The Christian message of salvation can only be made clear if the one doing the preaching or the gospel presentation has come to understand the meaning of sin and the individual’s need for a savior. Needless to say, the one doing the presentation must also be able to explain why Jesus Christ is the only one who can save people from their sins. In this study the Bible will be scrutinized to find out how best to make an argument about humanity’s need for a savior and why Jesus is the only way into eternal life. After that a presentation will be made that is tailor-made for Hindus.
The Gospel
Sin, like faith is difficult to define. There is no exact verse that can provide a clear definition of this very important concept. Many will use the verse found in the book of Romans wherein Apostle Paul said that “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), to explain that sin is missing the mark. But if one will look closely at the verse it actually means that the real reason why everyone has fallen short is because of sin and not the other way around.
Yet, even without a clear-cut definition of sin, it is common knowledge that sin, is doing something that will not please God. Sin is connected to breaking God’s commandments. For Christians, sinning is more than breaking the explicit commandments, the mere thought of breaking the statutes of God, the mere thought of doing something evil against another human being is enough grounds to be labeled a sinner. Therefore, everyone has done something wrong and this infraction, no matter how insignificant, will result in everlasting punishment (Matt. 5:22; Heb. 9:27).
Through one man sin has entered the world (Rom, 5:12). It is therefore fitting that through the sacrifice of another man, the whole of mankind will be redeemed through his sacrifice (Rom. 5:17). In the Old Testament and in the time before Jesus Christ, sinners were able to atone for their sins through the sacrifice of a spotless lamb. This perfect specimen, without blemish and without spot will be killed and then offered as a sacrifice to the LORD.
This is some sort of payment, for the sins of the person doing the offering. But God made it clear later on that this is a temporary solution. Through Old Testament rituals, sin was not erased it was merely covered by the blood of animal sacrifice (Heb. 10:4). To make the long story short, there is a need for a much better sacrifice, one that will satisfy God and save mankind from hell.
It makes perfect sense that God will offer his only begotten Son as the perfect sacrifice. He will be a sinless, spotless, and unique offering that will nullify the curse of the law, which says that the wages of sin are death (Jn. 1:29; Rom. 6:23). Jesus being the incarnate Word of God (Jn.1:1) is more than enough to destroy the power of the law. When Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice on the cross, he became worthy to be called the Savior of the human race. It is therefore only through him that man can be saved (Jn. 1:12). Jesus said that he is the way, truth and life and that no one can come to the Father except through him (Jn. 14:6). Finally, the Bible also states that man can be saved by faith and not by good works (Rom. 4:1-6). It is therefore through faith in the finished work of Christ and his sacrifice that man shall be saved.
Hinduism
From the perspective of Christians, it is relatively easy to present the gospel to the Hindus. There is nothing in Hinduism that is against Christianity. The only difficulty is the complexity of the Hindu religion. In fact, it is no easy task to simplify and create a systematic way of understanding Hinduism. Pipa de Bruyn and Keith Bain were able to put it succinctly when they wrote that Hinduism has no ecclesiastical order and there is no central religious book (481). They also added that while there are religious texts like the ancient Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita these are not considered as the “word of God” like the Bible or Koran (Bruyn & Bain 481). More importantly, it is not possible to convert to Hinduism, for one is born a Hindu (Bruyn & Bain 481).
Yet, even among Hindus there is no agreement when it comes to a central authority or a logical system that can unify Hinduism into one major religion. Gavin Flood asserts that there are conflicting beliefs within Hinduism and he wrote:
Most Hindu traditions revere a body of sacred literature, the Vedas, as a revelation, though some do not, some traditions regard certain rituals as essential for salvation, others do not; some Hindu philosophies postulates a theistic reality who creates, maintains and destroys the universe, others reject this claim (6).
This view was strengthened by Irving Hexam who said that Hinduism is a diverse group of religious traditions consisting of numerous cult movements, beliefs, ritual practices and yet there is no common denominator except for the origin and location within the Indian subcontinent (104). Aside from that there are approximately 330 million gods in India alone and these gods epitomizes a multitude of not so desirable human qualities from gluttony to vengefulness (Bruyn & Bain 481).
