When it Comes to Christianity, Everything Is Different

Let me get straight to the point: I’m writing this for two reasons.

First, Christianity is completely unique in how it explains salvation. Unlike every other religion, Christianity establishes that salvation is by grace through faith alone (Eph. 2:8-9). There’s absolutely nothing we can do to earn it, add to it, or improve upon it. It’s a gift ready to be received. And yes, that means God did all the work.

And second, I want to challenge something that runs deep in all of us: the desire to earn our way. We want to be able to say, “I had a part in that.” We want to feel in control. We want to have influence over the process. We want some credit. But when it comes to salvation, the truth is, we don’t get any. That can be hard to hear, and even harder to accept. But it’s exactly what makes Christianity stand out from every other religious system in all of history.

People Have Always Tried to Climb the Mountain

All throughout history, people have tried to reach God, or some version of the divine, by their own effort. And they’ve gone about it in a thousand different ways. Each one the wrong way.

Physically, some tried to build their way to God. Think about the Tower of Babel, or the massive ziggurats in Mesopotamia, or the pyramids in Egypt. These weren’t just impressive architecture. They were spiritual statements. They were humanity’s attempt to erase the distance between earth and heaven, brick by brick.

Others took a more esoteric approach, practicing asceticism (punishing or depriving themselves physically) to try and earn spiritual credit.

Intellectually, people have long believed that with enough thought, they could think their way to God. The Greeks, the Chinese, and other cultures built entire systems of philosophy aimed at uncovering ultimate truth. Gnosticism (an early church heresy) promised special spiritual insight through secret knowledge. Even the well aimed Scholasticism in the Middle Ages tried to map out heaven through logic and argument. But all of these pursuits find root in the idea that if we’re smart enough, we can figure God out.

Metaphysically, many Eastern religions pursue spiritual breakthrough through intense discipline. Hinduism speaks of moksha (liberation). Buddhism aims for nirvana. These aren’t passive ideas. They’re spiritual destinations you have to work hard to reach through rituals, meditation, and detachment from the world.

Even today, we see shadows of these patterns everywhere. Some people chase meaning and identity through their moral performance (deistic morality and secular humanism). Others believe science can and will ultimately explain everything worth knowing. Still others chase emotional highs in their spiritual lives, thinking that intense feelings mean they’ve gotten closer to the divine.

Here’s the bottom line: human nature wants to work for it. We want skin in the game. That’s why merit-based religion is so attractive. It puts you in control. However, it also makes you solely accountable. 

God Came Down the Mountain

And then comes Christianity, breaking all the rules. The Bible doesn’t say, “Work your way to God.” It says, “God came down to you.”

That’s the Incarnation—God in the flesh. Jesus of Nazareth wasn’t a teacher who found a path to God. He was God, stepping into our world. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” In other words, we didn’t go to Him. He came to us.

This is what sets Christianity apart. Every other religion tells you what you must do to reach God at the top of the mountain. Christianity tells you what God did to reach you while you were still at the bottom.

Paul makes this crystal clear in the book of Romans:

• “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

• “But God proves His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

• “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Did you catch that? It’s a gift. Not a reward. Not a paycheck. Not a partial payment. Not something we earned. Salvation is a gift.

The Early Church Knew This Was a Big Deal

The earliest Christians understood how radical this was. Tertullian pushed back hard against those who wanted to mix grace with effort. He pointed to the Incarnation (God taking on flesh) as something so different from anything pagan religions could imagine.

John Chrysostom, known for his powerful preaching, often emphasized how humble and selfless Christ’s descent into humanity really was. In a world that chased spiritual superiority through knowledge or status, Chrysostom highlighted that real faith starts with humility and receives God’s grace as a gift.

Augustine, too, stood his ground on this. He knew how dangerous it was to let people believe they could earn salvation. He fought back against the idea that human nature could, on its own, produce righteousness. Grace, not goodness, was the answer.

And Justin Martyr pointed out what should be obvious now: Jesus replaced all of humanity’s religious striving with one final, finished act. The old ladder-to-heaven approach was over. In Christ, God reached down, grabbed hold of us, and pulled us up.

So What? Why Does It Matter?

Understanding that salvation is all grace changes how we live.

First, it humbles us. When we really believe that we didn’t earn anything, it crushes pride. There’s no boasting in grace. We can finally have an accurate view of self.

Second, it builds unity. If we’re all saved by grace, we’re all in the same boat. No one’s sin outweighs anyone else's. No one’s more spiritual or worthy than anyone else. That creates space for compassion, encouragement, and deep community.

Third, it fuels good works—not as a way to earn anything, but as a compelling response to everything we’ve already been given.

Paul says it best in Ephesians 2:8–10:“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God—not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.”

The works come after grace. They flow from it, not into it. As Pastor Sam LoBellosays, when you’re looking at the tree that is the Christian life, the works are the Fruit and faith is the root. 

Stop Striving. Start Trusting.

I’ll leave you with this: Christianity is the only faith that tells you to stop trying to climb your way to God and to start trusting that He has already come to you.

Romans 5:1–2 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand.”

Let me encourage you with one last word:

Cease striving. Stop trying to earn what you never could and what’s already been offered. Rest in the grace of Jesus. He’s done it all. All that’s left is for you to receive it with gratitude, walk in it with joy, and share it with others.