Are there Different Paths to God?

There are multiple paths to the same God. This is the standard answer I get from others when discussing other religions. Consequently, the Hindu and the Mormon, the Muslim and the Spiritualist, they will all get there along with the Christian, but just on different paths.

But, let us not answer that question. Let’s answer a different question.

Are there different paths that Christians take to God? Does the Christian God allow various Christians to “find” Him in different ways? Some believe that we find God in various ways. Others believe that God finds us in specific ways. However, how do the folks in sacred scripture come to believe?

God chose Israel as His people.

Jesus chose Paul on the road to Damascus where he was going to persecute the church and kill Christians.

Jesus chose each one of his disciples. Judas, the son of perdition, was even chosen to betray Him.

God chose David to be king of Israel.

If God did indeed choose these individuals to Himself, how then do the rest of us come to God? If we choose God and the individuals such as Paul were chosen by God, then there must be at least two different ways to come to God: 1) God chooses some, and 2) others choose God.

If it is both, then God is inconsistent in the “paths” to God. If we choose God, then one must ask what good is there in us prior to our conversion that chooses God? Considering this is the greatest choice, or the greatest good, anyone can do in this life, where does this good come from considering we are dead in our sins, sinful since birth? The only clear answer is that God chooses us even while were were sinners. He transforms our will that was formally at enmity against Him and makes us born again, new creatures in Christ, who can now choose to do good. Our wills are changed so much, we can even believe that we did the choosing in the first place. The only response to this is unhindered praise and thanks to God through Christ Jesus who, due to nothing found in ourselves, chose us to be with Him. Praise God it was not left up to us!