1. CLarify

To understand where your friend is coming from, here are some questions you may ask:

·       When you say “true way”, could you share what you mean by “true”?

·       What leads you to feel that all religions are the same?

·       Are there particular differences between what different religions teach or emphasise?

2.    Explore (Context) 

Remember your friend is genuinely trying to make sense of different beliefs. Living in a pluralistic society, he may have observed all religions similarly promoting good moral behaviour.

That’s why he may want to understand what makes Christianity so different that it makes the exclusive claim: that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). 

If they believe that God is too big to be grasped by any one group, that’s a reasonable instinct too. Just like the parable of the blind men and an elephant (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_men_and_an_elephant), how could any faith claim to know the absolute truth with our finite and subjective understanding?

3.    Agree 

There is common ground across many religions. We recognise that moral living and doing good is important for society to flourish. 

Most religions also recognise that something is not right with the world or with ourselves, and that we need to change our behaviour, make amends, or adopt a particular way of life to address these issues. 

Christianity also affirms the importance of living a good and upright life with the second great commandment: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).

4.    Reveal

But unlike other faiths, Christianity doesn’t teach that living a good and upright life is how we’re saved from the things that are wrong with the world.

For example, in Romans 10, the apostle Paul expresses his deep desire for the Jewish people to be saved. He was speaking about people who were sincerely committed to faith in God and righteous living. Yet despite this, Paul believed that they still
needed to be saved.

Instead, Christianity teaches that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus, not by our own works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8–9).

This also means that Christianity is not merely a system of moral teaching, but depends on an objective historical claim – the resurrection of Jesus. If Jesus truly rose from the dead, then He can justify His absolute claim to be “the way” and His promise to grant salvation.

The distinct message of Christianity is that salvation can’t be earned by human effort. It is found only in Jesus Christ,
who is fully God and fully man.

Good works or personal belief systems will not save us from all that is wrong in the world. We are saved when we recognise that Jesus is our Saviour and Lord.