The Universality of the Bible, Christ, and Christianity

 

Sermon . The Universality of the Bible, Christ, and Christianity

Scripture References:

• Psalm 139:8 – "If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there."
• Matthew 18:20 – "For where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there in the midst of them."
• Revelation 1:8 – "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Let everyone turn their hearts toward the Lord.

Prayer: Lord Jesus! In this world, there have been many devout people who have walked according to Your Word. Concerning Noah, whom You called, what is written? — "He did all that God commanded him." Regarding Joshua, the same is recorded:— "He did all that the Lord commanded him." Likewise, after the birth of the Bible Mission, You said to Your servant:
— "You are doing according to My word." Reveal to us the true meaning and timing of this word. Among the many, if Your servant conveys to others that "You said this", how will they believe—especially those who are acquainted with the ways of other devout believers?
And how will those who know my conduct believe? Lord, make known the meaning of Your Word to those who stand in Your presence and proclaim Your message. Now, as we are about to share a few words, please grant us Your help. Amen.

Today’s Evening Message: "God is Omnipresent"

One of the divine attributes of God is that He is omnipresent. That is the focus of today’s meditation. I will not speak now about His other attributes—only this one.

In our present age, and particularly in our country, people are accusing us of three things:

1. That the Bible is false,
2. That Christ is flawed,
3. That Christianity is a man-made religion.

They claim we are trapped in these three deceptions. Why?

1. They say the Bible contains shameful or offensive content and therefore cannot be a divine book.
2. They claim that Christ has many faults and therefore cannot be the true Savior.
3. They argue that Christianity is full of sin and hypocrisy and cannot be a divine religion—it is, they say, an invented faith.

Not only are these accusations made, but they are also being Magazines, books, and leaflets are being printed and distributed widely. Some Christians, after reading such content, have left the faith.

In our region alone, 80 people have turned away. Across the country, by the year 1957, over 1,500 individuals had left Christianity. And who knows how many more have fallen away since then? How many thousands have turned back? Yet, in the face of all this, we have not felt the pain of their departure.

Now, what is the main subject I want to present today? It is this: “God is Omnipresent.”
How does this truth relate to the accusations listed above?

I. The Bible and God's Presence

We were not there when God inspired the writing of the Scriptures. The Bible was written hundreds of years ago. Yet today, it is in our hands. Wasn’t it God who inspired Moses, Joshua, Samuel, the prophets, the gospel writers, the apostles, and finally the author of Revelation to write it?

This very Bible, inspired over centuries by God through different servants, has now come into our possession. Therefore, the existence of the Bible itself is proof that God exists.
If there were no God, how could this book have reached our hands? when the Bible came into the hands of Martin Luther, he placed it into the printing press. From then on, millions and millions of Bibles have been printed. Even in the childhood of Father Devadasu Ayyagaru, newspapers reported that “millions of Bibles have already been printed.” From that time until now, how many more millions must have been printed?

The Bible — a Universal Book, Like Its Author

The first writer of the Bible was Moses, and the last writer was John. This collection of 66 books has now come into our hands. From Moses to Luther, the Bible existed in manuscript form. After Luther, it entered the print age.

It’s as though God said:
“Moses, you write; John, you finish it; Luther, you print it; and Bible Societies, you print it in more than 2,000 languages and distribute it.”

How remarkable! Think about it:
Where was Moses? Where was John? Where was Luther? Where are the Bible Societies? And where are we?

From the beginning to this day, God has been present and working with each of them. He was with Moses, He was with John, He was with Luther, and He is with those working in Bible Societies. He is also with us. If God could be with people in such different places and times, it clearly proves that He is omnipresent. And therefore, the Bible also shares in this omnipresent character.

Because this book spans so many times, places, and peoples, it carries the mark of divine omnipresence. More than that, the Bible has reached every nation on earth. That’s why it is truly a universal book.

Just as it spread across countries, it also spread across languages—being translated into thousands of tongues. It has entered every ethnicity, every religion, and reached people of all cultures and beliefs.

 

The Bible has:

• Reached every generation,
• Entered every nation,
• Been translated into every language,
• Touched every ethnic group,
• Penetrated every religion.