While there is nothing that links a diverse body of beliefs, rituals, and ceremonies it can be argued that almost all Hindus are influenced directly and indirectly by the Vedas, a body of sacred writings (Bruyn & Bain 473). This resulted in the creation of a rigid caste system in Indian society (Renard 7). If one is born poor and into the lower levels of the caste system then there is no respite except in death.
The diversity of beliefs, the rigidity of the caste system, and the need to do the right thing even if they are not certain if this will lead to something of significance, makes life difficult for Hindus. For many, especially for those who are poor, life it seems is a never ending cycle of suffering and therefore salvation for them is freedom from earthly existence (Flood 12). There is perhaps no other group of people who needed the love and saving grace of Jesus more than the Hindus. They are desperate for the gospel message and the one who will share to them God’s love must not only present it well but must develop a presentation that takes into consideration their world view.
The Presentation
The Christian message of salvation as found in the four gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – is perfect for Hinduism. There is nothing in this religion that can cause a major resistance for the acceptance of the good news – that Jesus died for their sins and if they will believe in him they will be saved. This is because there is no central doctrine and there is no central authority in Hinduism. This religion is more than polytheism; it is a smorgasbord of beliefs, rituals, traditions etc. So if a Christian will come into the midst of confusion and proclaim that there is a one true way out of their misery then many will respond and show their desire to be followers of Christ.
Thus, if the Christian will say that there is one true God and he is the Father of all, the Hindu will rejoice knowing that after thousands of years they can finally cling to a religion that is easy to understand. They can also say goodbye to the stressful spiritual exercise of trying to please millions of different gods. They will be free from the burden of trying to do good works and yet not knowing if it is good enough. They will be blessed with the realization that in God’s perspective, their good works amount to nothing. For others this can be an offense. For the Jews this was an offense for they thought that their good works will allow them to enter heaven. For Hindus this is a relief because they know that their works will never be enough.
One could only imagine the joy and excitement that will be felt by a Hindu who labored for so long, who sacrificed so much to earn the favor of the gods. They are not expecting anything, they are merely driven with fear that the gods might make their already miserable existence more difficult. The revelation that Jesus paid for their sins and that they are not supposed to do anything else except to believe in him and accept his sacrifice on the cross will surely bring happiness to many.
The Hindus are carrying a heavy burden. They are supposed to serve millions of different gods. They are supposed to be under a rigid caste system, one in which there is no escape. They are born into this religious system that has no central authority and yet demands everything from them. Hindus are devout and they will do everything to please their gods. They will aspire to be a good Hindu and yet they will always have the nagging feeling that nothing they do can assure them of salvation.
The Christian message of salvation will be like a healing balm for many. Jesus assured them that they will not only be saved from the torments of hell but they will also become their children. This is a tremendous improvement from a life of mental anguish not knowing how to be in right standing with their gods. The Hindu who will embrace Christ will receive more than he could dare imagine or hope for. In Christianity they are not only given the chance to break free from the curse of the law they will also be adopted as children into God’s family.
For a Hindu, a perfectly clear presentation of the gospel will be impossible to resist. They gain so much without having to risk anything at all. It is like a pauper given the chance to become prince in a twinkling of an eye. Nothing of significance is required from them. In fact, they have already given up so much for a religion that has given them nothing but pain and bad memories. The love of Jesus Christ will draw them to the Father. At first they may find it too good to be true but a gentle coaching by the Spirit of God and the patient encouragement of a Christian will help them understand that indeed, God so loved the Hindus that he gave his only begotten Son so that every single one of them can come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Works Cited
Bruyn, Pippa and Keith Bain. Frommer’s India. 1st ed. Wiley, John and Sons, Inc., 2004.
Flood, Gavin. An Introduction to Hinduism. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Hexham, Irving. Concise Dictionary of Religion. Canada: Regent College Publishing, 1993.
Renard, John. Responses to 101 Questions on Hinduism. New Jersey: Paulist Press, 1999.