“[Here] you can see the difference between Christianity and all other religions, including no religion. The essence of other religions is advice; Christianity is essentially news. Other religions say, ‘This is what you have to do in order to connect with God forever; this how you have to live in order to earn your way to God.’ But the gospel says, ‘This is what has been done in history. This is how Jesus lived and died to earn the way to God for you.’ Christianity is completely different. It’s joyful news.
How do you feel when you’re given good advice on how to live? Someone says, ‘Here’s the love you ought to have, or the integrity you ought to have,’ and maybe they illustrate high moral standards by telling a story of some great hero. But when you hear it, how does it make you feel? Inspired, sure. But do you feel the way the listeners who heard those heralds felt when the victory was announced? Do you feel your burdens have fallen off? Do you feel as if something great has been done for you and you’re not a slave anymore? Of course you don’t. It weighs you down: This is how I have to live. It’s not a gospel. The gospel is that God connects to you not on the basis of what you’ve done (or haven’t done) but on the basis of what Jesus has done, in history, for you. And that makes it different from every other religion or philosophy”
(Timothy Keller, KING’S CROSS: THE STORY OF THE WORLD IN THE LIFE OF JESUS. NYC: Dutton, 2010. pp 15-16).
Already Not Yet 
Hi.
I have a question. Do I need to believe in Jesus, according to Christianity, in order to connect with G-D?
All the best.
Shmuel Aryeh
This is the testimony of the entire bible, made clear in the New Testament.
Thanks for the answer.
So how does that make it different from Judaism? In Judaism, as well, it is not your actions – which shouldn’t be done out of the thought of reward – which define your closeness to G-D, but your sincerity. That is also rather manifest from the Scripture, which can be seen from examples as Avraham and David, A”S, who were righteous, not because of their actions, but because of their faith in G-D.
By the pact with G-D, we have a share in the World to Come, not by our actions, but by His Will. That doesn’t mean that non-Jews don’t have a share in the World to Come, any sincere individual, who wants a closer relation with G-D, has a share in the World to Come.
All the best.
The central figure of the bible is the Messiah. It is through faith in him (specifically in his atoning death) that a person is reconciled to G-D, since he alone bore the punishment for our sins. Jesus is both the source and sustainer of salvation. We are justified and sanctified through our union with him.