Of all the religions in the world today there are two things unique to Christianity that separates it from every other belief system.
The first thing that makes Christianity unique is it is based on the most remarkable book ever written, the Bible. And one of the things that makes the Bible so special and unique is its transcendent nature. While it is true that the Bible is an ancient book, it is also true that it is totally modern. And while the Bible is set in an agricultural and simple lifestyle period, it is still capable of appealing to our fast-pace and complex society of today. For you see the Bible transcends time, culture, and language barriers. And the reason the Bible does all of this is simple – it was written by God – our Creator; who knows us better than we know ourselves. And no other religious book can claim to be historically, scientifically, and prophetically accurate in everything it states.
And the second thing that makes Christianity unique is that it transcends humanity’s ability to follow its precepts without a supernatural transformation of our human condition. I like how Pastor Erwin Lutzer talks about this point when he stated: “Christianity demands a level of caring that transcends human inclinations.”1 You see to live the Christian life requires we act in ways that are not humanly possible without the supernatural aid of the Holy Spirit. A complete transformation of our human heart is essential if we are to exhibit the level of caring that Pastor Lutzer shared in his above quote.
For example, Jesus tells us the following: “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44). This level of compassion can’t be carried out in our old sinful nature, but praise God when we come to Christ as our Lord and Savior we undergo a radical change in our human condition that gives us a new capacity to live the (Matthew 5:44) lifestyle. And to love like Christ loved is only possible when are hearts are inhabited with a brand new Christlike nature that simply transcends our old fleshly human nature.
So to sum up the Bible transcends time, culture, and languages with the only message of real hope that society can count on to truly bring mankind lasting peace, joy, and meaning both for this life and the life to come. Other sacred books, religions, and philosophies down through the centuries have made claims to transform us, but only the Bible has been able to truly change one from a sinner to a saint and from bondage to free. And the reason that Christianity is totally transcendent is its ability to change the desperately wicked human heart (Jeremiah 17:9) into a new heart that can exhibit compassion like that of Jesus.