price of death by the shedding of blood. | | | | Eve and their sin. It follows the patriarchs, the Mosaic |
| God's grace allows a substitute to pay the price for us. | | | | law and the people of Israel. The New Testament |
| In the Old Testament times this was achieved by | | | | explains Jesus' life and sacrifice. It leaves no open |
| sacrificing animals. Not any animal, but animals that met | | | | ending. If we accept the gift of Jesus by faith, we can |
| God's specifications, they had to be first born, male | | | | be assured of our salvation. If not, we can be assured |
| and without blemishes. God accepted the sacrifice of | | | | of our damnation. It's as simple as that. |
| the animal as payment for the price of sin of men. But | | | | Other religions do not offer a similar complete plan. |
| because an animal cannot sin (it is a-moral) this | | | | Hinduism claims that one needs only "improve" through |
| sacrifice had to be repeated again and again, every | | | | numerous cycles of reincarnation. Yet the believer will |
| time a new sin was committed. | | | | never know with any certainty how successful he or |
| Then God's love dispatched Jesus, His Son, to earth to | | | | she is in achieving that objective. One never knows |
| pay that price with His blood. Jesus was - like the Old | | | | upon death if the soul will have reached Moksha, or if |
| Testament sacrificial animals - first born, male and | | | | another cycle of rebirth, life, and death is required. |
| without blemishes. But above all He was also without | | | | The situation with Buddhism is similar. When is one truly |
| sin by His own choice. That made Him the perfect | | | | free of suffering? How do you measure that, and how |
| (and only) sacrificial lam who's blood was sufficient for | | | | do you know? You die, and then what? Do you |
| all past, present and future sins. By accepting Jesus' | | | | disappear into Nirvana or be reborn as a human being |
| payment by faith for our sins, we can be reconciled to | | | | or as some other organism. Like Hinduism, it seems to |
| God during this lifetime as well as after our deaths, | | | | leave many questions unanswered. |
| when this reconciliation is fully realized. | | | | |