People from all faiths—Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, Zoroastrians, and even atheists—have bought and read this book. This means the Bible has entered every religious community, and such universality is a divine characteristic. Hence, this is no ordinary book—it is a divine book.

Many who read it have found transformation and healing. It is beneficial. It speaks of things from eternity past to eternity future. Because of its reach and relevance across all times and all peoples, the Bible is, like God Himself, universal and eternal.

This book is universal in its reach; that is why, even though it is not the exclusive scripture of any one religion, and even if people from different religions may not like it, they still purchase and read it. When Christ the Lord traveled, His disciples were with Him in a boat. Similarly, in this boat—meaning the Bible—God is present. That is, the omnipresent God is in it. God does not dwell in just one place; He moves everywhere. In the same way, the Bible is traveling all over the world. Because God is in the Bible, it continues to spread everywhere.

This book has spread into the hearts of devotees on earth and in heaven—thus, it is a universally spreading book. Because people do not keep the Word in their hearts but only in their minds, they misunderstand it. But if they let it descend into their hearts, they will understand it. Then there will be no room for misinterpretation.

Noah, who did what God commanded; Abraham, who was called the father of all believers; Moses, who became the writer of Scriptures and saw God face-to-face; David, the ruler representing the coming Kingdom of the Lord; Enoch and Elijah, who were taken alive into heaven—if a book that records the histories of such holy people is not a divine book, then what book could be called divine? the Bible is present in all countries. What other divine book is as universal as the Bible?

The Bible came to us without anyone needing to explain it. In the same way, He (Christ) will also come without needing to be told. Because He is omnipresent, His book is also omnipresent. Who can erase the omnipresent God? Who can erase this omnipresent book? If anyone tries to do so, they will end up erasing themselves.

For example, if someone tries to extinguish a fiery furnace, they will themselves be consumed. God is a flame of fire to those who resist Him, but to those who do not resist Him, He is a lamp of light—a light on their path.

II. Christ – The Divine Incarnation

The Bible begins with the name of God in its very first verse—this alone affirms that it is a divine book. Christ is God incarnate, meaning He is the visible manifestation of the invisible God. Though fully divine, He became fully human for our sake, yet His divinity was never diminished.

Consider this example: If a college professor changes into ordinary clothes and sits with students on the ground, does he cease to be a professor? Not at all. Likewise, God did not cease to be God just because He came in human form.

The Bible may be printed on ordinary paper, written in human language, authored by men, held in human hands, placed on tables or bookshelves, even torn or worn with time—yet its divine nature and authority remain intact. Similarly, though God became man, walked among us, and lived like one of us, He never stopped being God.

The God who once seemed distant in heaven came near to us—into our very world. Does His presence among us make Him any less divine? Not at all. In appearance He took on human form, but in essence and power, He remained fully God. If we truly worship Him, His divine glory will be revealed in us. Just as God’s omnipresence is evident in the Bible, so too will His divine presence be manifest in those who believe.

III. Christianity – A Divine Faith

Christianity is not a man-made religion; it is the faith established by God Himself through His Word—the Bible. Christ, who came from heaven to earth as a man, laid down His life to establish this faith. How then can it be anything less than divine, even if it exists among sinners?

Though Christ took on human form, He was and is still God. Just because a divine religion exists among imperfect people does not make it imperfect. Is sunlight any less bright because it falls on dirt or rocks? Likewise, Christianity remains the divine faith regardless of the imperfections of some of its followers.

All people are invited into this faith. Human-made religions offer no eternal assurance. But the Bible is God’s revealed will, Christ is God in human form, and Christianity is divinely established. Therefore:

• We must read the Bible, because it is God’s Word.
• We must believe in Christ, for He is the Savior.
• We must follow Christianity—not as a mere label or tradition, but as a divine path to God.

There is no fault in the Bible, no error in Christ, and no flaw in the Christian faith. Tearing a page from a book does not invalidate the whole book. Christ did not cease to be God just because He was crucified. Likewise, the faults of a few individuals within the Church do not negate the holiness of Christianity.

