If the works will follow men, why do Christians say that Christ will take away the sins?Maharishi Dayananda Saraswati, founder of the Arya Samaj, was one of the greatest scholars of the modern Hinduism. Satyarth Prakash (The Light of Truth) is probably his most important work and one of the earliest works on comparative religions by a Hindu scholar. This book critiques the Puranic Hinduism, Christianity and Islam while arguing for the veracity of his understanding of the Vedic religion. Chapter 13, An examination of the doctrines of Christianity contains the critique of the Biblical faith in the form of questions from the Book of Genesis to the Book of Revelation. Jerry Thomas answers those questions one by one and demonstrates the veracity of the Holy Bible- the Word of the Only True God. Those which are colored in orange are Maharishi’s words and those which are colored in black are Jerry Thomas’s response.
"Yea, said the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them." (14:13.)
C. Now, reader mark! The Christian God does say that the works of men will follow them; in other words, they shall reap the fruits of their deeds, but they (the Christians) say that Christ will take on himself the sins of all the therefore they shall be forgiven. Now the wise can decide whether what God say is right or what the Christians tell us. Both can never be right (when their statements are contradictory). One of them ought to be wrong, be it the Christians or their God? We don't care which.
Answer: Maharishi had an erroneous understanding of the atonement death of LORD Jesus Christ. While it saves human beings from the final judgment and eternal separation from God, it does not exempt men from the rewards of their deeds.
The following Biblical passages express this well.
1 Corinthians 3: 12-15 “Now if anyone builds on this foundation [with] gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on [it] endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
