How would you explain that Jesus is true and not other 'gods'?

Hi Ed,

Different believers would focus on different things, depending on their own strengths and interests. Something as simple and beautiful as creation declares that there is a Creator (Rom 1:18-19, Psalm 19:1-4), though this obviously doesn't declare who that Creator is. With atheists you want to present something logical that even someone without faith or a strong understanding of the Bible could potentially grasp. For me, I believe that the God of the Bible shows Himself to be the true God by doing one thing that is provable for even those that do not believe. And that is by declaring the end from the beginning - in other words, Bible prophecy. And we can use this very thing to prove that Jesus is the promised One as well. 

The God of the Bible says:

Isaiah 46:9-10 ' I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.'

Isaiah 41:21-23 “Present your case,” says the LORD. “Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King. “ Bring in your idols to tell us what is going to happen. Tell us what the former things were, so that we may consider them and know their final outcome. Or declare to us the things to come, tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods.' 

So this is the test that God sets for any other so-called 'gods'. It is simple. 'Make the end known from the beginning. Tell us what will occur in the future'. With this in mind it is not surprising that there are no prophecies, given before their birth, concerning Mohammed or Buddha or any other religious figure. Yet there are over 300 that Jesus fulfilled in His first coming alone. These are provable. For example, look at this list given here:

https://www.gotquestions.org/prophecies-of-Jesus.html

That is why I have used Bible prophecy so much in the following pages:

https://jesusplusnothing.com/jesus-and-prophecy

https://jesusplusnothing.com/jesus-and-salvation

What stops someone believing?

Now, it should be noted that it is not a lack of 'proof' that stops most people from coming to the Lord. It is because they love the darkness, not the light. They love their sin. They love being the master of their universe and don't want to be answerable to anyone else... not even God. Jesus said:

Joh 3:19-21 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. (20) Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. (21) But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

So you can present someone with all the proof they would need but if their heart is not towards God, and if they aren't looking for an answer, they will simply dismiss it no matter how convincing it may be. But to those that are seeking, to those that are beginning to see that the answers don't lie within, then God has presented more than enough proof of who the true God is, and who the true Messiah is.  

Blessings!