In a hospital, there may be hundreds of patients. A visitor may cover their nose because of the smell—but does that mean the hospital is bad? No—it is a place of healing. If some patients refuse to take their prescribed medicine and die, the hospital is not to blame.

Similarly, if a few within Christianity live wrongly, it does not mean Christianity itself is wrong. The fault lies not in the faith but in those who fail to live by it.

Let us judge rightly and understand this truth: "There is no error in the Bible, in Christ, or in the Christian faith." Those who claim otherwise are mistaken themselves.

Such is the depth and richness of the Bible that one could speak about it for a whole day. About Christ, one could preach for a week. And about the Christian faith, one could teach for an entire month—and still not exhaust its truth.

A mother once said to the doctor, "Sir, it's been a month since my son came to the hospital, and he hasn’t gotten better." The doctor replied, "So, what are you saying?" She answered, "I will take him home." But if someone doesn't recover in the hospital, will they really recover at home? If he couldn’t be healed here, how will he be healed in the grave? What help can the grave give? Anyone who has come into the Christian faith will surely recover one day. To be in the faith is like being in the hospital—it may take a month or more, but healing will come. But the one who leaves the faith—only he knows his end.

These three—the Bible, Christ, and the Christian faith—have been criticized and accused by enemies, which is why we must now speak in their defense. Ask about all the religions in the world: have they done the good that these have done? Let those who accuse them answer honestly. Whoever declares that there is no fault in the Bible, no fault in Christ, and no fault in the Christian faith, and comes forward to be baptized, enters into the Word, draws near to Christ, and joins the body of Christ—the church—will, after death, enter into eternal life. If they endure faithfully until His coming, they will enter the marriage supper of the Lamb in the new Jerusalem, when He appears in the clouds.

In the Millennial Kingdom, they will go to all places and proclaim the gospel. They will teach with glorified, golden bodies. For them, there will be no more heat or cold, no pain or suffering, no darkness or disease, no sweat or insects, no barking dogs or biting snakes. They will walk the earth with kingly splendor. No sea, river, mountain, or demon will obstruct them—because all evil spirits will be bound. If you desire to partake in such a glorious kingdom, prepare now to enter into the Christian fellowship. Today is the time.

Failing to understand, failing to reflect, speaking without thought, cursing, hitting, killing, being jealous, provoking others, stealing, lying—all these are signs of a corrupt mind.

Not reading the Bible is a corrupt attitude. Failing to read the Bible thoroughly and completely is another kind of corruption. Praying only for yourself and not for others is also a corrupt mindset. Knowing the truth and refusing to share it with others is a greater form of corruption. Receiving God’s help and failing to give thanks is yet another corrupt habit.

How can one be ready for the Lord’s return while carrying such corrupt thoughts?

Even if demons seem distant, these corruptions are the arrows they shoot. Like a bird sitting on a tree that gets struck from below by an arrow, so too do the devil’s arrows strike from unseen places, at a distance. If such arrows are not removed, how can anyone be ready for the coming of the Lord?

Readiness for the Lord’s Return

When a bridegroom and bride are preparing for their wedding, do they not love one another? The bride lowers her head in humility as a sign of love. But if she walks in the ways of the world—following worldly patterns—she will lose her blessedness. Doesn’t a child have love for its mother? If we have such genuine love, then we can be ready for the Lord's return.

No matter how many victories you may have achieved, if you lack love for the Heavenly Father, you cannot go in the Rapture.

The Lord said:  "Love God, and love your neighbor." Without this order of love, no matter how many sins you may have overcome, even if you meditate on the Bible, speak in tongues, or receive many visions—if there is no love, it profits nothing.

As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13: “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”

Prayer:  "Lord Jesus, You have commanded us to receive baptism. You gave authority to Your disciples to baptize. So now, we are baptizing some, as they declare, 'We now believe.' Lord, You know their hearts. Grant us the grace to believe that, when we administer baptism, it is as if You Yourself are giving it. Let those who are now ready for baptism also be made ready for Your coming. Bless them to remain firm in faith, never turning back, but enduring faithfully until the end. Amen."

Note: This was a sermon delivered by Father Devadasu Ayyagaru on Friday, 22nd March 1957